FIDE – ISF World School Teams Chess Cup 2023 announced
FIDE, ISF (the International School Sport Federation) and World Chess are proud to announce the FIDE – ISF World School Teams Online Chess Cup 2023, taking place in March 2023. This exciting event provides a platform for schools from FIDE and ISF member countries, as well as students from around the world*, to connect with chess enthusiasts from across the globe and showcase their skills in an official international chess tournament. With chess in schools becoming increasingly important, organizers of the FIDE – ISF World School Teams Online Chess Cup 2023 are eager to support this initiative to integrate chess into the school educational system. “Chess is a unique game – both extremely sportive and educational. We are excited to organize the Online Schools Chess Championship together with ISF. It is a great event that we hope will create a competitive mood but also motivate the school leaders to engage their students in further training and learning,” says FIDE President Arkady Dvorkovich. The tournament will feature two age categories, U15 and U18, with an expected 200 teams from around the world participating. Each school team must consist of 4 to 7 full-time students from the same school. The winners and medalists will be rewarded with exclusive team training sessions with world-famous grandmasters, chessboards signed by the GMs, subscriptions for the World Chess Masterclasses program, and FIDE Online Arena premium membership packages. The tournament will be held online on the FIDE Online Arena, with the final stage broadcast live on World Chess and FIDE’s YouTube channels. The program of the FIDE – ISF World School Championship Online Chess Cup 2023: March 18 2023: Qualification tournament 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011 and 2012 – Teams March 19 2023: Qualification tournament 2005, 2006 and 2007 – Teams March 25 2023: Final tournament 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011 and 2012 – Teams March 26 2023: Final tournament 2005, 2006 and 2007 – Teams The tournament registration will begin on February 06 and be open until March 11, 2023, at isf.fide.com The Bulletin for the FIDE – ISF World School Teams Online Chess Cup 2023 can be found here:wctour-images.worldchess.com/files/Bulletin_v2.pdf?_ga=2.36026080.1730883558.1675861644-801562242.1640172432 * Except for schools from Russia and Belarus. About International School Sport Federation (ISF) Founded in 1972, the International School Sport Federation (ISF) is an international non-profit sport organization, acting as the umbrella organization and governing body for national school sport organizations around the world, organizing sport, and educational events for youth from 6 to 18 years old. Recognized by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) since 1995, the ISF currently consists of 132 members all over the five continents organizing over ten events per year and has more than 30 different sports included in its competition, key vision of ISF , A world where sport and education provide opportunities for all students to empower themselves and to become active citizens and to foster healthier communities. For more information visit ISF website: https://www.isfsports.org In September 2021, FIDE and ISF signed a memorandum of understanding to ensure the development and promotion of chess through school sport. The document signed within the framework of the School Sport Forum held in Serbia encourages and supports the education of youth through chess sport and culture, contributes to the social and intellectual development of youngsters, and promotes chess sport and chess in education on a local and international level. About FIDE The International Chess Federation (FIDE) is the governing body of the sport of chess, and it regulates all international chess competitions. Constituted as a non-governmental institution, it was recognized by the International Olympic Committee as a Global Sporting Organization in 1999. FIDE currently has its headquarters in Lausanne, but it was initially founded in 1924 in Paris under the motto “Gens una Sumus” (Latin for “We are one Family”). It was one of the very first International Sports Federations, alongside the governing bodies of the sports of Football, Cricket, Swimming, and Auto Racing. It is now one of the largest, encompassing 199 countries as affiliate members in the form of National Chess Federations. Chess is nowadays a truly global sport, with dozens of millions of players on all the continents and more than 60 million games on average played every day. About World Chess World Chess is a London-based chess gaming and entertainment company and FIDE’s official commercial partner. World Chess organized the FIDE Championship Matches in 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.
