With the addition of current Dutch Champion Lucas van Foreest there will now be no fewer than 11 Grand Masters fighting for first place in Groningen. Lucas will surely find stiff competition in the young Armenian Grand Master Shant Sargsyan and the experienced Sergey Tiviakov and Michal Krasenkow.
With Woman Grand Master Mary Ann Gomes, four other titled woman and the local Heroine Machteld van Foreest among the participants, the Chess Festival can also be asured of a good fight for the €400 Ladies Prize.
Of course the nicest tournament of the Netherlands has an extensive side program, with for example; SISSA Christmas Blitz, Student Christmas Chess, a Youth Tournament and the Open Fischer Random Championship of the Northern Netherlands.
