2020 New Zealand Championships

The 2020 New Zealand Championships began yesterday, and the top section has attracted a large field. Unlike the Australian version, the tournament is an open event, and foreign players are free to enter. As a result there are 40 players in the field, with 3 GM's and 6 IM's.
While the bottom half ratings started at a respectable 1932, there were no upsets in the first round, with the top half making a clean sweep of the games. Round 2 will be a little tougher with the top board seeing GM Vasily Papin up against tournament organiser FM Bob Smith.
In the Major Open, Canberra's own Miles Patterson is the top seed. The field is a little smaller than the Championship (30 players), and the first round saw a few more upsets. However that did not include the top board, where Patterson had a quick win using his favourite Benko Gambit.
The tournament is broadcasting the top 10 boards of the Championship, and the top 5 boards of the Major. You can find all the links to results and live games at the official New Zealand Chess Federation website newzealandchess.co.nz


Pakenham,John - Patterson,Miles [A57]
New Zealand Major Open (1.1), 14.01.2020