O2C Doeberl Cup - 1 week to go

This time next week the O2C Doeberl Cup Premier will be under way. At the moment there are 176 entries across the 4 events, and the usual last minute rush will see the tournament across the 200 mark. But if you are thinking about entering, it is better to do so now than later, as the tournaments do have limited sizes. In the case of the Premier there are less than 20 places left, and with this years tournament being the strongest ever held yo don't want to miss out. There is a little more space in the other events, although the Under 2000 tournament has already reached the 50 mark.
The Premier has attracted a record 11 GM's, although we unfortunately lost 2 others. GM Dejan Bojkov was planning to combine his tournament participation with running a FIDE Trainers Seminar in Sydney, but the Australian Chess Federation would not endorse the seminar, meaning it was no longer financially viable for him to attend. A real shame, as not only is he a fantastic trainer, but a delight to have at any tournament.
On the other hand GM Loek Van Wely is combining his trip with a little coaching. He will be holding a Master Class with an invited group of players next Wednesday. As the group consists of a number of up and coming Australian players, it will be interesting to see if he coaches himself out of some prize money.

(** I am a paid official for this event **)