8th international chess festival „Riga Technical University Open 2018” will take place on August 6th – 12th in already traditional venue – international exhibition centre “Kipsala” (8 Kipsalas Street) located across the bridge from the city center.

This year we will keep the changes that we introduced last year since they were even more successful than anyone could expect, bringing the total number of chess players participating in Classical Chess Tournaments at the same time to record breaking 655.

The same five classical chess tournaments as last year will be organized. Any chess player starting from an internationally known top class GM to a beginner is welcome to find an appropriate tournament for him or her. The tournament A – the Grandmaster Open will have GM, IM, WGM and WIM norms. Last year the biggest names of the festival were Latvian GM Alexei Shirov, Indian GM Krishnan Sasikiran, GM Ilja Smirin and GM Tamir Nabaty from Israel and GM Daniel Fridman representing Germany. Many other strong GMs participated, including GM Vladimir Onischuk who managed to win this very strong event. The main tournament gathered 319 participants from 41 countries including 42 GMs and 176 titled players. Tournament A will be 7 days long, the same for tournament B (ELO until 2299 and Latvian rating until 2399), but Tournaments C (ELO until 2199 and Latvian rating until 2299) and D (ELO until 1900) will take place during weekend – Thursday-Sunday and will be 4 days long. Tournament E (Up to ELO 1600) will be the shortest one of the classical tournaments and will take only 3 days – Friday till Sunday. Let me remind you that time limit for the Tournament E is adjusted for players that have not yet used to very long classical games and will be 30 minutes + 30 per move for each player. All tournaments are FIDE rated.

We have introduced one more blitz tournament for those who do not have enough chess during our festival. The first blitz tournament will take place on Wednesday morning while the second one traditionally will be played after the closing ceremony.

This year the total prize fund that is planned to be 20 500 EUR with the 1st prize in the tournament A of 2500 EUR.

Live game with analysis will be provided daily with the best chess software competing in the Top Chess Engine
Championship – Komodo, Houdini, and Stockfish

