Dortmund aims for a new participation record
For the first time since the beginning of the pandemic, the International Dortmund Chess Days will again be a chess festival for everyone from 16 to 24 July 2022: There will be both an open A-Open from a playing strength of 1900 DWZ/Elo and a B-Open for players up to 1900 DWZ/Elo in the congress centre of the Westfalenhallen Dortmund.
IPS e.V. as the organiser is aiming for a new participation record. At the legendary event in 1992 - the 20th International Dortmund Chess Days - a total of 541 participants were at the table at the same venue in the various performance classes of the Open. This year, a new record of 600 participants is being aimed for in Dortmund.
For the first time in many years, international title holders will be invited to the A-Open to ensure that FIDE standards can be achieved. As the "Hotel of the Grandmasters", the Mercure Westfalenhallen Dortmund is offering special conditions to all participants under the keyword "IPS".
Admission to the top tournaments "NC World Masters" and "Deutschland Grand Prix" will be free for all players, as well as to the junior tournaments of the NRW Youth Cup and other events during the Chess Days. IPS will announce more details about these events in the second half of February.
Here you can find the announcement with schedule and all information:
Tournament Director Andreas Jagodzinsky answers questions about the event in an interview here:
What are the participation requirements and hygiene rules on site regarding the Corona pandemic?
"As the organiser, we will operate within the regulations that are in place in the summer at the time of the tournament. It has been proven over the past two years that July is ideal for holding an Open.
In addition, we ensure the best possible protection against infection on site through the ventilation systems of the Westfalenhallen and generous spacing. Already last year we were able to hold a safe event."
But what happens if infections or government requirements prevent participation?
"If individual players are unable to take part as planned, we will of course refund the entry fee. Chess friends from abroad should observe the travel regulations that apply to them."
How does the number of participants in the Open reach 600?
"We have decided on a total of 600 participants in two performance classes. On the one hand, we thus ensure generous distances between the players, and on the other hand, we could set a new participation record in the history of the Chess Days. So we guarantee participation for 300 players in the A-Open and another 300 players in the B-Open. The A-Open will have top-class players. Once again, FIDE title standards can be won, which was very important to me and our tournament director Christian Jochmann personally. As soon as 300 places are filled, a waiting list will be created."
Will the tournaments be separated in time?
"Yes, the two tournaments will be separated. It is a promising solution that we have developed in our team: Larger intervals will be brought about, but at the same time the participants of the B-Open will be given the opportunity to watch the top games in the afternoon at their leisure with free entry"
How big would the capacity in the Congress Centre Westfalenhallen be in an ideal case?
"I have to refer to our event manager Carsten Hensel, who had some discussions with the staff of the Westfallenhallen about this. If we stick with the time separation of the tournaments, the pandemic allows for a tighter meeting arrangement and the upper floor of the congress centre is also rented, 1500 - 2000 participants would definitely be conceivable. However, it also depends on how much space we need for side tournaments, streaming and/or commentary areas, book stalls, sponsors etc. However, Carsten and our managing director Stefan Koth have set their sights on increasing capacity year after year."
Does this make the NC Sparkassen Open organised at lichess.org obsolete?
"No, not at all. We continue to take no-castling chess and also the online format very seriously. This is evident from the fact that the winner of last year's NC Online Sparkassen Open, Grandmaster Krishan Sasikiran from India, has been invited to the NC World Masters and has already accepted. So that the players of the A and B Open can also take part, we will bring the NC Online Tournament at lichess forward a few weeks before the physical event in the Westfalenhallen."