Final leg of FIDE Grand Prix Series kicks off in Berlin
— The third leg of the FIDE Grand Prix Series 2022 begins on March 22 in Berlin; — The event features 16 of the strongest chess players who will compete for two final spots in the Candidates Tournament; — All tickets are sold out. Berlin, March 21, 2022 – The third and final leg of the FIDE Grand Prix Series 2022 organized by World Chess gets underway in Berlin. For the next 13 days, chess fans’ attention worldwide will be focused on World Chess Club Berlin, a chess venue in the German capital where the chess superstars will compete for €150,000 and, more importantly, for the last two spots in the upcoming Candidates Tournament. It will be quite a challenge, as the winner of the second stage, GM Richard Rapport, has almost secured the first spot, but the strongest chess players competing in the last leg are determined to fight. The pool stage will start on March 22. The winners of four groups will move to the semi-finals, and then two best players will meet in the final. The pairings for Round 1 promise several exciting battles: Pool A: Andrey Esipenko (FIDE), 2723 — Grigoriy Oparin (FIDE), 2674Levon Aronian (USA), 2785 — Hikaru Nakamura, (USA), 2750 Pool B: Vincent Keymer (Germany), 2655 — Shakhriyar Mamedyarov (Azerbaijan), 2776Daniil Dubov (FIDE), 2711 — Leinier Dominguez (USA), 2756 Pool C: Sam Shankland (USA), 2704 — Wesley So (USA), 2778Alexandr Predke (FIDE), 2682 — Maxime Vachier-Lagrave (France), 2761 Pool D: Anish Giri (Netherlands), 2771 — Yu Yangyi (China), 2713Nikita Vitiugov (FIDE), 2726 — Amin Tabatabaei (Iran), 2623 Due to covid restrictions, only 35 guests per day will be allowed to visit the venue. All the tickets for the tournament were sold out in February. For those who did not manage to buy tickets or cannot attend the tournament for other reasons, the tournament will be broadcast on chessarena.com, the official gaming platform of the Series. About the tournament: The three-tournament series which will unfold from February to April features 24 of the world’s best Grandmasters competing in two out of three events. To make the series more exciting with a minimum number of draws, FIDE and World Chess have changed the format. In this series, each event consists of a group stage followed by a knockout semi-final and final. Two winners of the Series will qualify for the Candidates Tournament that will take place later in 2022. The prize fund for each event is €150,000, a €20,000 increase from 2019. The third leg of the FIDE Grand Prix will take place in the city centre at Unter den Linden 26-30. The rounds start at 3PM Berlin time. Due to COVID restrictions currently in place, only a limited number of tickets are available. Please note that the 3G rule applies to the event. The games will be broadcast live on https://chessarena.com/broadcasts/13606 FIDE Grand Prix Series is brought to you by World Chess. Leading partners supporting the FIDE Grand Prix Series 2022: Kaspersky as the Official Cybersecurity Partner; Algorand as the Official Blockchain Partner; Prytek as the Technology Transfer Partner; FIDE Online Arena as the official Partner. For further questions, please contact: media@worldchess.com Official Photo FIDE Grand Prix Berlin Press kit About World Chess World Chess is a London-based chess gaming and entertainment group and FIDE’ official broadcaster and commercial partner. World Chess organized the FIDE Championship Matches in Russia, the USA, and the UK, and revolutionized the sport by signing the biggest media partnerships in history. World Chess develops Armageddon, the chess league for prime-time television. World Chess also runs FIDE Online Arena, the exclusive official chess gaming platform. More at worldchess.com. About Kaspersky Kaspersky is a global cybersecurity and digital privacy company founded in 1997. Kaspersky’s deep threat intelligence and security expertise is constantly transforming into innovative security solutions and services to protect businesses, critical infrastructure, governments and consumers around the globe. The company’s comprehensive security portfolio includes leading endpoint protection and a number of specialized security solutions and services to fight sophisticated and evolving digital threats. Over 400 million users are protected by Kaspersky technologies and we help 240,000 corporate