2013 SPICE Cup

Le Quang Liem winning the 2011 SPICE Cup

As well as the seven 2700+ players, there are 14 players rated between 2600 and 2699. Two names to look out for: we are very pleased to welcome back Artur Yusupov (or Jussupow, to give the German version of his name), who was a world championship contender of the 1980s, three times reaching the semi-final stage of the Candidates’ competition. Artur was coached and mentored by the legendary Mark Dvoretsky and he later became his regular writing collaborator, helping to produce a number of influential titles. Artur is a giant of the game, but very much a gentle giant, with a ready smile. The other name to look out for is Gawain Jones, the reigning British Champion, who recently added another success to his record when he won the traditionalHastings Masters tournament.
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Artur Yusupov	Gawain Jones

The first prize in the Masters is an impressive £20,000 but one of the distinctive features of the Gibraltar tournament is the long list of special women’s prizes which can be won in addition to the main Masters prizes. First prize for female competitors is set at £12,000 and there are more than £24,000 in subsidiary women’s prizes, so there is also an impressive field of top women players in competition.

To give you an idea, the 2004 Women’s World Champion Antoaneta Stefanova, who reached the final of the 2012 Women’s World Championship and was close to regaining her title, is at number 39 in the competitors and in sixth place amongst the women’s competitors. In rating order the top women competitors in 2013 are Anna Muzychuk, Nana Dzagnidze, Zhao Xue, Marie Sebag, Pia Cramling, Antoaneta Stefanova, Viktorija Cmilyte, Dronavalli Harika and Ju Wenjun. All of these are rated in excess of 2500, and all but Marie Sebag and Ju Wenjun have competed at Gibraltar before (in most cases, regularly).

Anna Muzychuk and Zhao Xue at the 2012 Ankara Women's Grand Prix

Of course, there are lots of other prizes for different rating categories, juniors, seniors, etc. One of them we will mention specifically is the special prize awarded by the Association of Chess Professionals (ACP) to the best score made by one of their members. In the citation for this the ACP said “by establishing this prize, the ACP is proud to support its members' choice: earlier this year the Tradewise Gibraltar Chess Festival won the “2012 Best Open Tournament of the Year" vote, run by the ACP.” To which we can only respond – thanks very much, ACP!

Live coverage

The Tradewise Gibraltar Chess Festival has always been at the forefront of webcasting technology, housed at the specially-built suite at the Caleta Hotel, and this year we have added to our commentary team. English GM Simon Williams will be with us again and he will be joined at the commentator’s desk by reigning US Women’s Champion Irina Krush.