1st Brunei Internet Chess Blitz

The 1st Brunei Internet Chess Blitz, held on ICC on Tuesday, 15 July at 2:00AM (14:00PM local Brunei time), turned out to be a resounding, through the night success with a galaxy of elite online players among the 418 vying for the $6,500 prize fund.

Among the field battling it out through the wee small hours and 2015 games included 17 of ICC's top-rated players 3000 and above, including favorite GM Hikaru Nakamura (Smallville), the third-highest rated blitz player on ICC at 3391, who last month won the ICC Mainz qualifier.  But the young American Blitz King didn't have it all his own way this time around, with a seventh round defeat against IM Arthur Gabrielyan (Dinamit) ultimately proving decisive for the destination of the $1,500 top prize, as the young Russian-based Armenian went on to win with a final score of 11.5/13, with his only defeat being to GM Varuzhan Akobian (SCORPION83).

1st IM Arthur Gabrielyan (Dinamit), Russia - $1500
2nd GM Axel Bachmann (olimpus), Paraguay - $1000
3rd GM Ilya Smirin (tapuax), Israel - $750
4th Jeffrey a de Jesus (El-Bandido), USA - $500
5th GM Pawel Jaracz (dvoracky), Poland - $250

6th-7th (1 year ICC): Pikaso, manest
8th-10th (6 months ICC): Silluger, Finegold, mishikoo
11th-20th (3 months ICC): EdUiTu3000, SCORPION83, VerdeNotte, garompon, Serghik, fantasticflank, vitorbronson, fullhouse, Smallville, Indiana-Jones.

Raffle prizes: (3 months ICC): BotanicalKnight, czechmates, Kurugi, AngryChef, Checkmates, HuevosDeLeon, ChronoKnight, manunitedfan, WhiteBuffalo, sitparkcin.

See Full ICC crosstable
Download zip file of all 2015 games
View Picture Gallery

The inaugural Brunei Internet Chess Blitz was held in conjunction with His Majesty the Sultan and Yang Di-Pertuan of Brunei Darussalam's official 62nd birthday celebrations.  ICC also linked up live with the Brunei Chess Center at the Hassanal Bolkiah National Sports Complex in Berakas and the Brunei Shell Recreation Cub (BSCR) Chess Center in Seria for a special online B tournament of local Brunei players.  This event was won by 19-year-old FM Yee Soon Wei, competing from the BSCR Chess Center, with 8.5-points, who won a return ticket to Singapore.

Major sponsors for this gala birthday event include: Alif Technologies, DST Group, PT. Wai IIIa Sarana Utama & PT Talenta Pratama Madri, Pines Enterprises - Verde and Adison Marketing Services.  The tournament is also sponsored by The Empire Hotel and Country Club, i-Centre, Everyman Chess UK, London Chess Centre UK, Mutiara Shakila Nabilah Transportation Services, Royal Brunei Technical Services Sdn Bhd, Zisen Enterprise, PT. Budi Gunawan and PT. El-Nusa.

Press Release Rules and Guidelines Official Brunei Website

The Internet Chess Club, in collaboration with the Brunei-Muara District Executive Committee (Chess Championship 2008), the Brunei Chess Federation, and its sponsors: Alif Technologies (Platinum Sponsor), DST Communications Sdn Bhd (Platinum Sponsor), PT. Wai Illa Sarana Utama (Gold Sponsor), Pines Enterprise (Gold Sponsor), The Empire Hotel and Country Club, i-Centre, Everyman Chess, London Chess Centre, Mutiara Shakila Nabilah Transportation Services, Royal Brunei Technical Services Sdn Bhd, ZisenEnterprise, PT. Budi Gunawan, Tai Ka Luk Restaurant and PT. El-Nusa, is pleased to announce the 1st BRUNEI INTERNET CHESS BLITZ, a 13 round 3 0 tournament, celebrating the 62nd birthday of His Majesty Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah Mu'izzadin Waddaulah, the Sultan and Yang Di-Pertuan of Brunei Darussalam, which will happen on July 15, 2008 on 02:00 AM server time. NOTE this is 02:00 AM(!) in New York, 08:00 AM in CET, and 02:00 PM in Brunei local time.

The total prize fund including prizes in kind and membership extensions amounts to USD 6,500. Of this amount, USD 4,000 in cash are available to players from all countries. Almost 9 years of membership extensions will be given out, and there are various additional prizes for players from Brunei.

Prizes

Category A: Prizes for all players

1. USD 1,500
2. USD 1,000
3. USD   750
4. USD   500
5. USD   250
6. 1 year ICC extension
7. 1 year ICC extension
8. 6 months ICC extension
9. 6 months ICC extension
10. 6 months ICC extension
11-20. 3 months ICC extension each

Moreover, ten 3-months ICC extensions will be raffled between all players who play and finish orderly the tournament, but do not win another prize from Category A.

