Tough competition in BNbank Blitz 2009

A strong field of players has signed up for the final in BNbank Blitz 2009 which takes place at Oslo Central Station on Saturday, November 28 from 11 a.m. - 4.30 p.m. Among the ten invited players is the 18 year old Norwegian chess wonder Magnus Carlsen, who recently won the World Blitz Championship. Among the other contenders are Hikaru Nakamura, who is considered one of the strongest blitz players on the internet, Peter Heine Nielsen of Denmark, the second strongest chess player in the Nordic region, Jon Ludvig Hammer who is ranked as the second strongest player in Norway and two of the strongest female chess players in the world Victoria Cmilyte, Lithuania and Monika Socko, Poland. Grand Master Monika Socko recently won the strongest chess tournament ever played in Northern-Norway. For more information about the players read their profiles.

World Class Players against Amateurs

On October 31 the stage is set for a great chess spectacle in Norway. In six citys - Oslo, Bergen, Stavanger, Tromsø, Trondheim and Porsgrunn - there will be arranged blitz tournaments in shopping malls.  The winner from each city will earn a spot in the final in Oslo on November 28 where he or she will compete against ten invited world class players for a prize fund of 74 000 NOK. You do not have to be a member of a federation or a chess club to participate in these qualifiers.

About BNbank

BNbankBNbank ASA offers a wide range of retail and corporate banking services. It was acquired by a consortium of SpareBank1 banks in December 2008. The bank is headquartered in Trondheim, and has offices in Oslo, Ålesund and Fosnavåg. Clients all over Norway are served via internet and telephone banking. In the retail market, BNbank ASA offers competitive rates on savings products, and the bank is one of the leading mortgage lenders in Norway. In the corporate market, the bank offers niche expertise within real estate, seafood, ship building, offshore service vessels and traditional shipping.

About The Norwegian Chess Federation

Norges SjakkforbundThe Norwegian Chess Federation (NSF) organizes the chess activities for adults in Norway. The federation has approximately 2500 members divided between 100 chess clubs located all over the country. The Norwegian Chess Federation, which was founded in 1914, is a member of the Nordic Chess Federation, the European Chess Union and the international chess federation, FIDE. The Norwegian Youth Chess Federation organizes the chess activities for youth and children. The federation has approximately 4500 members distributed among 80 chess clubs.