Castle Chess Grand Prix Preview

An email from the Sheriff, Scott Parker, former President of the Georgia Chess Association, and also a former Senior Champion of the Great State of Georgia, informs:
Mike,
Confirmed participants for this weekend include:
GM Varuzhan Akobian
GM Julio Becerra
GM John Fedorowicz
GM Magesh Panchanathan
GM Alonso Zapata
IM Irina Krush
Best Regards,
Scott
Mr. Parker has written an informative article on the Castle Chess Grand Prix for Chess Life magazine. It is on page 46 of the June issue and includes a wonderful picture of the campus of Emory University. Emory is not just close to home for me, it is my home. I was born in the back seat of a ’49 Ford convertible on the way to Emory University hospital in 1950. My mother and I were rolled into the hospital. One cannot get closer to home than this, and the hospital is within walking distance of the tournament hall. I plan on reporting from the tournament all three days, so in a way, this is a homecoming for me.
For my international readers who do not have access to Chess Life this is the 13th Castle Chess Camp and tournament at Emory. The prize fund has been raised to $12,000, all of it guaranteed. This payout is the most guaranteed money of any tournament in the Southeast. Most of the above is from Scott’s article in Chess Life.
Scott asks, and answers, the question, “So who is likely to win the Castle Chess Grand Prix tournament? Well, to start with, you’re probably going to be a grandmaster to do it. Only Life Master David Vest, who tied for first in 2003 (by beating Irina Krush in the last round-A.W.), IM Jonathan Schroer, who won in 2004, and IM/WGM Anna Zatonskih (Why is she not considered only an IM? What, exactly, is the point of having separate titles for women?-A.W.), who tied for first in 2005 were non-grandmaster champions. The most successful, by far, has been GM Julio Becerra. Playing almost every year, he has twice been first alone, and four times he has tied for the top prize. Other past winners are GMs Varuzhan Akobian, Yury Shulman, Alejandro Ramirex, Ildar Ibragimov, Greg Serper, and Babakuli Annakov.”
It may be too late for you to, as Scott writes, “Come see Atlanta and world renowned Emory University, and see why the Castle Chess Grand Prix continues to grow every year.” But you can read all about the tournament right here, so check back all weekend for reports by the Warrior of the Armchair!