Havana – The second edition of the Cuban Blitz chess tournament for mixed pairs has been scheduled for the upcoming January 9th. The event will once again be held at the central Habana Libre Hotel.
The organizers aim to surpass the success of the first edition, intending to increase the number of teams beyond the initial 66 pairs that participated in the unique competition. They also announced new features regarding the number of prizes to be awarded and other surprises.
The tournament will repeat the format in which each team consists of one man and one woman. Matches will be played with three minutes plus two seconds increment per move, and scoring will be by match: two points for the winners, one point each for a draw, and zero points for the losers.
There will be nine rounds played under the Swiss system. Besides awards for the top three teams, there will also be prizes for the best pairs with average Elo ratings below 2300 and 2000 points.
Spectators will also be able to feel part of the event by participating in a special raffle and other activities organized by the Cuban Chess Federation, the Isla Study Center, the Amichess Project, and CECE company, who are collaborating on the tournament's organization.
In the inaugural edition, first place was shared by the pairs formed by Grandmasters Yaniela Forgas-Lelys Martínez and Maritza Arribas-Aramís Álvarez. The competition was so close that even after applying five tiebreak methods, the scores remained tied, and it was decided to award two titles.
Beyond the results on the board, the most positive outcome of the event was the warm reception by participants and the audience that filled the emblematic Salón de la Solidaridad of the hotel.
This reality is expected to be repeated on this occasion to strengthen the beloved format of the Science Game (Chess).
