The opening of The Caplin Hastings International Chess Congress in East Sussex 2023

The Caplin Hastings International Chess Congress 2023-2024. https://hastingschess.com/

Transcript

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.