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Chess Life Online 2015 March Change of Venue for the 50th Anniversary National Open
Chess Life Online 2015 March Change of Venue for the 50th Anniversary National Open | Change of Venue for the 50th Anniversary National Open |
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| By Janelle Losoff | |
| March 1, 2015 | |
 The 50th
Anniversary NATIONAL OPEN and the Las Vegas International Chess Festival,
June 19-21, are moving to the Westgate Las Vegas Resort & Casino. This was
a forced move but an exciting one.The Riviera Hotel and Casino, home of the National Open for 25 of the last 30 years, has been sold to the Las Vegas Visitors & Convention Authority. The Westgate (formerly the Las Vegas Hilton) will offer the same low room rates of $69/night ($89 Friday & Saturday). If you already have a room reservation at the Riviera you don't need to change it: reservations and deposits for the chess group will be transferred to the Westgate automatically. Reserve now at www.VegasChessFestival.com/hotel/ Our new hotel is richly modern with newly renovated rooms, great convention space and luxurious amenities. The Westgate is conveniently located one block east of the Strip and has an onsite Monorail station. You can cruise the entire Strip, North to South, without renting a car or calling a taxi. Please join us at the Las Vegas International Chess Festival and play in the 50th Anniversary National Open. This USCF Heritage Event is one of America's longest running premier open tournaments. The Open and Under 2200 sections will be FIDE rated. There are also numerous other championships including the U.S. Women's Open and events just for kids. As we look forward the future we also remember the past. The National Open in Las Vegas was established in 1965 by USCF Executive Director Ed Edmondson. Chess Life Editor J.F. Reinhardt wrote "Probably no tournament in U.S. history was handled with more regard for the comfort and convenience of the players than the first National Open." We invite anyone who played in that inaugural event to contact us about being an honored guest at the 50th anniversary edition. After moving about the country for several years the tournament was brought back to Las Vegas in 1983 by Fred Gruenberg. He and Alan Losoff organized the event for over 25 years as it grew to become a festival. They upheld its prestigious reputation as we have with our partners and staff since Fred retired in 2009. Fred continues to play in the National Open and donates special prizes every year. Now it is time to play a new variation at a new venue. We are grateful to the Riviera staff for over 25 years of excellent service. They have helped to make the National Open special. See you at the Westgate in June for the Chess Vacation of the Year. For more information check out the tournament web site at www.VegasChessFestival.com. |
