HAIKOU /China/, 26 October. /The 15th China Super Grandmaster Chess Tournament, a six-day sporting event, has officially opened in China's Hainan Province. According to the organisers, the prize fund is 200 thousand yuan (28 thousand dollars at the current exchange rate).

The Chinese Chess Association announced on it's WeChat page that the competition will be held on Haihua Island (Ocean Flower Island) in an artificial archipelago located off the north coast of the city of Danzhou. The central island of the archipelago resembles a five-leaf clover from a bird's eye view.

This year, eight chess players from three countries - the People's Republic of China, Singapore and Switzerland - are taking part in the event. A total of seven round-robin tournaments will be held.

According to Tian Hongwei, General Secretary of the association, the Grandmaster Chess Tournament is a "brand competition" that helps to nurture the young generation of talented chess players. She recalled that the Chinese World Chess Champion Ding Liren has participated in eleven of these annual events.

"I hope the Danzhou Tournament will keep on being held in the future to further raise the level of chess in Hainan and Danzhou, to promote the development of the city's sports and tourism economy, and to speed up the construction of the Hainan Free Trade Port," said Tian Hongwei.

The China Danzhou Super Grandmaster Chess Tournament has been held since 2010 and has become Danzhou's trademark event. Professionals from more than 20 countries have participated in these events over the years.