BRUNEI CHESS

1st Brunei Chess Championship

The 1st Brunei Chess Championship was held in January 2005 with the participation of players from Usbekistan, Sri Lanka and neighbouring countries. The tournament was launched by the then President of Brunei Chess Association, Awang Haji Zainal Bin Haji Mohd Ali.

Brunei Darussalam was represented by more than fifty young players aged between nine to mid forties while foreign countries are represented by sixty seven players. One of the country's potential players is Awangku Hirawan Pengiran Haji Omar. The championship also saw the youngest female Grandmaster chess player from Hong Kong, Anya Sun Corke who won the under 14 Asian Youth tournament recently.

Among the senior competitors was the Assistant Minister of Environment of Sarawak, the Honourable Doctor Abang Draup. The tournament offers a cash prize of one thousand five hundred US dollars. The competition was organised by The Brunei Chess Federation with the cooperation of the Youth and Sport Department, Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport. Chess enthusiasts were invited to watch the matches, which are taking place at the Orchid Garden Hotel in Berakas.

Brunei Internet Chess Blitz

The 1st Brunei Internet Chess Blitz was held in July 2008 had 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 American Blitz King didn't win all the games, 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.

© COPYRIGHT ALL RIGHTS RESERVED BRUNEICHESS.COM