New Caledonia Open 2013

Getting a new tournament up and running is always a challenge, even more so if you hope to attract players from overseas. So the organisers of the 2013 New Caledonia have every right to be pleased with themselves, with a field of 40 players taking part. While the majority of the players are local, there are a few Australian and New Zealand players who made the trip. IA Gary Bekker, Leon Kempen and Mark Vukac are flying the Australian flag, while FM Bob Smith and WFM Viv Smith are representing the Kiwi's. Equally impressive for a new event is the top two seeds are GM's, in the shape of Sebastien Maze (FRA) and Vasily Papin (RUS). It is hardly a shock that these two players currently lead the tournament with 4/4, and will play in tomorrows round.
Hopefully the success of this event will encourage the organisers to hold it on an annual basis, as travel to New Caledonia is pretty cheap, and a week of chess in the sunny South Pacific is just the tonic for the winter blues.