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Press Release
World scoop has been developed in Enschede, the Netherlands
First foldable chess clock
5 February 2008 – Enschede – Look at a picture of an important chess tournament in any part of the world and check out the chess clocks. Almost always 99.9% chance that the clocks will be a product of the company DGT (Digital Game Technology) based in Enschede. Whether it is a world championship, the Corus Chess Tournament or another big chess event.
That Dutch chess clock (by the way also used by draughts players) now has a revolutionary successor: the DGT 960. A brilliantly designed, foldable chess clock, that easily fits in your inner pocket. The clock will be presented for the first time on the Toy Fair in Nuremberg (7 until 12 February).
It is a fully functional electronic clock, that fits well into the series of chess clocks manufactured by DGT.
Yet the DGT960 has an additional function that no other chess clock in the world features. The clock can give a positioning according to the chess variant Chess960, also called Fischer’s Random Chess or Fullchess.
Chess960 was developed more than 10 years ago by the late former world champion Bobby Fischer. His aim was to bring back creativity into the chess game. Nowadays the first twenty moves in a chess match are played “by the book”. By changing the opening position (according to certain rules) one cannot fall back on the known theory. There are 960 different starting possibilities, this explains the name.
The last few years the popularity of Chess960 is increasing. Every year many Grand Masters (among others World Champion Vishy Anand) participate in a big championship tournament in Mainz.
In the past the starting position of Chess960 was determined by throwing dice or by a computer programme. With the new chess clock DGT960 one has the positions in his inner pocket.
The new clock is separately available or in a box, which besides the clock also contains a chess board, chess figures and a CD with the chess program ChessTrainer. The CD holds 45 lessons and 4500 exercises based on the famous “Stappenmethode” (step-by step method) of the Dutchman Cor van Wijgerden. This is the official teaching program of the Dutch chess federation and is used by every chess club.
The price of the box will be 49.95 Euros. The clock costs 29.95 Euros. The expectation is that, certainly for chess players, the new clock will become the gadget for the year 2008.
Note for the editors (not for publication)
For more information please contact Peter van der Ploeg or Mirjam Lubbers, marketing department:
Phone: +31 (0)53-4305195.
E-mail: peter@dgtprojects.com or mirjam@dgtprojects.com or check our website www.dgtprojects.com
Copyright © 2007.DGT Technology B.V.