For the ninth year running the XIX Internet Chess Tournament "Ciudad de Dos Hermanas" (Spain) is being held on the ICC playing zone. Registration for the event is completely free both for ICC members and non-members!

This event is clearly the most important Internet chess tournament in the world, featuring the biggest number of participants. In the 2007 edition, nearly 2000 players from all over the world took part. The winner, former child prodigy and under-10 World Champion IM Jorge Sammour-Hasbun, overcome an impressive field of 300 IM/GM's, including top players Shahriyar Mamedyarov, Tigran L. Petrosian, Gata Kamsky, Hikaru Nakamura, Kiril Georgiev and Sergey Shipov.

This year the prize fund is $12,000 (equivalent of 7,700 Euro), with $3,400 (equivalent of 2,000 Euro) for the winner. In addition, there are many class prizes and special cash prizes for amateur players. Also, winners can achieve the opportunity to travel to Dos Hermanas for the main Event, with Topalov, Shirov, Polgar and Vallejo, at the end of April.

As in previous editions, the playing system is as follows: twelve 12-round Swiss qualifiers using the playing rate: 3 minutes per game. Qualifiers are held twice a day from March 28th to April 2nd, and the finals are held on April 4th and 5th. The 12 qualifier winners plus the 20 best scores qualify to the 32 KO final.

Full rules, guidelines and registrations can be found at ICC's special Dos Hermanas website.

John B. Henderson,
ICC