clients protect what matters most to them. Learn more at www.kaspersky.com. About Algorand Algorand is building the technology to power the Future of Finance (FutureFi), the convergence of traditional and decentralized models into a unified system that is inclusive, frictionless, and secure. Founded by Turing Award-winning cryptographerSilvio Micali, Algorand developed a blockchain infrastructure that offers the interoperability and capacity to handle the volume of transactions needed for defi, financial institutions and governments to smoothly transition into FutureFi. The technology of choice for more than 700 global organizations, Algorand is enabling the simple creation of next generation financial products, protocols and exchange of value. For more information, visit www.algorand.com. About Prytek The Prytek Group combines technology companies and services companies to create a new asset class. We build legacy service businesses and combine them with deep tech technologies to increase margins. We buy out entire operations and create efficiency and scalability through our technologies. The group is divided into a Corporate Arm – which comprises of controlled companies and an Investment Arm – which acts as a VC and PE fund of the Group. The goal of the Corporate Arm is to generate consolidated cash with a legacy vision, while the Investment Arm is to develop products for our operations and generate profit via equity value growth and exit at a high valuation. Prytek Building Technologies, Delivering Managed Services. Prytek: www.prytek.com About FIDE Online Arena FIDE Online Arena is the exclusive online chess gaming platform that awards online ratings recognized by FIDE. It hosts rated tournaments and games 24 hours per day. The platform runs an advanced fairplay engine. Play official games at chessarena.com.
FIDE Candidates 2022 venue and schedule announced
We’re pleased to announce the schedule and venue of the FIDE Candidates Tournament 2022. The magnificent Palacio de Santoña, a centrally located historic building in Madrid, will become the venue of the most anticipated chess tournament of 2022. Built in 1730, this mansion boasts of distinguished carved granite baroque façade and is home to one of the most refined eclectic interiors in the Spanish capital. It is currently one of the headquarters of the Madrid Chamber of Commerce. Eight prominent grandmasters will compete for a top spot in a double round-robin (all play all) tournament from 16 June to 6 July. The schedule includes four free days, one after every three rounds: 14-15 June 2022 Arrivals 1 day 16 June 2022 Technical meeting and Opening Ceremony 2 day 17 June 2022 Round 1 3 day 18 June 2022 Round 2 4 day 19 June 2022 Round 3 5 day 20 June 2022 Free day 6 day 21 June 2022 Round 4 7 day 22 June 2022 Round 5 8 day 23 June 2022 Round 6 9 day 24 June 2022 Free day 10 day 25 June 2022 Round 7 11 day 26 June 2022 Round 8 12 day 27 June 2022 Round 9 13 day 28 June 2022 Free day 14 day 29 June 2022 Round 10 15 day 30 June 2022 Round 11 16 day 1 July 2022 Round 12 17 day 2 July 2022 Free day 18 day 3 July 2022 Round 13 19 day 4 July 2022 Round 14 20 day 5 July 2022 Tie-breaks and Closing Ceremony 21 day 6 July 2022 Departures The first place is all that matters as the tournament’s winner becomes the World Championship Challenger and acquires the right to face World Champion Magnus Carlsen in a match. You can follow the updates on the World Championship Cycle on our dedicated page: worldchampionshipcycle.fide.com/
Geir Nesheim, new Chair of the Social Commission
Geir Nesheim, from Norway, is the new Chairperson of the FIDE Social Commission, following the resignation of his predecessor, Paris Klerides. Paris steps down due to personal reasons that prevented him from devoting to the SOC Commission as much time as it currently requires. FIDE would like to warmly thank him for the time and passion he put into the Commission during the years he chaired it. The use of chess as a social tool is one of the areas where the work of FIDE has expanded more clearly during the past two years. Part of the credit for this increase in activity already goes to Geir, who joined the SOC Commission in 2020, making a decisive contribution with his vast experience and enthusiasm. In his working life, Geir has been a very successful corporate finance specialist, holding