FIDE distributes €30,000 among chess veterans
After carefully considering the numerous applications received, the special panel appointed by the FIDE Council decided that these will be the twelve chess players, coaches, and promoters to benefit from the first instalment of FIDE’s support to chess veterans in 2023: Yochanan Afek (Israel)Igor Yarmonov (Ukraine)Jesús Nogueiras (Cuba)Valeri Beim (Austria)Elmira Aliyeva (Azerbaijan)Irina Chelushkina (Serbia)Nukhim Rashkovsky (Russia)Luben Spasov (Bulgaria)Vladimir Egin (Uzbekistan)Tamara Vilerte (Latvia)Carlos Magno Camaton Borbor (Ecuador)Giorgi Menabde (Georgia) A total of €30,000 will be distributed among them, each receiving €2,500. As we did on previous occasions, we would pay tribute to these illustrious veterans with a few words about each one of them, summarizing their careers and achievements. Yochanan Afek (Israel) Born (in 1952) and raised in Tel Aviv, Israel, IM Yochanan Afek has had a long and versatile chess career. As a player, he took part in countless open tournaments in Israel and all over Europe and played for teams in six countries. He achieved his best result in Paris in 2002, showing a performance of 2680. Photo: Frans Peeters As a trainer, he has worked with individuals and teams at various levels and age groups for over fifty years. From 1987-1997 he served as the trainer of the Israeli national junior team, accompanying Israeli youth players to the World and European championships. A talented organizer, he was a full-time director of the Tel-Aviv municipal chess club from 1984-1990. Back in 1987, Yochanan founded the Tel-Aviv International festival and ran ten of its most successful editions as well as many other chess events also on behalf of the Israel Chess Federation. He has been an International Arbiter since 1988. For many years Yochanan Afek was the editor of the weekly chess column in two Israeli daily newspapers, “Maariv” and “Äl Hamishmar”. As a journalist, he has covered national and International major chess events for several European magazines and written hundreds of articles on various chess topics in the English monthly CHESS, the German Schach, the endgame quarterly EG, Chess Informant and others. Yochanan authored and co-authored 12 books, including “Invisible Chess Moves” (New in Chess Book of the year 2011), “Extreme Chess Tactics” (Gambit 2017), “Practical Chess Beauty” (Quality Chess 2018 short list of book of the year), “Anthology of Miniature Endgame Studies” (Chess Informant 2022). As a problemist, he has composed hundreds of chess problems in various genres, notably endgame studies and won more than 100 prizes. As a member of the Israeli solving team, he won silver and bronze in 1977 and 1978. In 2015, he was awarded the title of Grandmaster of Chess Compositions. I am also International Judge for endgame studies. Since 2003 Afek has been serving as the editor of the Studies section in the leading British magazine “The Problemist”. Igor Yarmonov (Ukraine) IM and FIDE Master in chess composition Igor Yarmonov was born in 1967. A lifelong disabled person, Igor won five World Championships for people with disabilities. Yarmonov is also a well-known chess problemist. His first chess problem was published in 1982. Since then, he has been among the prize winners of the Ukraine Championships in composition. In total, about 250 compositions authored by Yarmonov with different genres are published. Photo: Inna Lazareva/Times of Israel In late 2022 Yarmonov and his wife fled from besieged Mariupol and sought refuge in Israel where he currently resides. Valeri Beim (Austria) Valeri Bein was born in Odessa, a city known for its rich chess tradition. Under the guidance of well-known specialist Samul Kotlernman, he quickly progressed and became a master after tying for second place in the Ukrainian championship (1972). Beim relatively early switched to coaching in his native city and started working with young people. Beim’s chess career got a real boost after he immigrated to Israel. He quickly completed the necessary IM norm and then booked his place in the Israeli team at Chess Olympiad in Novi-Sad (1990). In the early 1990s, Valeri stringed together several good results in international competitions and became a grandmaster. In 1994 he won a tournament in Budapest (1994) and tied for first place with Zoltan Almasш in Linz three years later. Photo: Winfried Wadsack After moving to Austria, he returned to coaching and worked with many young local players. A prolific author, he penned several