The Xtracon Chess Open (formerly the Politiken Cup ) is an international chess tournament and the main feature event of the annual Copenhagen Chess Festival.
7-535: Organized by the Copenhagen Chess Federation (KSU), it was originally set up to give Danish players the opportunity of international experience and title norms . Starting from modest means in 1979, with just 22 contestants, it has grown to become one of the world's largest and most respected open chess tournaments, with numbers of participants rising to 200 in 2003, and nowadays reaching well in excess of 400. The tournament has attracted many of
14-423: A chess tournament . The level of performance is typically measured in tournament performance rating above a certain threshold (for instance, 2600 for GM norm), and there is a requirement on the level of tournament, for instance by a prescribed minimal number of participants of given title/level one meets. Several norms are among the requirements to receive a title such as Grandmaster from FIDE . To qualify for
21-489: The format of a large "Open", accessible to both titled and non-titled players, except in 1983, when there was an invite-only, all-play-all Grandmaster event and a subsidiary Open tournament aimed at International Master level. In later years the tournament has taken place during July/August, over 10 rounds, at the Konventum, a convention centre and resort set in the scenic surroundings of Helsingør. From 1979 to 2015,
28-416: The game lasts 60 moves (so for instance 90 minutes + 30 per move qualifies). There are a number of other more minor stipulations, such as that an International Arbiter must be officiating the event. The norm seeker must achieve a tournament performance rating (TPR) of at least 2600 to qualify. FIDE publishes the current title regulations on its website. There are also less strict norm requirements for
35-475: The main sponsor was the Danish daily newspaper Politiken , but new arrangements have been announced for 2016–2018. The main sponsor is now Xtracon A/S, a Danish IT company with a chess playing owner. Accordingly, the tournament has been renamed to reflect the change, although it is anticipated that the format will remain broadly the same. Norm (chess) A norm in chess is a high level of performance in
42-540: The title of Grandmaster (GM) of chess, a title awarded by FIDE, the World Chess Federation, a player must achieve three or more grandmaster norms in events covering a minimum of 27 games. Norms can only be gained in tournaments that fulfill FIDE's strict criteria: for instance, the entry must include at least three GM titled players from different countries playing over a minimum of nine rounds with not less than 120 minutes thinking time per round, assuming
49-606: The world's strongest grandmasters as well as promising youngsters. Former world champion Vassily Smyslov was among the winners in 1980 and 1986, while other notable winners have included Viktor Korchnoi as clear first in 1996 at the age of 65 and Nigel Short in 2006. At the Politiken Cup in 2003, Magnus Carlsen achieved his third and final IM norm. The early editions were held in Copenhagen and its suburbs, before moving to Helsingør . The tournament has always taken
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