Mediterranean 2017 Open Chess Tournament

GM Zdenko Kozul winner, GM Grzegorz Gajewski takes second place

The 3rd "Mediterranean 2017" open chess tournament was held from 28th November to 5th December 2009 in Rijeka, Croatia, under management by the local Chess Club "Rijeka". The president of the Republic of Croatia, Mr. Stjepan Mesić, was the patron of this chess manifestation, while the City of Rijeka, Primorsko-goranska county and Tourist association of the City of Rijeka as co-sponsors have provided 16.000 EUR in prizes.

Rijeka is located on the North-west of the Croatian coast of the Adriatic sea. The manifestation is organised for the occasion of candidacy of the city of Rijeka for organisation of the Mediterranean games in 2017, under the motto "Chess with the scent of the sea". The main goal was to promote companionship and cooperation of chess players and chess federations of the Mediterranean countries. The tournament venue was the space of Chess club "Rijeka", Blaža Polića 2/2, which surface of 650 sqm serves exclusively for chess playing.

The chess organizers from Rijeka are very active, having already hosted the Mediterranean Flowers women tournament and the 7th Mediterranean Men and Women Chess Championships in 2009, and preparing one of the ECU main events, the 11th European Individual Men and Women's Chess Championship, for March 2010.

The Mediterranean 2017 Open had 136 participants, with many Grandmasters and players visiting from abroad. GM Zdenko Kozul, the 2006 European Champion, held the lead throughout the event and collected seven points from nine rounds for the shared first place, together with Polish GM Grzegorz Gajewski. But Kozul held a superior tiebreak score and was declared the tournament winner. 14 people, including the world's top players Borki Predojevic (BIH) and Murtas Kazhgaleyev (KAZ), shared the third place having summed 6.5 points each. More information on the official website.

GM Zdenko Kozul and tournament director Srdjan Zelenika

Grzegorz Gajewski receiving the prize

City of Rijeka

Top last round results:

GM Bosiocic Marin 2575 ½ - ½ GM Kozul Zdenko 2604
GM Kovacevic Aleksandar 2558 ½ - ½ GM Lenic Luka 2598
GM Safarli Eltaj 2592 ½ - ½ GM Cvitan Ognjen 2533
GM Ruck Robert 2556 ½ - ½ GM Palac Mladen 2578
GM Chatalbashev Boris 2561 ½ - ½ GM Saric Ante 2471
GM Gajewski Grzegorz 2561 1 - 0 GM Drazic Sinisa 2519
GM Kazhgaleyev Murtas 2653 1 - 0 FM Lovik Lasse Ostebo 2379
Battaglini Gabriel 2398 0 - 1 GM Predojevic Borki 2652
IM Neubauer Martin 2452 ½ - ½ GM Jovanic Ognjen 2552
GM Cebalo Miso 2483 1 - 0 IM Bukal Vladimir Jr 2387
IM Kovacevic Blazimir 2430 1 - 0 IM Martinovic Sasa 2483

Final standings:

1 GM Kozul Zdenko CRO 2604 - 7.0
2 GM Gajewski Grzegorz POL 2561 - 7.0
3 GM Cvitan Ognjen CRO 2533 - 6.5
4 GM Lenic Luka SLO 2598 - 6.5
5 GM Kovacevic Aleksandar SRB 2558 - 6.5
6 GM Bosiocic Marin CRO 2575 - 6.5
7 GM Saric Ante CRO 2471 - 6.5
8 GM Palac Mladen CRO 2578 - 6.5
9 IM Kovacevic Blazimir CRO 2430 - 6.5
10 GM Ruck Robert HUN 2556 - 6.5
11 GM Chatalbashev Boris BUL 2561 - 6.5
12 GM Predojevic Borki BIH 2652 - 6.5
13 GM Safarli Eltaj AZE 2592 - 6.5
14 GM Kazhgaleyev Murtas KAZ 2653 - 6.5
15 GM Cebalo Miso CRO 2483 - 6.5
16 IM Lekic Dusan MNE 2387 - 6.5 etc

Third place according to tiebreak - GM Ognjen Cvitan

The closing ceremony

The Norwegian team of 11 young players took participation in Mediterranean 2017 Open

The coach of the Norwegian juniors is GM Simen Agdestein

Special guest GM Miroljub Lazic and his friend Srdjan Zelenika

The arbiters

During the closing ceremony (all photos courtesy of the Organizing Committee)