The Cuban chess stars Leinier Dominguez and Lazaro Bruzon, both members of the 2700 Elo club and part of the top 50 in the world, will be the main attraction during the 2013 Cuban National Chess Championship.
The preliminary tournament will take place on January 16-27 in Santa Clara, in the center of the island.
According to Radio Havana Cuba, the national referee Jose Luis Ramirez informed that Dominguez (2723 Elo points) and Bruzón (2701) have already confirmed their presence in the final of the competition, that will be played on February.
Leinier Dominguez (photo by Anastasya Karlovich)
In the preliminary stage, 12 chess players from 5 provinces will play a single round-robin tournament.
The top five will advance to the final, in which, besides Dominguez (the best Latin American player, placed 23rd in the world ranking), and Bruzón (placed 46th), the Grand Masters Yunieski Quesada (2595), Yusnel Bacallao (2543) and Isan Ortiz (2595) will also participate.
These five players constituted the Cuban team at the World Chess Olympiad, held last year in Istanbul, Turkey, where the island finished in a respectable eleventh place.
Lazaro Bruzon
Villa Clara and Havana, both with four participants, are the most represented territories in the first stage. Holguin has two representatives, and Santiago de Cuba has one.
Participants of the preliminary tournament (in Villa Clara on 16-27 January):
1. GM Yuri González (LHA)
2. GM Aramis Álvarez (VCL)
3. GM Holden Hernández (MAY)
4. GM Omar Almeida (LHA)
5. GM Jesús Nogueiras (VCL)
6. GM Walter Arencibia (HOL)
7. IM Carlos Hevia (LHA)
8. FM Arturo Fernández (LHA)
9. FM Elier Miranda (VCL)
10. IM Diasmany Otero (VCL)
11. FM Liordis Quesada (SCU)
12. EP Rider Díaz (HOLG)
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Participants in the Final (in Villa Clara on 3-12 February):
1. GM Leinier Domínguez (MAY)
2. GM Lázaro Bruzón (LTU)
3. GM Yuniesky Quesada (VCL)
4. GM Yusnel Bacallao (MTZ)
5. GM Isan Ortiz (HOL)
