Chess Train 2013: Hort wins scenic tourney

This year the popular Chess Train tournament, staged by the Prague Chess Society and Ceské Dráhy, took place from 11th to 15th of October. It was played in the carriages of a train travelling from Prague to the ancient town of Regensburg (Germany), to Innsbruck, sunk in the Austrian Alps, to Mozart's Salzburg (Austria) and then two beautiful Czech towns, Český Krumlov and Prague, where the journey began.

Before the start of the journey at Central Railway Station in Prague

The Managing Director of the Research Institute of Czech Railway, Antonin Blazek,
with top seed GM Vlastimil Hort, who is about to board the train

The "tournament hall": the carriages of a moving train

CEO of Hotels & Travel Joseph Bara and Tanya Šeráková

The youngest participant Margaret Folk

First stop the ancient city of Regensburg, located at the confluence of the Danube and Regen rivers.
The first settlements here date to the Stone Age; around AD 90, the Romans built a fort here.

Back on the train, and a lunch break from chess

A view of Innsbruck, nested in the Austrian Alps. Here too initial inhabitation was in the early Stone Age;
in the fourth century the Romans established the army station Veldidena at this location.

Participants on mountain Hafelekarspitze, the "backyard summit" of Innsbruck

The summit of Hafelekarspitze is 2,334 meters (7,500 feet) above sea level

Impressions of Innsbruck to the strains of a famous German-language song by Heinrich Isaac (1450–1517). "Innsbruck, ich muss dich lassen" is written for four voices including a wonderful discant – a counter-melody in a higher pitch than the main theme. For music lovers here's one of the best reditions we know.

Back on the train, with Vlastimil Hort, left, playing GM Ján Plachetka on board one

A view of the Austrian landscape from the windows of the chess train

Salzburg is the birthplace of 18th-century composer Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. Traces of human settlements have been found in the area dating to the Neolithic Age. The first settlements at Salzburg were apparently begun by the Celts around the 5th century BC.

Visit the house where Mozart lived in Salzburg, to the tune of his well-loved
Concerto for Horn & Orchestra No. 4 In E Flat Major

The final round of the tournament, of the tournament, which ended in ...

... victory for top seed GM Vlastimil Hort

Top final standings after 11 rounds

The winner of the eleven-rounds Rapid Chess tournament Chess Train 2013 was the legendary grandmaster (and former World Championship candidate) Vlastimil Hort. The only one of the 87 chess players who had enough points to stick with was the American player Alex Cherniack. The third is Pavel Benco, who completely dominated the first two thirds of the tournament.

The Chess Train 2013 has successfully arrived back to Prague. The last but one stop - after Regenzburg, Innsbruck and Salzburg - was Ceský Krumlov. The beauty of its old town has completely charmed several foreign players. And everybody was charmed by the atmosphere of the Chess Train 2013. "I wish we will meet here again in a year and a day from now," said Vlastimil Hort during decoration of winners.

Vlastimil Hort, the winner of the tournament receiving locomotive shaped glass trophy from Antonín Blažek, managing director of Railway Research Institute and a gift basket from Jan Doubek, director of client communication of ERA.

• Full results and standings of all 87 players

Chess Train organiser Pavel Matocha, winner Vlastimil Hort

The 13th century South Bohemian town of Český Krumlov, where the prize giving was held

And the final leg of the Chess Train 2013 journey back to Prague

Full reports and more pictures on the official web site

Photos provided by Agnes Kružíková