TW
0
Chess desk BRITISH Grand Master, Stuart Conquest has been making his mark at the Calvia International Open Chess Tournament being held at the Sports centre in Magalluf.

The competition has attracted Grand Msaters and Interntional Masters from all over the world; and with a tense struggle for prestige and the first prize of 6'000 euros, the event has offered a great spectacle for chess fans.

On the penultimate day of the tournament, Conquest was lying in tied second place (5.5 points) following his victory over Argentinian Grand Master, Ruben Felgaer. In spite of losing to the Englishman, Felgaer remained neck and neck in a 6.0 lead with Rodriguo Vasquez, Grand Master from Chile who won convincingly against Emmanuel Senador from the Philippines. The achievement, out of a total of 125 players, needs no further eulogy.

With the Chess Olympics which were organised at the Gran Casino having drawn to a close at the end of October, the Calvia International Open has been a focal point for some of the players on the Olympic teams to compete individually. The list of players and their countries of origin read like a world atlas with the old Soviet Union states now playing under their own flags and impressive representation not only from an enlarged European Union, but also from Latin American countries, Middle Eastern states, and even New Zealand.

Taking a break from playing following the Olympic games, Majorca's Monica Calzeta Ruiz who championed Spain's national ladies team at the Gran Casino, has been helping to keep the chess match arbitrators and administration team in order in Magalluf. She is pictured here with Juan Carlos Mas (far left bottom row), president of the Balearic Chess Federation.