2011 Oceania Zonal

The 2011 Oceania Zonal starts on the 25th January in Rotorua, New Zealand. A couple of Australian players are already acclimatising themselves to the chilly New Zealand conditions and many more will be making the journey across the Tasman in the next few days.

I've got my PNG flag ready to be packed, and will be starting my journey on Saturday. A couple of days of sight seeing in Auckland before driving up to Rotorua, ready to take part in my first Zonal. With a field of 58 players (so far) I'm currently seeded just above the halfway point, so 50% would be a nice result (especially given my play at the Olympiad).

Also being held during the zonal will be the first meeting of the Oceania Chess Confederation. The confederation is a more formal grouping of countries that make up the Oceania zone, with an emphasis on development in the region. While the main point of the meeting is to establish the organisation, hopefully some new development programs for the region will also be created.