Gata Kamsky has already won the World Open on two previous occasions, in 1991 and 2006. That makes three different decades! He and Alex Yermolinsky are the only two players to have won the tournament three times.
Dutchman Loek Van Wely is a regular visitor to Philadelphia, and was the highest-rated of the chasing group on 6.5/7.
| Rank | Name | Title | Rating | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Gata Kamsky | GM | 2741 | 7.0 |
| 2 | Michael Adams | GM | 2726 | 7.0 |
| 3 | Loek Van Wely | GM | 2683 | 6.5 |
| 4 | Ilya Smirin | GM | 2676 | 6.5 |
| 5 | P Harikrishna | GM | 2666 | 6.5 |
| 6 | Timur Gareyev | GM | 2613 | 6.5 |
| 7 | Ray Robson | GM | 2545 | 6.5 |
| 8 | Mesgen Amanov | GM | 2517 | 6.5 |
| 9 | Vitali Golod | GM | 2592 | 6.0 |
| 10 | Jaan Ehlvest | GM | 2583 | 6.0 |
| 11 | Giorgi Kacheishvili | GM | 2582 | 6.0 |
| 12 | Victor Mikhalevski | GM | 2577 | 6.0 |
| 13 | Aleksander Lenderman | GM | 2548 | 6.0 |
| 14 | Mikheil Kekelidze | GM | 2452 | 6.0 |
| 15 | Yury Lapshun | IM | 2442 | 6.0 |
| 16 | Puchen Wang | IM | 2437 | 6.0 |
The highest-placed IM, Yury Lapshun, has a familiar name. He co-wrote a book extolling the virtues of 1.b4, although I don't know if this unusual opening featured in his successful run to 6/9!
There were 94 players in the top section of the 2011 edition, which took place in the Sheraton hotel in the city centre. Even in the other sections, the World Open organizers pride themselves on offering big prizes for the successful few.
Philadelphia is the fifth largest city in the USA, although it may soon be overtaken by one of the growing metropolis's of the South-West.
| Rank | City | State | 2010 census Population |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | New York | New York | 8,175,133 |
| 2 | Los Angeles | California | 3,792,621 |
| 3 | Chicago | Illinois | 2,695,598 |
| 4 | Houston | Texas | 2,099,451 |
| 5 | Philadelphia | Pennsylvania | 1,526,006 |
| 6 | Phoenix | Arizona | 1,445,632 |
| 7 | San Antonio | Texas | 1,327,407 |
| 8 | San Diego | California | 1,307,402 |
| 9 | Dallas | Texas | 1,197,816 |
| 10 | San Jose | California | 945,942 |
More information from the official site:
