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11/20/2015 – In January 2016 the world's best players will meet in Wijk aan Zee to play one of the strongest grandmaster tournaments of the year. The winner of the Challengers in Wijk qualifies for next year's edition of this tournament. The winner of the Cultural Village tournament that currently takes place in Wijk qualifies for the Challengers in January.

Wijk aan Zee: Cultural Village Chess Tournament

If chess fans hear the name "Wijk aan Zee" they usually think of the great international tournaments which have been played for decades in the small village, supported by the steel companies Hoogoven, Corus, and now Tata Steel. In January 2016 World Champion Magnus Carlsen and the world's best players will again meet in Wijk.

However, the great international tournament is not the only tournament with a remarkable tradition in the small Dutch village. The "Cultural Village" tournaments also have a long history which began in 1987 with a tournament in the "Hotel Sonnevanck". In recent years the tournament has been played every year but it moved to the "Café de Zon".

This year four Dutch players, one Canadian, two players from Georgia (one man, one woman), one player from Turkey, one from Azerbaijan, and a woman player from Iran take part. The winner of the tournament will be invited to the Challenger Tournament of the Tata Steel Festival 2016. After four rounds Eric Hansen from Canada leads with 3.5/4.

Café de Zon

The spacious tournament venue

The participants

Roeland Pruijssers - Eric Hansen

Eric Hansen

Robby Kevlishvili - Hing Ting Lai

Dorsa Derakhshani - Nino Khomeriki

Games

Photos: Tournament site

Previous winners of the Hotel Sonnevanck tournaments (1987-2000) and the Cultural Village tournaments (2003-2014)

Year Name Country Score Norm 2014 Robby Kevlishvili (tweekamp) Netherlands 3½ Hing Ting Lai (vierkamp) Netherlands 3 2013 David Klein Netherlands 7 2012 Eduardas Rozentalis Latvia 7½ Miguoel Admiraal Netherlands 5½ IM-norm 2011 Baskaran Adhiban India 6½ GM-norm 2010 Dariusz Swiercz Poland 7 GM-norm 2009 Twan Burg Netherlands 7 IM-norm Rick Lahaye Netherlands 6 IM-norm 2008 Oleg Romanisichin Ukraine 6 2007 Dimitri Reinderman Netherlands 7 GM-norm 2006 Thomas Willemze Netherlands 7 Jan Willem de Jong Netherlands 5½ IM-norm 2003 Ferenc Langheinrich Germany 6½ IM-norm Merijn van Delft Netherlands 6 IM-norm 2000 1/2 Maarten Solleveld Netherlands 5½ IM-norm 1/2 Alexander Dgebuadze Belgium 1999 Rustam Kazimdzhanov Match 5-1 Harmen Jonkman Manuel Bosboom Match 5½ Tom Middelburg Alexei Barsov match 3½ Erwin l'Ami 1997 Sinisa Drasic Serbia 7 Nico Vink Netherlands 5½ IM-norm Edwin van Haastert Netherlands 5½ IM-norm 1996 Stefan Löffler Germany Emanuel Bricard France 1995 Friso Nijboer Netherlands 7½ Joris Brenninkmeijer Netherlands 7 GM-norm Harmen Jonkman Netherlands IM-norm 1995 Friso Nijboer Netherlands 7 Jop Delemarre Netherlands 5½ IM-norm 1993 Ian Rogers Australia 1992 Krotronias Greece 1987 Julius Armas Romania

Tournament page...