All players, except free trials, are eligible for the Category A prizes. Category A Cash prizes will be paid by bank wire, cheque (in USD) or Paypal. Should GM/IMs win membership extensions, they can donate those extensions to other players of their choice.

Category B: Prizes restricted to Brunei Darussalam players

1. Return Air Ticket to Singapore
2. Two vouchers of a 2 day/1 night stay in a Deluxe room (inclusive of breakfast) at the Empire Hotel and Country Club, Brunei Darussalam
3. Gold Package Chess Training Software
4. Garry Kasparov on My Great Predecessors series
5. Chess Magazine (1 year subscription)
6. BND$100
7. BND$90
8. BND$80
9. BND$70
10. BND$60

BEST UNDER 10
1. BND$50
2. BND$40
3. BND$30

BEST UNDER 12
1. BND$50
2. BND$40
3. BND$30

BEST UNDER 14
1. BND$50
2. BND$40
3. BND$30

BEST UNDER 16 BND$50

BEST ABOVE 50 BND$50

MERIT PRIZES
1. BND$45
2. BND$35
3. BND$25
4. BND$15
5. BND$10

To be eligible for the Category B prizes, Bruneian players may participate online from their homes, the Brunei Chess Centre, the Brunei Shell Recreation Club Chess Centre, or any other alternative venue within the territory of Brunei Darussalam.

Category B prizes will be awarded by the Brunei Chess Federation directly. It is in the sole responsibility of the Brunei Chess Federation to determine eligibility for the Category B prizes.

How to Join

No preregistration is necessary for this tournament. This event is only open to ICC members and to those who sign up for a free trial 7-day membership of the ICC - so don't delay, sign-up at www.chessclub.com today!

Show up about 10 minutes before the scheduled start and type "tell pear join" or click on the entry button in your event list. Disconnecting before the start will remove you from the tournament. If you disconnect after the start, you will not be removed automatically, but you need to return as soon as possible, or the manager will forfeit you. You can follow the tournament in channel 227. Participants will automatically be placed in those channels.

You need to have an ICC membership to take part in this tournament, or a free trial. Note that in order to be eligible for a Category A prize, you need to have a paid or exempted account on ICC, not a free trial.You need to use the most recent version of Blitzin or Dasher to play in the tournament.

Participants from Brunei Darussalam are welcomed to play at the Brunei Chess Centre, Hassanal Bolkiah National Sports Complex (top floor of the Tennis Centre Building) and the Brunei Shell Recreation Club Chess Centre. Our computers at these venues are available on a limited basis and you are strongly advised to bring your own notebook computers and to make sure that your operating system and wireless adapter is compatible and properly configured with our wireless network connections prior to the event. You are also advised to familiarise yourself with the most recent version of Blitzin or Dasher. The official opening ceremony will be on July 15, 2008 at 1.30 PM (Brunei Time). Since the tournament is expected to last for up to 3 hours, you are also advised to bring your own spare battery for your notebook computer as a precaution. A separate prize giving ceremony will be held also later on.

Tournament System

The time control is 3 0, the format is 13 rounds Swiss. To learn more about Swiss pairings on ICC, type "tell tomato help swiss" when online. The tournament is rated in the ICC Blitz category. To determine final standings, ICC's Tomato tiebreaks will be used. To learn more about them, type "tell tomato help tie" when online.

Latejoining is allowed until round 10, but only for the first 6 rounds you will get 1/2 bye points.

Miscellaneous Rules

Assistance from computer-playing programs or other chess players during the tournament is strictly prohibited. A player must not enter the tourney on more than one account, or risk being forfeited on both accounts.

The most recent version of Blitzin or Dasher must be used in the tournament.

The ICC tournament directors may at their discretion make a ruling on a particular game, eject a player from a tournament, or refuse to allow a player to join a tournament for any reason including but not limited to: failure to show up on time or to start a game on time, concern that the player's internet connection is not reliable enough for the game to finish in a timely manner, suspicion of chess computer use, suspicion that a player is receiving assistance, suspicion that a player has used multiple accounts during the tournament, or the fact that this player has been caught violating ICC rules in the past.

Their reasoning need not be given, and there is no appeals process. We appreciate the cooperation of all participants in keeping this contest friendly, honorable, and running smoothly.

Participants must use the same computer during the whole tournament.

In case a player is disqualified from the tournament, the ICC tournament directors can, at their discretion, rule that the game of that player in the running round is lost for him, and won for his opponent. However, results by that player in prior rounds will not be reverted.

Notice the draw rules on ICC, as in http://www.chessclub.com/help/draw . Those rules will be binding for the tournament. No takeback will be allowed in the tournament games.