YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 25, ARMENPRESS: The 15th European Individual Chess Championship will be held on March 2-15, 2014 in Yerevan, Armenia. The Championship is dedicated to the memory of the World 9th Champion Tigran Petrosian whose 85th birthday is celebrated this year. The Armenian Chess Federation informed Armenpress that the opening ceremony will be held on March 2, at 21:00 at the Armenian National Academic Theatre of Opera and Ballet after A. Spendiarian.

The championship is a 11-round Swiss system tournament. Games will take place from March 3 till 15, starting at 15:00 at “Elite Plaza” Business Centre. The last round will start at 14:00. March 9 is a rest day.

About 270 chess players from 27 countries take part in the championship. Among them there are about 130 grandmasters and more than 200 chess players with international titles. The greatest delegations are those of Armenia (about 80 participants), Russia (53), Georgia (17), Israel (17), Ukraine (13) and Turkey (10).

According to the regulation chess players taken the first 23 places are entitled to participate in the World Cup. The prize fund is 160.000 Euros. 25 main and 15 special prizes are included. The first prize holder will be awarded 20.000 Euros. The money prizes will be equally shared among the players with the same score.

The chief arbiter is IA Ashot Vardapetyan (Armenia). The chairman of the Appeals Committee is GM Smbat Lputian (Armenia), members are GM Giorgi Giorgadze (Georgia) and IA Gennadij Nesis (Russia).