CFO roles for more than 25 years in multinational companies. After returning to Norway, he established himself as an independent consultant. Like so many others, Geir got hooked on chess during the match Fischer – Spassky fifty years ago and has always been connected to chess ever since. As a curiosity, he was the first-ever full-time employee of the Norwegian Chess Federation (NSF) in 1978, before becoming its President in the period 1985-86, and its Secretary-General from 2014 to 2021. He is also a FIDE Arbiter, FIDE Instructor, and has a diploma as FIDE International Organizer. Geir has launched very successful chess in schools and chess for youth programs, and in 2019 he created the “Chess and Society” project, which aims at bringing chess to a number of areas in society. These areas so far include libraries, prisons, the elderly care sector, mental health, substance abuse and asylum seekers (to be launched later in 2022). “FIDE has launched numerous social initiatives during the year 2021. Social projects have become a vital part of our everyday activities and FIDE’s image. All this requires regular and intensive maintenance and development work with partners, society and potential sponsors”, explain Dana Reizniece-Ozola, FIDE’s Managing Director. “A person with Geir’s profile is crucial for structured work and long-term sustainability of the programmes. He is currently a Member of the Commission but also has extensive experience in management, which will be very useful for the successful implementation of our Project. Particularly, for the most challenging ones, like “Chess for Protection” (chess for refugees). You can contact the FIDE Social Commission at socialchess@fide.com
FIDE Ethics imposes a six-month ban on Karjakin
The FIDE Ethics and Disciplinary Commission (EDC) has reached a verdict on the case 2/2022, relating to public statements by grandmasters Sergey Karjakin (FIDE ID 14109603) and Sergei Shipov (FIDE ID 4113624). The EDC First Instance Chamber, formed by Yolander Persaud (Guyana), Ravindra Dongre (India), and Johan Sigeman (Sweden) as Chairperson, unanimously decided as follows: Sergey Karjakin is found guilty of breach of article 2.2.10 of the FIDE Code of Ethics, and is sanctioned to a worldwide ban of six months from participating as a player in any FIDE rated chess competition, taking effect from the date of this decision, 21 March 2022. Sergei Shipov is found not guilty of breach of article 2.2.10 of the FIDE Code of Ethics. The article 2.2.10 of the Code of Ethics reads as follows: “(…) Disciplinary action in accordance with this Code of Ethics will be taken in cases of occurrences which cause the game of chess, FIDE or its federations to appear in an unjustifiable unfavorable light and in this way damage its reputation.” “The statements by Sergey Karjakin on the ongoing military conflict in Ukraine has led to a considerable number of reactions on social media and elsewhere, to a large extent negative towards the opinions expressed by Sergey Karjakin”, reads point 7.37 of the 10-page document where the EDC explains the reasons and legal background for its decision. It continues: “A necessary condition for the establishment of guilt is that the statements have reached the public domain. This concept, with respect to disrepute clauses in sport, is not the world at large but the sport in which the accused engages, such as chess. Information concerning the accused’s conduct which is not published in the media, but which can be learnt without a great deal of labour by persons engaged in the chess world or a relevant part of it, will be in the public domain and satisfy the public exposure element. The EDC Chamber is comfortably satisfied that this condition is fulfilled in this case.” “The EDC Chamber finds, against the background given above, on the standard of comfortable satisfaction that the statements of Sergey Karjakin, which, by his own choice and presentation, can be connected to the game of chess, damage the reputation of the game of chess and/or FIDE. The likelihood that these statements will damage the reputation of Sergey Karjakin personally is also considerable”, it concludes. The Chamber explains its decision to not sanction Sergei Shipov with the following argument: “In comparison with Sergey Karjakin, Sergei Shipov is considerably less known and has, therefore, a