Activities - HSC - Helsinki Street Chess

60 years of Team Blitz!

We welcome you to participate in the Centenary Tournament 3.-4.8.2024

60 years of Team Blitz!

We welcome you to participate in the Centenary Tournament 3.-4.8.2024

Photos from the Team Blitz

Below are photos and videos taken by photographer Jussi Salminen. The photos can be found behind the links. The images are free to use for non-commercial purposes. When published, the images may be cropped if necessary, but may not be edited in any other way. If images are published elsewhere, the name of the photographer must be mentioned.

Photos

Videos

Time format renewed for the centenary year

This year we are celebrating the 60th anniversary of the tournament. Our aim is to provide the most inspiring and enjoyable competitive experience possible for all participants.

We have actively listened to player feedback and discussed the issue with the chess community and the Finnish Chess Federation. To mark this milestone, the competition's playing time will be changed to a more international format of 3 minutes + 2 seconds per move.

Venue and arrival

The venue is located in Helsinki, Ruoholahti, in the Cable Factory's Merikaapelihall. The event is easily accessible by public transport in Helsinki. Entrance from the main entrance through the glass courtyard. Access to the area is barrier-free.

Address: Kaapeliaukio 3, 00180 Helsinki

See arrival instructions: https://www.kaapelitehdas.fi/fi/loyda-perille/

For those arriving by car from further afield, see the City of Helsinki website for directions: https://www.myhelsinki.fi/fi/info/liikkuminen-helsingiss%C3%A4/autolla-helsinkiin

Parking at Kaapelitehdas: https://www.kaapelitehdas.fi/fi/pysakointi

Description of the competition

The competition will be played in teams of four players, with a playing time of 3 minutes + 2 seconds per move per player in the revised format. Both club teams and free-form teams are welcome to participate. All teams will participate in the overall competition, but the Finnish championship medal can only be won by a Finnish club team with a maximum of one foreign player.

Changing the reflection period does not significantly affect the rules of the competition. The updated rules can be found here: https://www.shakkiliitto.fi/joukkuepikashakin-sm-kilpailun-saannot-julkaistu/

If you have any questions, please contact: helsinkistreetchess@gmail.com
Please leave your phone number in the email, if you can also be reached by phone.

Registration and payment

Step 1: Names and numbers of teams and payment of the entry fee by Sunday 30.6.2024.

The number of teams and the names of the teams are indicated on the following form: https://forms.gle/9hdMJN3Lpr4tJjRx5

The entry fee of €100 per team must be paid by bank transfer.

Beneficiary: Helsinki Street Chess Ry
Account number: FI69 7997 7990 2032 70
The name of the registering team must be mentioned in the message field of the payment.

Step 2: Team formations must be announced by Friday 19.7.2024 at the latest

Please use the following online form to indicate your composition: https://forms.gle/ZPFdHrdGya229mLn7

Schedule

Saturday 3.8.

10.00-12.00
Confirmation of participation, checking of team formations and licences and handing over of clocks

13.45
Opening ceremony

14.00
Initial competitions

18.00 - 01.30
Upstairs serving rights. Games and music for those interested.

Sunday 4.8.

10.00
Final competitions

n. 16.30
Awards ceremony

17.00 - 19.30
Upstairs bar open. The event ends at 19.30.

Food

During breaks between rounds, players will be fed by the Hima & Sali restaurant. The restaurant is located in the cable factory area.

Check the menu and buy lunch from our online shop via the link below, special dietary requirements can be indicated when ordering:
https://holvi.com/shop/helsinkistreetchess/ .

Other restaurants in the Cable Factory will not be available during the tournament due to private events and other reasons. Restaurants can be found in the Ruoholahti shopping centre, but you may not be able to get that far during the lunch break, so we recommend getting meal tickets for both days. The prices are the restaurant's own prices, our club only acts as a payment intermediary.

Tickets will be distributed on Saturday when registration is confirmed and lunch will be provided against the ticket.

Coffee, snacks and drinks will be available for purchase at the bar next to the venue throughout the weekend. On Saturday, the loft will be open for the sale of light alcoholic beverages from 12.00 to 1.30 on Saturday and from 12.00 to 19.30 on Sunday. The fun games and socialising can go on well into the night on Saturday night!

There will also be a food truck in the courtyard in the evening, so there's no need to wander far for hunger.

Accommodation offers

Clarion Hotel Helsinki
(1,4km from the venue) offers 15% discount on race days with booking code: EVENTSHELSINKI
Book your room here: Strawberry

The accommodation rate includes a Clarion breakfast, use of the Top Floor gym, client saunas and swimming pool during opening hours.

Holiday Inn Helsinki West
(550m from the venue) offers the following special rates with booking code: EVNT
Room type Standard, breakfast included:

118 € single room / day
138 € double room / day

Reservations for Holiday Inn are made by via this link.

Radisson Blue Seaside
(1,3km from the venue) offers the following discounts with booking code: HSC

129 € 1hh Standard / day
149 € 2hh Standard / day

Reservations can be made at www.radissonhotels.com/fi-fi/. Book at least 7 days in advance.

Stay Apartments Finland
Well-equipped AirBnb apartments for e.g. 4 people, closest 1 km from the venue.

10% discount on list prices when booking by email to
: stayapartmentsfinland@gmail.com or
by phone +358 45 6022027

https://www.airbnb.com/users/show/365913276

Please mention Joukkueblitz to get the discount.

Other points to note

Each club will bring two working digital clocks/team. We accept the following clock models:

DGT: DGT 2500, DGT 3000, DGT 2010, DGT North American, DGT XL, DGT 2000, DGT Echo
Other: CE Chess Clock, Merex 600, Merex 555, LEAP PQ9903

No other clock models are accepted. A fee of EUR 20 per clock will be charged for missing digital clocks. The functionality of the clocks will be checked at the time of delivery.

According to the current policy of the Finnish Chess Federation, players representing Russian or Belarusian chess federations are not allowed to participate in the competition. Participation under the FIDE flag is possible. This rule does not apply to minors.

All players representing a Finnish club must have a valid player's licence or a single player's licence at the end of the confirmation period. The participating club's membership and other fees must also be paid before the start of the competition. Similarly, any club exchange fees must be paid before the start of the competition. The above fees must be paid in advance via Suomisport. Only one-off licences and club exchange fees can be paid at the venue. Payment methods are cash and MobilePay.

For more information on fees: https://www.shakkiliitto.fi/shakkiliitto/lisenssi-info/

Prizes

Cash prizes for the top 3 teams in the final and a round prize for the winner.
World Championship medals for the three best Finnish club teams.

The following will also be rewarded:

Best of the final tables
Winning team of the ranking competition 1
Best declared women's team
Best declared senior team (minimum combined age 260 years)
Best declared veteran team (combined age 200 years or more)
Best declared junior team (combined age up to 80 years)

Personal cup

Schedule:
The Cup will be played in its entirety on Saturday 3.8. The Cup is open to all.

11.15-11.45
Registration

12.00
Rounds 1 and 2

After the initial competitions, the remaining rounds

Cup entry fee:

First round: €3
Second round: €5
Third round: €10 .
Payment in cash or mobilepay. The top 4 finishers in the Cup will be awarded a cash prize.