27.08.2006 CHESS CRUISE OF ODESSA
First International Chess Cruise of Odessa starts on August 28 to finish on Odessa city celebration on September 2. In this unique event 12 grandmasters will play a rapid chess tournament on a cruise ship: Vassily Ivanchuk, Nona Gaprindashvili, Natalia Zhukova, Maria Klinova, Adrian Mikhalchishin, Vladimir Tukmakov, Viacheslav Eingorn, Konstantin Lerner, Semen Palatnik, Stanislav Savchenko, Mikhail Golubev, and Yury Drozdovsky. Honored Trainer of USSR Anatoly Bykhovsky referees the competition. Grandmaster and famous chess writer Genna Sosonko from Netherlands heads the appeals committee.

The tournament will be played on 'South Palmyra' ship of UkrFerry shipping company. A number of additional charity events is planned, including grandmaster simuls, open lessons and living chess game on the square in front of the City Hall. The latter will be broadcasted live on Odessa TV channels.

It is planned to conduct this Cruise annually. The sponsors are authorities of Odessa, Odessa Major's Invest Fund, Municipal agesncy of Odessa development, Pivdenny Bank, International investments fund (Kyiv) and Suncoin invest group (Krivyj Rih).