MEN'S & WOMEN'S EUROPEAN CLUBS CUP

Crete 2003

Super Stars In Crete For Chess Champions' League

52 men's teams and 18 women's teams have entered the top competition

--which sets a new participation record this year--

organised by Kydon S.C. of Chania

A new participation record of teams and players has already been set for this year's men's and women's European Clubs Cup which will be held in Crete. A total of 52 men's and 18 women's teams have entered this top competition, which will be held 27 September to 5 October at the Creta Star Hotel (of the Aegean Star Hotels chain) in the city of Rethymnon. Last year's participants were 43 men's and 11 women's teams.

For the first time this year, the two European Cups will be held simultaneously, with the completions organised by Kydon S.C. of Chania, the national champion club of Greece for the past four years. Kydon had also previously hosted the 2001 Men's Cup.

Live coverage of the competition will be available on the internet, through the official website of Kydon S.C. Chania, at www.venizelia.gr/ecc2003, attracting worldwide interest, as more than 500 players --the elite of international chess-- will be present to offer some spectacular games.

The full list of men's entrants may be found at: http://www.venizelia.gr/ecc2003/men/entries.html.

With about half the entrants still to announce their team lists, there are more 130 GM, 60 IM, 30 FM and 3 WGM that will take part in the men's competition. The latter are: Alisa Galliamova (No. 3 in the world women's rankings), competing with "Ladia-Kazan-1000" of Russia; the former World Champion Maia Chiburdanidze (No. 4 in the world), competing with Tbilisi of Georgia; and Poland's Iweta Radziewicz.

The top participants so far in the 19th Men's Champions' League:

Players		Club	Title	Fed	Rating	World Rank
Shirov,	Alexei	Bosna Sarajevo	g	ESP	2732	7
Svidler,	Peter	Saint-Petersburg	g	RUS	2723	8
Bareev,	Evgeny	Bosna Sarajevo	g	RUS	2721	9
Ivanchuk,	Vassily	Polonia Plus	g	UKR	2710	13
Akopian,	Vladimir	Alkaloid	g	ARM	2703	14
Azmaiparashvili,	Zurab	Kiseljak	g	GEO	2702	15
Dreev,	Alexey	Norilsky	g	RUS	2698	17
Malakhov,	Vladimir	Norilsky	g	RUS	2696	18
Gelfand,	Boris	Polonia Plus	g	ISR	2695	19
Sokolov,	Ivan	Bosna Sarajevo	g	NED	2693	20
Morozevich,	Alexander	Tomsk-400-YKOS	g	RUS	2679	23
Khalifman,	Alexander	Tomsk-400-YKOS	g	RUS	2678	24
Rublevsky,	Sergei	Ladia-Kazan	g	RUS	2672	26
Beliavsky,	Alexander G	Karpaty	g	SLO	2668	27
Kasimdzhanov,	Rustam	Bosna Sarajevo	g	UZB	2664	29
Van Wely,	Loek	Clichy	g	NED	2661	31
Aleksandrov,	Aleksej	KISELJAK	g	BLR	2659	32
Onischuk,	Alexander	Norilsky	g	USA	2657	34
Smirin,	Ilia	Ladia-Kazan	g	ISR	2656	35
Kobalia,	Mikhail	Tomsk-400-YKOS	g	RUS	2656	36
Almasi,	Zoltan	Kiseljak	g	HUN	2655	37
Sakaev,	Konstantin	Saint-Petersburg	g	RUS	2655	38
Tkachiev,	Vladislav	Alkaloid	g	FRA	2654	39
Zvjaginsev,	Vadim	Norilsky	g	RUS	2653	41
Bologan,	Viktor	Ladia-Kazan	g	MDA	2650	42
Nikolic,	Predrag	Kiseljak	g	BIH	2649	43
Movsesian,	Sergei	Corpora	g	SVK	2647	46

The full list of women's entrants may be found at: http://www.venizelia.gr/ecc2003/women/entries.html

So far there are more than 25 WGMs, 10 WIMs and 5 WFMs entered in the competition. The most important:

Players		Club	Title	Fed	Rating	World Rank
Stefanova	Antoaneta (GM)	ULIM	wg	BUL	2503	2
Galliamova,	Alisa (IM)	Ladya Kazan	wg	RUS	2502	3
Skropchenko	Almira	ULIM	wg	FRA	2489	6
Matveeva,	Svetlana	Podgorica	wg	RUS	2478	11
Kovalevskaya,	Ekaterina	South Urals	wg	RUS	2443	23
Prudnikova,	Svetlana	BAS	wg	SCG	2412	44
Bojkovic,	Natasa	BAS	wg	SCG	2408	47

In both the men's and women's competitions Greece will be represented by Kydon S.C. of Chania.

For more information, please contact: thebest@caissa.gr.

Looking forward to see you in Crete

FOR THE ORGANISING COMMITEE

MARY VIGLIRAKI

http://szachowavistula.pl/vistula/

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