less powerful platform. The statements made by Sergei Shipov are also of a slightly different and less provocative character than the ones made by Karjakin. In an overall evaluation of the potential negative impact on the game of chess and/or FIDE, the EDC Chamber is not sufficiently convinced that Sergei Shipov’s statements qualify as a breach of article 2.2.10.” Sergey Karjakin has been advised by EDC that this decision may be appealed to the Appeal Chamber of the EDC by giving written notice of such appeal to the FIDE Secretariat within 21 days from the date upon which this decision is received. The notice of appeal must clearly state all the grounds for the appeal. Failing the due exercise of this right of appeal, the EDC Chamber’s decision will become final. The FIDE Ethics and Disciplinary Commission (EDC) decision on the case 2/2022, relating to public statements by grandmasters Sergey Karjakin (FIDE ID 14109603) and Sergei Shipov (FIDE ID 4113624) (PDF)
Vietnam’s speed chess star races ahead in Charity Cup
Vietnam’s speed chess star Liem Quang Le left World Champion Magnus Carlsen in his wake as he raced into a commanding lead in the Charity Cup today. The former World Blitz Champion, who is now a university chess coach, scored three wins and a draw to stay unbeaten in the event being held as a fundraiser for UNICEF. So far more than $51,000 has been raised as Liem racked up 20/24 points at the half-way point in the Prelim stage. It means Liem, who won an incredible 6/8 games, has all-but booked his place in the Meltwater Champions Chess Tour event’s Knockout. Liem said afterward: “This is amazing. I did not expect this! I think this is my best performance ever on the Tour.” Asked what he’s doing differently this tournament, Liem added: “I think I’m just getting used to it and I don’t have too much stress and I just try to enjoy the games, and I tried to prepare a little bit better a play a bit more practical.” Four points behind in second is the World Champion Magnus Carlsen, who won three and lost his second of the tournament. The Norwegian is looking ominous and will also breeze into the last eight. Indian teen sensation Rameshbabu Praggnanandhaa took another big scalp in the Tour, beating world No.3 Ding Liren in the final round of the day. He ended the day in 6th and faces Carlsen in his first game tomorrow – a re-match of the clash Pragg won in the Airthings Masters. David Navara also had a strong day, taking two wins and two draws – including his Round 6 win over Carlsen. But it could have been even better for the Czech No.1 after a third win in his Round 8 game against Richard Rapport slipped through his fingers to finish in a draw. Navara sits in 10th and has a battle ahead to make the cut while the other top eight spots are occupied by Jan-Krzysztof Duda, the American teen Hans Niemann, Ding, Rapport, Pragg and Jorden Van Foreest. The Prelim stage ends at Round 15 on Tuesday. Eight will progress to the Knockout stage and eight will be eliminated. The event is supported by NEAR Foundation and is being held as a fundraiser for UNICEF. Tune in at 17:00 UTC / 18:00 CET tomorrow for day 3 of the Charity Cup. About the Meltwater Champions Chess Tour The Champions Chess Tour is the leading online chess Tour worldwide determining the world’s best chess player over a full competitive season of online chess. The 2022 season begins in February 2022 and features monthly tournaments culminating in a Final in November 2022. The best chess players in the world are competing in rapid chess. All games take place online on www.chess24.com with players competing for a total prize pool of over USD 1.5 million. For more information visit www.championschesstour.com. About Play Magnus Group Play Magnus Group is a global leader in the chess industry focused on providing premier digital experiences for millions of chess players and students. The company offers e-learning and entertainment services via its market leading brands: chess24, Chessable, iChess, New In Chess, Everyman Chess, Silver Knights, Aimchess, the Play Magnus App Suite, and the Meltwater Champions Chess Tour. The Group’s mission is to grow chess to make the world a smarter place by encouraging more people to play, watch, study, and earn a living from chess. Play Magnus Group is listed on Euronext Growth Oslo under the ticker PMG. www.pmg.me