SEE INFO CUP LATIN AMERICAN In memory of the first American chess player Inca Atahualpa

Copa Latinoamericana de Ajedrez

In memory of the first American chess player Inca Atahualpa

Copa Latinoamericana de Ajedrez 2010 will take place 18th-23rd of August in Cusco. It will feature some of the top Grandmasters of the region. Top seeded is GM Julio Granada (2639), followed by GM Eduardo Iturrizaga, GM Diego Flores, GM Ruben Felgaer, GM Neuris Delgado, and GM Gilberto Hernandez (scroll down for full list).

The tournament will be a Swiss event of 9 rounds with 90 minutes plus 30 seconds per player. The prize fund is $40,000 as the winner of the A tournament will receive $10,000. The games will take place in Centro de Convenciones de la Municipalidad Provincial del Cusco.

The tournament has the FIDE President Kirsan Nikoláyevich Iliumzhínov as head of the Honorary Committee, which is completed by Jorge Vega, Milton Iturry Quiñonez, and Luis Flores García (Mayor of Cusco).

Copa Latinoamericana de Ajedrez 2010 is dedicated to the memory of Inca Atahualpa.

Official website

Atahualpa and the first Latin American chess player

During 1533 invasion of the Peru region, the Spanish held Atahualpa (the leader of the Inca) captive in Cajamarca for months while a room was filled with gold and silver objects to ransom him. During this captivity, Hernando de Soto (leader of the Spanish invasion) became friendly with Atahualpa, and taught him to play chess. Sources claim Atahualpa besides learning Spanish, quickly reached a good level in chess.

According to Profesor Mario Valverde López the favorite reply of Atahualpa to 1.e4 was 1…f5. More about the Atahualpa gambit can be read in this article

Top participants

1 Julio Granda 2639
2 Eduardo Iturrizaga 2614
3 Diego Flores 2585
4 Ruben Felgaer 2584
5 Neuris Delgado 2575
6 Gilberto Hernandez 2544
7 Osvaldo Zambrana 2515
8 Molina, Roberto Junio Brito 2376
9 Daniel Pacheco 2329
10 Cesar Quirones 2325
11 Carmelo Gutierrez 2312
12 Adan Rios 2301
13 Miguel Angel Nina Campos 2300
14 Jose Gemy 2300
15 Kelver Vera 2276
16 Pablo Alexander Ruiz Aguilar 2265
17 Adonay Michael Delgadillo Daza 2228
18 Boris Ferrufino 2226
19 Henry Retamozo de la Cruz 2206
20 Ingrid Aliaga 2126

http://www.chessdom.com/news-2010/copa-latinoamericana-ajedrez