A Grandmaster chess tournament hosted in Dundee has been hailed as “one of the best” by its competitors.
The 150th anniversary Grandmaster Chess Tournament, which was organised by the Dundee Chess Club, saw ten International Grandmasters — as well as two International Masters — compete in a league format to commemorate the world famous 1867 tournament held in the city.
Hosted at Dundee University’s Bonar Hall, it ran from July 14 to 23, with the final matches played out on Sunday.
The lengthy final game ended in a draw meaning the title and the £2000 prize money went to Scot Andrew Greet.
Tournament director Jean Chalmers said it was an intense and exciting end to what was a very successful tournament.
She said: “The tournament went very well and all the Grandmasters were saying it has been one of the best tournaments they have been involved in and one of the best venues.
“It says a lot coming from these guys because they have played all over the world.
“The final game went on forever. In the end it lasted for over 120 moves which is ridiculous.
“Each player was trying to force the other to make a mistake so it was quite intense and it created a fantastic atmosphere because everyone was absorbed by it.
“There was a lot at stake with the £2000 prize.”
Paddy Burns from the tournament sponsor, gaming company 4J Studios, presented the prize, with the trophy donated by Trident Trophies.
The tournament coincided with the 124th Scottish Chess Championships, also held at the Bonar Hall over the same time period, the winner of which was Scottish youngster Murad Abdulla.
Jean added: “Murad is only 16 which is quite amazing.
“He’s the youngest winner since Paul Motwani won the title in 1978, also when he was 16, so it’s a great achievement.
“The tournament has overall been a great success with Facebook buzzing from all the attention it has received.
“We had people from all the world, from China to New Zealand, watching through our online links.
“Everyone who was involved was so friendly too which helped everything go so smoothly.”
The original 1867 event featured many of the top chess players in the world, including the undisputed strongest player in the world at the time and the first World Chess Champion, Austrian Wilhelm Steinitz.
