GYMCHESS® Chess based application to keep ageing brain in shape announced
The benefits of chess are delaying brain ageing (and therefore Alzheimer and other types of dementia) is supported by relevant scientific studies and statistics. GYMCHESS has developed a chess-based cognitive training program (ECAM ©) in the form of a mobile application (its potential adaptation as a medical device being also envisioned). The objective of this innovative, effective and ludic methodology is to improve the cognitive system and slow down the effects of brain ageing, serving as a complement to people conscious of their personal well-being and mental health. GYMCHESS is a technological start-up that has been supported by the Basque Government and the Provincial Council of Gipuzkoa, through the Ekintzaile-Txekintek program, for its recent incorporation. ECAM © is a methodology developed in multiple face-to-face workshops with more than 3,500 users over the last ten years with the support of the Junta de Extremadura. GYMCHESS will be presented at Expo Dubai on Sunday, December 12 at 14:00h (Dubai local time) in the Spanish Pavilion, where Carmen Bueno, the Executive Commissioner of the Pavilion, will act as a host for the event. Teresa Riesgo, Secretary General of Innovation at the Ministry of Science and Innovation of the Government of Spain, will speak. Then, Leontxo García, journalist and scientific disseminator, will briefly talk about “Chess and brain ageing”. Juan Antonio Montero, psychologist and a key person responsible for Extremadura being the first world reference in social and therapeutic applications of chess, will explain the ECAM © basics and origins. García and Montero are the co-founders of GYMCHESS together with Asier Rufino, CEO of Tecnalia Ventures, who will be in charge of presenting an investor pitch. Finally, Arantxa Garin, the marketing manager, will present the application itself. The event will be held at the Multipurpose Room of the Spanish Pavilion, and one hour after, at 15:00 (Dubai local time), it will be broadcast in Spanish via Zoom. Presentation schedule (pdf) Contact: press@gymchess.com
Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid Cup: Fedoseev and Salem take titles
Vladimir Fedoseev (Russia) and A.R. Saleh Salem (UAE) came as the winners of rapid and blitz tournaments of Sheikh Hamdan Bin Rashid Cup. The event organized by Dubai Chess and Culture Club in Dubai was held in honour of the late Sheikh Hamdan Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the former Deputy Ruler of Dubai and UAE Minister of Finance and Industry. The Sheikh Hamdan Bin Rashid Cup took place from 6–9 December 2021 at the Expo 2020 Dubai Exhibition Centre. During the first three days of the Sheikh Hamdan Bin Rashid Cup, players compete in the nine-round Swiss System tournament with 15 minutes for the entire game, plus a 10-second increment starting from move one. On Thursday, December 09, 11 rounds of blitz event (3 min + 2 sec/move) were played. A total of 24 invited grandmasters battled for a $30,000 prize fund at the venue of the world’s most significant events taking place this year: the FIDE World Championship match between Magnus Carlsen and Ian Nepomniachtchi and the Expo 2020 in Dubai. After six rounds of play in the rapid event, Hans Moke Niemann (USA) and Vladimir Fedoseev (pictured above) were sharing first place with five points each. The leaders clashed in Round 7: the Russian prevailed over the American in a long, gruelling ending and pulled away. Despite drawing his last two games, Fedoseev comfortably took clear first, a full point ahead of Denis Kadric, Nieman and Rinat Jumabayev, who tied for the second position in the final standings. Final standings rapid: 1 Fedoseev, Vladimir 2692 RUS 7 2 Kadric, Denis 2542 BIH 6 3 Niemann, Hans Moke 2327 USA 6 4 Jumabayev, Rinat 2562 KAZ 6 5 Nihal Sarin 2500 IND 5½ 6 Socko, Bartosz 2562 POL 5½ 7 Maghsoodloo, Parham 2512 IRI 5 8 Santos Ruiz, Miguel 2440 ESP 5 9 Mchedlishvili, Mikheil 2589 GEO 5 10 Sargissian, Gabriel 2693 ARM 5 The blitz event, featuring the same lineup, was a very close race. It all came down to the wire in the final, eleventh round, to which A.R. Saleh Salem (pictured below) and Bassem Amin (EGY) were heading as joint leaders with 7½ points each. Much to the delight of local fans, Salem beat Mikheil Mchedlishvili and came out on top as his main rival managed only a draw in a game with Denis Kadric. Nihal Sarin caught up with Amin and tied for second place after defeating Rinat Jumabayev. Final standings blitz: 1 Salem, A.R. Saleh 2642 UAE 8½ 2 Amin, Bassem 2617 EGY 8 3 Nihal Sarin 2705 IND 8 4 Bellahcene, Bilel 2493 ALG 7 5 Erdos, Viktor 2599 HUN 6½ 6 Fedoseev, Vladimir 2690 RUS 6 7 Kadric, Denis 2469 BIH 6 8 Pichot, Alan 2629 ARG 6 9 Jumabayev, Rinat 2536 KAZ 6 10 Niemann, Hans Moke 2680 USA 6 Photo: Eric Rosen