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Top line-up at the Ordix Open

Summit of world class players and professor Eckhard Freise

by Hartmut Metz, June 2001, translation by Harald Fietz (Figo)

more English chess articles by Hartmut Metz

 

   The Chess Classic Mainz' Ordix Open represents an outstanding line-up: not only two of the top ten players will meet at the rapid chess open in the Rheingoldhalle on 23 June (registration up to 12 noon) and 24 June. The competition for the prize fund of 45,000 German Marks will be started by 35 grandmasters who all expect to have a good chance of winning the first prize of 10,000 German Marks. The currently registered 27 elite players (on 13 June) have a rating average of more than 2600 Elo. Above this mark the so-called super grandmasters are listed.

   The ranks of the hottest favourites are led by Michael Adams. Before his Fischer Random match against Peter Leko (26 to 29 June) the no. 4 in the world rating list will once again try to win the Ordix Open. The toughest opponent for the winner of the Masters of Chess Classic 2000 will be Alexander Morozevich. The Russian is positioned only one place below Adams. Last year Peter Svidler, the no. 12 in the world rating list, finished at third place in the Ordix Open and this year the three times Russian champion is third in the tournament's list. The 10,000 mark will surely also be coveted by tricky Alexei Dreev (18th / Russia) and Sergei Rublevsky. Last year the Olympiad winner with the Russian team managed to catch up with the leader, Michail Gurevich of Belgium, right on the finishing line.

   German top players will also participate in large numbers. Five of the six grandmasters who are listed in the world's top 100 will make the pilgrimage to Mainz. As nos. 6 to 10 in the tournament's list (with the exception of Armenian Rafael Waganjan who plays for the Porz Bundesliga team) there will be the German star player Alexander Graf (Cologne-Porz), Artur Jusupov (Solingen), Rustem Dautov (Godesberg) and Christopher Lutz (Cologne-Porz). The quintett will be completed by Igor Khenkin (Tegernsee). There will also be another national team player Klaus Bischoff (Plauen) who helped to win the silver medal at the Olympiad in Istanbul. Among the 13 German grandmasters the former world championship candidate Vlastimil Hort (Cologne-Porz) - well-known for moderation of chess broadcastings in several countries - and doyen Wolfgang Unzicker will stand out. The Munich resident celebrated his 75th birthday at last year's Chess Classic.

   Up to 432 players gathered at the Ordix Open which was launched for the first time eight years ago and has experienced rapid development. But not only up to 100 title holders have a chance to win some prize money. Organizer Hans-Walter Schmitt attaches great value to the fact that amateurs have an opportunity to gain up to 1000 marks in their respective rating category. But hobby players are mainly competing in order to meet the top players - even if they generally lose. This year it is likely that a great number of them will face one of world class players. Eckhard Freise is also taking his chance before he participating in the simul against Viswanathan Anand in the Rheingoldhalle on Saturday 23rd June at 6.30 p.m. The professor from Wuppertal was the first candidate who managed to 'bring home' one million marks at the German version of the show "Who wants to be a millionaire?". Who accompanied the New Zealander Hillary in the first conquest of Mount Everest? Like Sherpa Tenzing Norgay, Freise will be part of the team that aims to reach new heights in chess at the Chess Classic Mainz 2001.

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