Starting list

1 Kovalenko Igor
2 Bluebaum Matthias
3 Donchenko Alexander
4 Hovhannisyan Robert
5 Predke Alexandr
6 Smirin Ilia
7 Svane Rasmus
8 Esipenko Andrey
9 Stocek Jiri
10 Schroeder Jan-Christian
11 Petrosyan Manuel
12 Kulaots Kaido
13 Ter-Sahakyan Samvel
14 Kollars Dmitrij
15 Zakhartsov Viacheslav V.
16 Praggnanandhaa R
17 Lobanov Sergei
18 Repka Christopher
19 Meshkovs Nikita
20 Demidov Mikhail
21 Dragnev Valentin
22 Annaberdiev Meilis
23 Maiorov Nikita
24 Pavlov Sergey
25 Thybo Jesper Sondergaard
26 Gholami Aryan
27 Anurag Mhamal
28 Usmanov Vasily
29 Kaczur Florian
30 Abdumalik Zhansaya
31 Gretarsson Helgi Ass
32 Leenhouts Koen
33 Laurusas Tomas
34 Miezis Normunds
35 Kozionov Kirill
36 Pultinevicius Paulius
37 Gorodetzky David
38 Haria Ravi
39 Merry Alan B
40 Garriga Cazorla Pere
41 Carlsson Pontus
42 Duzhakov Ilya
43 Kjartansson Gudmundur
44 Cruz Lledo Pablo
45 Pechac Jergus
46 Bryakin Mikhail
47 Sadhwani Raunak
48 Yankelevich Lev
49 Samolins Vitalijs
50 Korchmar Vasiliy
51 Ruiz Castillo Joshua Daniel
52 Fenil Shah
53 Berzinsh Roland
54 Wenninger Philipp
55 Bernotas Arturs
56 Seeman Tarvo
57 Gokerkan Cem Kaan
58 Kreisl Robert
59 Lagunow Raphael
60 Lapshun Yury
61 Pershin Denis
62 Miedema David
63 Martin Julian
64 Schekachikhin Maksim
65 D`costa Lorin A R
66 Krupenski Juri
67 Akesson Ralf
68 Gorbatov Alexej
69 Hansen Mads
70 Krivonosov Oleg
71 Rostgaard Tobias Valentin
72 Rakesh Kumar Jena
73 Seyb Alexander
74 Saveliev Alexei
75 Jackson James P
76 Chekletsov Ilya
77 Anand Nadar
78 Sinz Bernhard
79 Nikitenko Mihail
80 Sirosh Ilja
81 Hedman Erik
82 Shishkov Andrei
83 Stark Lars
84 Srinath Rao S.V.
85 Sai Agni Jeevitesh J
86 Kulkarni Rakesh
87 Jablonicky Martin
88 Haubro Martin
89 Nesterov Arseniy
90 Dedebas Emre Emin
91 Quillan Gary
92 Oboladze Luka
93 Konguvel Ponnuswamy
94 Sawlin Leonid
95 Rietze Clemens
96 Dhulipalla Bala Chandra Prasad
97 Mustaps Matiss
98 Pogosyan Stefan
99 Sergienko Sergey
100 Krykun Yuriy
101 Thakur Akash
102 Stepins Edgars
103 Narva Mai
104 Chittka Julius
105 Dordzhieva Dinara
106 Faibisovich Vadim Z
107 Mishuchkov Nikolai M.
108 Smirnov Timofey
109 Borisovsky Dmitry
110 Zatonskih V.
111 Vovk Ilja
112 Solozhenkina Elizaveta
113 Vaishali R
114 Chukavin Kirill
115 Lavendelis Egons
116 Meessen Rudolf
117 Kuznecovs Nikita
118 Plueg Andreas
119 Modler Andreas Dr.
120 Tanriverdi Enes
121 Thogersen Rasmus
122 Rogule Laura
123 Gurvich Vitaly
124 Hjelmas Lars
125 Kuzmin Egor
126 Sorensen Hampus
127 Arnold Max
128 Stauskas Lukas
129 Pogan Nikolas
130 Jacobs Florian
131 Saulespurens Valdis
132 Bluebaum Karl-Ernst
133 Makoveev Ilya
134 Cherepov Alexej
135 Pulkkinen Kari
136 Severina Maria
137 Semjonovs Ilja
138 Marzano Carlo
139 Kretainis Kristaps
140 Mierins Eriks
141 Petrov Dmitri
142 Gorodetzky Matan
143 Juknis Paulius
144 Polatel Ali
145 Volotovsky Kirill
146 Valner Uku
147 Kholopov Alexander A.
148 Berzina Ilze
149 Manafov Vugar
150 Chibukhchyan Erik
151 Holland James P
152 Priyanka Nutakki
153 Schulze Andreas
154 Chernyak Viktoria
155 Laustsen Lars
156 Haavamae Henrik
157 Issakainen Ari
158 House Glenn L
159 Ungurs Edgars
160 Bolsakovs Vadims
161 Pedoson Georg Aleksander
162 Kerem Halil Ozgun
163 Kukk Sander
164 Player Edmund C
165 Moksh Amit Doshi
166 Krustkalns Kristaps
167 Huber Philipp
168 Zhuravlev Stepan
169 Isik Alparslan
170 Vicas Marijus
171 Kusenkova Natallia
172 Atkinson Paul
173 Linsenmeyer Mario
174 Emdin Mark
175 Chekletsov Egor
176 Ivanov Platon-Jaan
177 Breivik Lars
178 Farmani Anosheh Yasha
179 Smirnova Ekaterina
180 Rasa Gints
181 Tishova Svetlana
182 Osis Renars
183 Sucikova Svetlana
184 Agafonov Yuri Dr
185 Kuhn Ulf
186 Martinkus Rolandas
187 Radkov Bazhen D.
188 Stewart Ashley
189 Henriksen Geir I
190 Ghazarian Kirk
191 Okuyaz Duru
192 Baginskaite Camilla
193 Narva Jaan
194 Adocchio Giampiero Dr.
195 Poysti Nathanael
196 Etxagibel Larranaga Asier
197 Sanchez Ruesga Hector
198 Lahav Michal
199 Zhukov Anton
200 Valantiejus Vaidotas
201 Pogrebnojs Dmitrijs
202 Polyakov Fedor
203 Sarbay Aleksandr
204 Mitrandzas Athanasios
205 Leidorf Sebastian
206 Narva Triin
207 Erneste Inguna
208 Korolev Alexandr
209 Otikova Elina
210 Bekasovs Rihards
211 Efremov Vladislav
212 Hrbek Stepan
213 Lakuntza Plazaola Asier.
214 Lumiste Rene
215 Stepanyan Eva
216 Tsiganova Monika
217 Garabetyan Arno
218 Ilyuchyk Yana
219 Seyhanoglu Deniz
220 Yapar Nedim
221 Lochte Thomas
222 Korchagin Oleg
223 Danielmeier Ralf
224 Makka Ioulia
225 Ludvigsen Frode
226 Waffenschmidt Joachim
227 Buiza Prieto Eihartze
228 Limanovska Elizabete
229 Stasans Aivars
230 Brown Thomas
231 Luessmann Thomas
232 Nilssen Ellen Fredericia
233 Kaliadzich Maryia
234 Suhanovskis Sergejs
235 Orshonova Elena
236 Brikers Aleksandrs
237 Alquist Erik
238 Gorozhankina Julia
239 Zhou Aiden
240 Bedenko Nikita
241 Jazdanovs Aleksandrs
242 Sinitsina Anastassia
243 Prigodin Ruslan
244 Gower Sam
245 French Max
246 Maza Lopez De Los M. Santiago
247 Kolesnikovs Ivans
248 Mitskevich Yauheniya
249 Knecht Guntram
250 Papadimitriou Loukas
251 Tromp Paul
252 Batashevs Arsens
253 Hund Sarah
254 Jayaram R.
255 Suez-Panama Gilles
256 Zukauskas Arnas Povilas
257 Gudovskis Konstantins
258 Kolasa Pjotrs
259 Spiranec Noemi
260 Makhija Aashna
261 Schmitt Carsten
262 Gokcek Kursat Bugra
263 Montero Campuzano Rafael
264 Mulay Pratik
265 Fathallah Joe
266 Vaskevicius Augustas
267 Bluebaum Johanna
268 Krupa Miroslav
269 Gula Julian
270 Tomte Asbjorn
271 Titov Alexander
272 Heinsohn Michael
273 Said Oliver
274 Nair Sanjeev
275 Bashkansky Naomi
276 Ozguner Hakki Ata
277 Poulos Georgios
278 Golubovskis Maksims
279 Borondo Garcia Raul
280 Di Candia Roberto
281 Ocko Dominik
282 Shourya Jain
283 Parhomenko Margarita
284 Horobrijs Daniils
285 Zvereva Margarita
286 Francois-Haugrin Said
287 Ungure Liga
288 Caliskan Seha
289 Mota Pankit
290 Bourgeois William
291 Petrovs Jaroslavs
292 Uibokant Mathias Robert
293 Povilaitis Tomas
294 Dhruv Easwar
295 Jarabek Milan
296 Altunbay Onder
297 Prudent Sylvio
298 Zverev Lev
299 Dathie Jean-Francois
300 Vitins Janis
301 Leonova Ameliya
302 Jacobs Oliver
303 Alcindor Samuel
304 Velagapudi Vihan