The Caplin Hastings International Chess Congress 2023-2024.
https://hastingschess.com/
https://hastingschess.com/
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00:00 [CHATTER]
00:03 [CHATTER]
00:06 [CHATTER]
00:35 And a warm welcome to all of you from all of us
00:40 here in Hastings.
00:41 For some of you, it's the first time here.
00:42 I know we're talking to some first-time visitors
00:44 to the Congress.
00:46 For others, you've been here five, 10, or maybe possibly 20
00:50 times before we do it.
00:51 So you're all, as I say, very, very welcome.
00:54 We're going to just do a short sort of ceremonial beginning
00:58 to the first round.
00:59 And I'd like to introduce the two gentlemen on my right,
01:02 Mr. Dominic Lawson, President of the English Chess Federation.
01:04 Dominic.
01:05 Dominic.
01:05 And to John Ashworth, who is CEO of our sponsor, Kaplan.
01:09 This is the Kaplan Hastings International Chess Congress,
01:12 the 97th edition.
01:13 So gentlemen, thank you both for coming.
01:15 And maybe a round of applause.
01:17 [APPLAUSE]
01:20 I don't remember the first.
01:25 I'm not quite that old.
01:26 But I did come--
01:28 I remember the 1977, '78 Hastings Congress.
01:33 Weather wasn't like this.
01:34 There was snow drift six feet deep in Hastings.
01:37 The Russian competitors looked very much at home.
01:39 The English, not so much.
01:42 And this year, we have two of the most talented young players
01:49 in the Masters.
01:50 I'm talking about Shreyas Royal and Padana Sivanandham.
01:55 And they're taking part, which makes it a very exciting event.
01:59 But also, we have a very popular winner from last year,
02:02 Saral Sotskis.
02:04 We're very, very pleased to see him back.
02:06 As I said, I do remember the Hastings Masters in 1977, '78.
02:11 And Tigran Prozin was a former world champion, which way.
02:16 He was then the second strongest rated player in the world.
02:19 I wonder if any of you would guess what his leader rating was.
02:23 It was 26 to 45, which is a bit something to think.