Lagno overcomes Koneru to reach semifinals
GM Kateryna Lagno prevailed over GM Humpy Koneru in their quarterfinal match and became the first semifinalist of the FIDE Chess.com 2022 Women’s Speed Chess Championship. Koneru took a great start and convincingly won the 5+1 segment 5-3. However, Lagno pulled herself together, fought back in the 3+1 portion and overtook the lead. It all came down to the wire with just three minutes to go on the match clock. Trailing by two points, Koneru needed to win quickly to get a chance to level the score with one more victory. Humpy reached a winning position, but Kateryna managed to stretch the game long enough and sealed the match after her opponent blundered a checkmate. Lagno talked about some critical moments of the match in a quick interview: “In the 5+1, I couldn’t get anything with White, and I was struggling with Black, and I was minus two. But then she blundered the rook in this ending when I was two pawns down … I got very lucky. Somehow I could breathe a little bit … During the break, I checked some lines, just to know a few moves, not to lose immediately with Black. Then I had the feeling that she mixed up the moves in Petroff. I checked it, and then I won my first game without any fight.” The next quarterfinals match, GM Harika Dronavalli vs IM Vaishali R, begins on Thursday, July 21, at 6:30 a.m. Pacific / 15:30 Central European. To follow the FIDE Chess.com Women’s Speed Chess Championship, watch a live broadcast of the event with expert commentary on Chess.com/TV and Chess.com Twitch Channel. More info and a full schedule of the FIDE Chess.com Women’s Speed Chess Championship can be found here.
International Chess Day 2022
Dear member federations, Very soon, on July 20th, we will celebrate International Chess Day. As you probably know, this also marks FIDE’s 98th anniversary. Like in previous years, we would like to invite you to celebrate and join us in our campaign, encouraging other members of the chess community to spend this day teaching someone how to play chess. This is not only one of the most effective ways to grow the game, but it also helps to create strong bonds between members of a family, a neighbourhood, or at school. This is probably why this initiative received a very warm welcome in 2020 and 2021, and FIDE is determined now to turn it into a permanent tradition. You could teach a kid how to play, as it would be easier and more rewarding for you both! But it can also be a grown-up since learning chess has beneficial effects at any age. To align with the Year of the Woman in Chess, we particularly encourage you to teach a girl how to play chess. Either way, choose someone close to you. You can change somebody’s life by teaching him/her a beautiful game, but you will also be spending some quality time and creating or reinforcing a special bond with that person. If your children already play, maybe you can invite your nephew or your son’s best friend. Maybe you can finally teach your boyfriend how to play or your high-school best mate. Or you could propose this as an after-work activity with your colleagues at the office. Please share this call to action with your regional federations and chess clubs, and encourage them to share their experience on social media using the hashtag #InternationalChessDay, so their actions can inspire others. If you have any doubts or suggestions, or you think you can contribute to this campaign in some other way, please don’t hesitate to contact us at socialmedia@fide.com. Best regards, David Llada Chief Marketing and Communications Officer
Statement by FIDE President on Magnus Carlsen’s announcement
Dear members of the media: Earlier today, the World Chess Champion Magnus Carlsen confirmed in a public statement his intentions to not defend his title in 2023. While he has not officially withdrawn yet, as he has not been sent the contract for the match and a deadline has not been formally set, at FIDE we understand his decision is final. In view of that, FIDE President Arkady Dvorkovich has issued the following statement: “Magnus Carlsen deserves nothing but respect from FIDE, and from the whole chess community, in whatever decision he makes regarding his career. Only a handful of people in history can understand and assess the tremendous toll that it takes playing five matches for the title. Many other great champions, in other sports, have experienced something similar: with the passing of the years, it is more difficult to find the motivation to train and compete at the highest level, while the reward for the victory never feels as intense as the first day. We had hoped that after some deserved rest, Magnus would look at this differently. Sports legends like him always strive for goals and records. He is still young and could possibly have added more classical titles to his already outstanding career, as he will surely try in the Rapid and Blitz modalities, which he favours. Since he first expressed his doubts publicly, FIDE has been open to dialogue and to consider specific proposals to change the format of the World Championship. Some of these ideas were discussed in May with Carlsen and other top players, and in Madrid, we had a meeting where all the concerns were discussed openly and in detail. Alas, it did not change his mind. His decision not to defend his title is undoubtedly a disappointment for the fans, and bad news for the spectacle. It leaves a big void. But chess is now stronger than ever —in part, thanks to Magnus— and the World Championship Match, one of the longest and most respected traditions in the world of sports, will go on. FIDE President Arkady DvorkovichLaussane,2022-07-20