Queenstown Chess Classic About the Tournament Dates and Round Times Prizefund Entry Form and How to Enter Conditions for masters/grandmasters Contact Us Tournament Venue New Zealand Rapidplay and Lightning Tournament Regulations Combining the chess with a holiday Travel to New Zealand from abroad About Queenstown and New Zealand Accommodation and car hire in Queenstown 2009 Queenstown Chess Classic

ABOUT THE TOURNAMENT

Latest entries (at 13th January)

The 2006 Queenstown Chess Classic is a 10-round internationally-rated tournament, open to all players. It will be the most prestigious chess competition ever staged in New Zealand, and is expected to attract chess players of all levels, from novices to grandmasters. Everyone is welcome. Some overseas enthusiasts will surely combine the event with the holiday of a lifetime - Queenstown is set in the heart of one of the most stunningly beautiful regions of New Zealand. The guaranteed prizefund of NZ $30,000 is a record for a chess event in New Zealand. A further $5825 in prizes is on offer in the New Zealand Rapidplay and Lightning Championships, to be held in the two days following the end of the main event.

A ground-breaking agreement with the New Zealand Chess Federation (NZCF) means that this 2006 Queenstown Chess Classic will also incorporate the official 113th New Zealand Chess Championships. Thus all of the top New Zealand players are expected to participate - especially as 2006 is an Olympiad year, and automatic qualification for the national team is up for grabs. The New Zealand Chess Championship has a famous history, being the oldest continuously-staged national championship in the world.

Many top Australian players are expected to participate in the Queenstown Classic. The event has been timed to avoid a clash with the Australian Championships (staged in early January).

The Queenstown Chess Classic is the brainchild of Murray Chandler, New Zealand's only chess Grandmaster. Chandler, 44, settled in London in the 1980s in order to play professionally, but a chance holiday in Queenstown a couple of years ago gave him the idea of promoting a perfect tournament in a perfect venue. International Organiser Paul Spiller has been actively arranging New Zealand chess events for over 30 years. His most recent notable tournaments include the 2003 & 2004 Howick & Pakuranga Times Auckland International Open, and the popular 2005 Oceanic Zonal. He is a Councillor of the New Zealand Chess Federation. Occasionally he tries to play chess too!