El Chess

AM making final preparations for flying tomorrow to Spain, where I will be playing in Benidorm alongside other England players including Bob Kane, Ray Kearsley, Vic Rumsey, Joe Skielnik and Paul Stokes.

For years a chess festival has been held at the resort's Gran Hotel Bali, but the covid panic put a kibosh on that in 2020.

Last year the organisers restarted the festival, but at a new venue, the Meliá Benidorm, which is at the busy levante end of the resort rather than the quieter poniente.

This year they are again holding a festival at the Meliá Benidorm, but, as I understand it, the Bali has brought in new organisers to hold a rival festival.

I and the other England players named above will be playing in the U2000 at the Meliá Benidorm, which runs from December 3-11 and has 112 entries.

There is also an over-2000 (it is not clear which tournament is for players rated exactly 2000) with 63 entries.

The tournaments at the Bali start a day earlier, running from today to December 11.

At the Bali the U2000 has 212 entries, and there is what is described as an U2300, which has 105 entries but includes seven players rated from 2305 to 2470.

I entered the Meliá tournament, unaware the Bali event was making a comeback.

The latter may be a more enticing prospect next year as players can stay where they like, whereas, unless you are local, you can only play at the Meliá if you also stay there.

Either way I am looking forward to some sunshine and chess - a nice December combination.