56th Ballarat Begonia Open Chess Tournament (Mar 12-14, 2022)

[ElevatorEscapee]

The 56th Ballarat Begonia Open will be held in Ballarat over the Victorian Labour Day long weekend from 12th to 14th March 2022.

Entries and payments can be completed online via the TryBooking link: https://www.trybooking.com/events/landing?eid=850750& This is the only way which you may enter the tournament.

More information about the event can be found on the tournament website at www.begoniaopen.com . This is where entries can be followed as well as results and pairings during the tournament.

Early-bird entry with $20 discount available until 25th February 2022

Free entry for GMs & IMs: contact event organisers (contact details on the website).
Saturday 12 March 2022 12:00 PM - Monday 14 March 2022 6:00 PM (UTC+11)
LOCATION
Ballarat Tech School - Federation Uni SMB Campus
136 Albert St, Ballarat Victoria 3350

Government and venue related restrictions mean that there are some important guidelines which players and all visitors must agree to abide by. The organising committee is aware that the current regulations relating to Covid-19 matters are continually changing and that further government restrictions may impact the conduct of the event.

At present in Victoria all persons aged 18 years or more will be required to be fully vaccinated to play or visit the venue. All people will be required to check in on arrival using a QR code and confirm their vaccination status. In addition everyone aged 8 and above must wear a face mask whilst indoors (including when playing unless an exception applies). Any player or visitor to the event is asked to stay away if they are unwell or have any Covid-19 symptoms. Anybody who has tested positive to Covid-19 should not attend until they have received a medical clearance. Regulations could be different in some other states but we are bound by Victorian Government and venue related guidelines. By agreeing to enter you are indicating your acceptance of any such restriction. If the event or your entry fee has to be cancelled due to Covid-19 issues then it will be refunded, less the TryBooking administration fees.

Currently there is no Covid-19 maximum entry limitation for the event which can’t be managed with the space available at the venue. If this situation changes and entries have to be limited, then the final entry list will be based on the order in which payments are received from players and notifications from Grandmasters and International Masters. Players travelling from interstate should check with their state authorities in relation to any travel restrictions. There are no barriers to entry into Victoria at present.

We are expecting a very strong field of players. Entries have already been received from Grandmasters Temur Kuybokarov, Zong Yuan-Zhao, Darryl Johansen, Daniel Fernandez and Julia Ryjanova.
People are encouraged to enter before the early bird discount expires on 25th February 2022.

The tournament will be both ACF and FIDE rated. We are pleased to confirm that Grandmaster Ian Rogers will again provide his very popular live commentary on games. Peter Tsai will be our Chief Arbiter.

The Ballarat Tech School, which is part of Federation University, will be the venue again this year. It is a modern facility located at 136 Albert Street in Ballarat Central. It is just over 2 blocks from Sturt Street which makes it ideal for obtaining meals. If you require accommodation then it should be arranged as soon as possible since it is always very busy in Ballarat during the Begonia Festival period.

[ElevatorEscapee]

Update from Kevin Perrin dated Tuesday:

Bolding & highlighting mine, please note the comments about masks, QI codes, and Federation Uni. Hope to see you there!

To all chess players

The 56th Begonia Open Chess Tournament will be held in Ballarat over the Victorian Labour Day long weekend from 12th to 14th March 2022. A flyer and an entry form are attached and I invite you to participate if you have not already registered. Entries and payments can be completed online via the TryBooking link and if you complete and pay your entry fee by 25th February you will qualify for the $20 early bird discount.

We have received confirmation that Grandmasters Temur Kuybokarov, Zong Yuan-Zhao, Darryl Johansen, Daniel Fernandez, WGM Julia Ryjanova and International Masters James Morris, Junta Ikeda and Ari Dale will be competing along with a strong field of players. Currently entries are standing at around 110 and we are expecting quite a few more.

[B]The organising committee is aware that circumstances in relation to Covid-19 regulations are fluid and they may change and that further Government and Federation University imposed restrictions may impact the conduct of the event. At present there are no capacity restrictions at the venue. The Federation University is still requiring that all visitors check-in with a QR code. Also at present all competitors and visitors aged 18 years and over are still required to be double vaccinated and those aged 8 years and over must wear a face mask whilst indoors.We note that the Victorian Government intends to remove the requirement to wear a face mask whilst indoors shortly, but the Federation University has not made a decision on that matter as yet so we are bound by their requirement. If there are any changes in these or other requirements then we will provide an update and note same at the tournament website at www.begoniaopen.com .

If regulations require us to limit entries then the final entry list will be based on the order in which payments are received from players and notifications received from Grandmasters and International Masters. In the event that you have to withdraw due to illness or your entry has to be cancelled due to Covid-19 issues then a refund less the TryBooking administration fee will be arranged.

