User:CarpeDiem91/Amsterdam Chess Open

The Amsterdam Chess Open is a recurring chess tournament in Amsterdam, the Netherlands. With a capacity of 250 participants, it is the second largest weekend chess tournament in the Netherlands.

History
The Amsterdam Chess Open builds on the history of two defunct tournaments organised in Amsterdam: The Eijgenbrood Tournament and the Wil Haggenburg Tournament. The Eijgenbrood Tournament was a weekend chess tournament organised annually by the Amsterdam chess club Caïssa. The tournament was traditionally held in the last weekend of October. After the last edition in 2019, the tournament was no longer organised.

The Wil Haggenburg tournament was organised by the Amsterdam Chess Association (SGA) and was considered its personal championship. The enthusiasm for this tournament declined over the years, until in 2017 only 48 chess players participated, which is why in 2018 the SGA opted for a new format: The Amsterdam Open, which was also open to chess players who are not members of the SGA. Due to several circumstances (such as the lack of a suitable playing venue, the corona pandemic and the absence of a tournament leader within the SGA board), it remained at one edition.

The SGA then started looking for organisers who wanted to set up a new weekend tournament. Chess players from three different associations (Caïssa, Sv Amsterdam West and SV Zwart op Wit) formed a committee and incorporated a foundation for the purpose of the tournament. The first edition

The tournament consists of four rating groups (>2000, 1700-2050, 1400-1750 and < 1450).[6][1][2] Location of the tournament is the Cygnus Gymnasium in Amsterdam-Oost, where the renowned Vereenigd Amsterdamsch Schaakgenootschap (the oldest chess club in Amsterdam) has its playing venue.

During the first edition of the Amsterdam Chess Open, several well-known chess players took part, including IM Arthur Pijpers, Rick Lahaye, IM Barry Brink, FM Khoi Pham, IM Albert Blees, Daan Zult, FM Michaël Wunnink, FM Arno Bezemer, FM Esper van Baar, FM Aran Köhler and FM Cesar Becx and Lower House member Olaf Ephraim.[7] Grandmaster Paul van der Sterren performed the tournament's opening.[8]