The 56th edition of the Ilmar Raud Memorial Chess Tournament will take place 3-10 July at the Viljandi Sports Center in Viljandi, a town in southern Estonia. This year, the event will include qualifications for Estonian Men’s and Women’s Individual Chess Championships, Estonian Junior Chess Championships, and Estonian Seniors Chess Championships. Based on the final results, Estonian best female and male players will qualify for the National finals.
The event will be played in 9 rounds, swiss system, with time control: 90 minutes for 40 moves, plus 15 minutes till the end of the game, with an increment of 30 seconds per move, starting from the move one. The current starting rank list of players is led by GM Tomas Laurusas, GM Kaido Kulaots and GM Paulius Pultinevicius. (scroll down for starting list)
Throwback: GM Aleksej Aleksandrov convincing in Ilmar Raud Memorial / GM Arturs Neiksans tops 49th Ilmar Raud Memorial 2015
The tournament is dedicated to the memory of Ilmar Raud, a chess player from Viljandi who was a two-time Estonian Chess Champion, winner of bronze medal at the Buenos Aires Male Olympics in 1939, and one of the best and most talented chess players of Estonia in the late 1920s and 1930s.
Current starting list of participants:
| No. | Name | FED | RtgI | |
| 1 | GM | Laurusas Tomas | LTU | 2561 |
| 2 | GM | Kulaots Kaido | EST | 2537 |
| 3 | GM | Pultinevicius Paulius | LTU | 2524 |
| 4 | GM | Miezis Normunds | LAT | 2448 |
| 5 | GM | Starostits Ilmars | LAT | 2441 |
| 6 | GM | Kanep Meelis | EST | 2424 |
| 7 | IM | Seeman Tarvo | EST | 2411 |
| 8 | IM | Sirosh Ilja | EST | 2402 |
| 9 | IM | Kiik Kalle | EST | 2381 |
| 10 | IM | Shishkov Andrei | EST | 2366 |
| 11 | IM | Sakalauskas Vaidas | LTU | 2327 |
| 12 | Vorobjov Pavel | EST | 2278 | |
| 13 | IM | Borsos Bogdan | UKR | 2200 |
| 14 | Krivenko Dion | EST | 2109 | |
| 15 | Medar Marti | EST | 2063 | |
| 16 | Soot Margus | EST | 2062 | |
| 17 | Andrijashkin Deniss | EST | 2006 | |
| 18 | Sadekov Maksim | EST | 1993 | |
| 19 | Pedmanson Albert | EST | 1979 | |
| 20 | Heinmets Tonu | EST | 1961 | |
| 21 | Kull Tormi | EST | 1826 | |
| 22 | Protassov Vlad | EST | 1824 | |
| 23 | Hansson Markus | EST | 1724 | |
| 24 | Kruusiauk Heda | EST | 1677 | |
| 25 | Kao Kermo | EST | 1656 | |
| 26 | Urgas Jaan | EST | 1638 | |
| 27 | Staub Madis | EST | 1555 | |
| 28 | Polendik Tiina | EST | 1514 | |
| 29 | Sepandi Jaak | EST | 1507 | |
| 30 | Pallum Rasmus | EST | 1435 | |
| 31 | Oim Mikk Kaarel | EST | 1297 | |
| 32 | Lehes Erik Johannes | EST | 1275 | |
| 33 | Lain Sander | EST | 1219 | |
| 34 | Roots Lem-Leonhard | EST | 1212 | |
| 35 | Povvat Aalo | EST | 1084 | |
| 36 | Zafra Kim Yutangco | PHI | 0 |
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