The Ballarat Tech School is part of Federation University and it will be the tournament venue again this year. It is a modern facility located at 136 Albert Street in Ballarat Central. It is just over 2 blocks from Sturt Street which makes it ideal for obtaining meals. If you require accommodation then it should be arranged as soon as possible rather than leaving it until you arrive, since it is always very busy in Ballarat during the Begonia Festival period.

The club appreciates the support of our sponsors PPT Financial, Northern Star Chess and Federation University.

We look forward to welcoming you again in Ballarat for our popular weekend chess tournament.

Kind Regards

Kevin Perrin

Tournament Manager
0418 533 517
Ballarat Chess Club Inc.

[Scott Colliver]

It looks like it is going to be an excellent tournament again, well done to the organisers for attracting such a strong field.

[Metro]

It looks like it is going to be an excellent tournament again, well done to the organisers for attracting such a strong field.

150 entries now and may well pass the 2021 record of 157 .

[MichaelBaron]

150 entries now and may well pass the 2021 record of 157 .

If 150 already...then for sure!

[ElevatorEscapee]

166 registered entries at the moment, which at least breaks the registered record...

Further announcement pending soon from the BCC.

[ElevatorEscapee]

Please note the update below from Kevin Perrin sent yesterday afternoon. I have highlighted the comment re face mask requirements in bold.


To all chess players

Everything is ready for an exciting 56th Begonia Open Chess Tournament to be held in Ballarat next weekend.

With confirmed entries from Grandmasters Temur Kuybokarov, Zong Yuan-Zhao, Darryl Johansen, Daniel Fernandez, WGM Julia Ryjanova and International Masters James Morris, Junta Ikeda and Ari Dale the event is guaranteed to be keenly contested. As at today there are 168 entries which is a record for the event. Obviously lots of players are keen to return to over the board chess. Final closure of entries will be next Thursday at 6.00pm at the TryBooking link to that website.

There have been some positive developments in relation to Covid-19 regulations. The following rules will apply next weekend unless there are any last minute changes imposed on us. There are also some other matters to be noted

• Entry to the venue is now unrestricted for players and spectators
• All people 18 years or over entering the building must check in with the QR code provided or manually and show proof of being double vaccinated. Children under 18 years of age are exempt from these requirements
• To monitor the above measures all those 18 years of age or over will be issued with a Lanyard. If the Lanyard is not produced on a later entry to the building then the QR registration and proof of vaccination will be required to be completed again
• Face masks will not be required to be worn in the building except if a person enters the games commentary room where GM Ian Rogers will be providing special comments and analysis on the top players games
• Due to the high number of entries from unrated players, the Committee has decided to add additional special prizes of $250 for first place and $150 for second place as an unrated players section. Unrated players will only be eligible for the outright and top rating group prizes, not the lower 2 rating groups
• If any person is feeling unwell or has any Covid type symptoms then they should not enter the building. If a player develops Covid type symptoms during the event then they should withdraw from the tournament and seek medical attention
• No mobile phones or other electronic devices will be collected or stored. If they are brought into the building then they should be turned off and kept in your bag under your table. If a player’s electronic device makes an audible sound during a game then they will be penalised
• Due to the above requirements our available committee members will be kept very busy. If any partner or parent is prepared to volunteer to act as a door marshal for an hour or so then please contact me

Progress of the Tournament, round by round pairings and ability to watch the top 4 games on a 30 minute time delay can be followed on the tournament website at www.begoniaopen.com over the weekend.

The club thanks our sponsors PPT Financial, Northern Star Chess, Federation University and the Friends of Begonia for their continuing support of the event.

We look forward to welcoming you again in Ballarat for our popular weekend chess tournament.

Kind Regards

Kevin Perrin
Tournament Manager
0418 533 517

Ballarat Chess Club Inc.

[ElevatorEscapee]

I have just received an update from Kevin Perrin:
Ian Rogers will now be doing the commentary remotely.
This means that there is one pre-booked motel room available for anyone who hasn't yet been able to find accommodation.
For more details, please contact Kevin on 0418 533 517 or via his email: kevinp@ppt.com.au

[Metro]

166 registered entries at the moment, which at least breaks the registered record...

Further announcement pending soon from the BCC.

169 now and should be a record number this year. Well done to BCC

[Lekko]

172 now! When do the pairings go live?

[bajis]

It looks like the entries close a couple of hours before the opening ceremony. Hence I doubt if round 1 pairings would go live online. Perhaps from round 2 onward...

[MichaelBaron]

172 now! When do the pairings go live?

will probably be accelerated.

[ElevatorEscapee]

176 entries showing on the list now - best of luck everyone!

[Metro]

176 entries showing on the list now - best of luck everyone!

Entries closed Thursday 10th at 6pm.Enjoy the event!

[Andrew Hardegen]

will probably be accelerated.

r = 7 rounds, so N = 176 > 2^r = 128. So, accelerated or not, we could even see two players finish on 7/7 without playing each other. Whatever happens, it is very likely that some players at the top will get a relatively easy run, from start to finish.