popular books, including How to Play Dynamic Chess, How to Calculate Chess Tactics, Chess Recipes from the Grandmaster’s Kitchen, Understanding the Leningrad Dutch, and many others. Carlos Magno Camaton Borbor (Ecuador) Born in 1953, FM Carlos Camaton has had a long career as a chess player, coach and organizer. A many-time champion of his native province Guayas (the largest in Eсuador), Carlos played for his country at the XXI Chess Olympiad in Nice (1974) and the World Student Team Championships in 1974 and 1977. For over fifty years, Carlos has been relentlessly teaching and popularizing chess in Ecuador, training junior chess teams and organizing various events, including the massive Malecón 2000 Guayaquil – Ecuador (1250 boards) and the First Chess Festival. Jesús Nogueiras (Cuba) Born in 1959 in Santa Clara, Cuba, Jesús Nogueiras made a name for himself at the World Student Championship (1977), where he helped his national team to win bronze. Two years later, he became GM following his strong showing in Kecskemet (1979). In 1985 Jesus Nogueiras became the first Cuban participant of the Candidates after finishing second at the Interzonal in Taxco, ahead of Tal, Romanisin, Balashov, Brown and Speelman. Five-time Cuban champion Jesus participated in 14 Chess Olympiads (1980—2008) as a national team member, playing on the first board seven times. Photo: https://ajedreznoticias.com/ His major tournament victories include the Capablanca Memorial in 1984 and the Torre Memorial in 1997. Currently, FIDE Senior Trainer Jesus Nogueiras work with young Cuban players. Elmira Aliyeva (Azerbaijan) Born in 1954, Elmira Aliyeva became the first-ever Azerbaijani woman to earn the Master title. The 13-time national champion, she played for the Azerbaijani team in numerous Chess Olympiads and European Championships. Her prolific playing and coaching career has stretched over fifty years.
WGP Munich: Six draws in Round 6
By IM Michael Rahal (Munich, Germany) The president of the International Chess Federation, Arkady Dvorkovich, visited the women’s Gran Prix this afternoon and performed the ceremonial first move on the Zhu Jiner-Nana Dzagnidze board. Interviewed before the round by FIDE Press Officer for the event, IM Michael Rahal, Dvorkovich said he was very happy to be back in Munich for such an exciting tournament. “Compared to the Open section, there are not so many tournaments for women. That’s why we decided to keep the Grand Prix series, to provide more opportunities for ladies to compete directly and have a chance to qualify for the Candidates Tournament. In a short interview, Dvorkovich also answered questions about the tragic situation in Turkey, gave his opinion on the latest debate regarding the decline of classical chess, and explained the reason why he couldn’t play tournament chess. Enjoy the full interview here. GM Paehtz, Elisabeth vs GM Muzychuk, Mariya (0.5—0.5) According to my database, Paehtz and Mariya Muzychuk had faced each other twenty-one times with a perfect 7-7-7 record – seven wins a piece and seven draws, a very even-matched pairing. It was no surprise, therefore, that this was the first game to finish in a draw after just under one and a half hours of playing time. In a Four-Knights opening, Muzychuk went for a theoretical pawn grab in the opening, which the engine (and several top-level games) suggest is completely equal due to active compensation. After further simplifications, a draw was agreed on move 30 after a threefold repetition. Both players had a lot of time still on their clocks, pinpointing that they had prepared the opening very well. IM Kashlinskaya, Alina vs GM Muzychuk, Anna (0.5-0.5) In previous encounters, Anna Muzychuk had outscored Alina Kashlinskaya by a tiny margin: four wins against two with a few draws. In fact, their most recent game, in the 2022 Women’s European Team Championship, also ended in a draw. For today’s game, Muzychuk chose a symmetrical variation of the Queen’s Gambit Accepted. Going into the middlegame, she achieved a very pleasant position in which her pair of strong centre knights outweighed the potential strength of Kashlinskaya’s pair of bishops. With not much to play for, a draw was agreed on move thirty-one. GM Kosteniuk, Alexandra vs GM Abdumalik, Zhansaya (0.5-0.5) To date, Kosteniuk had a hugely favourable score against Abdumalik, a ten-three result with only one draw. It is a surprising statistic that only shows the fighting spirit these two players bring to the board. Against Abdumalik’s Caro-Kan, Kosteniuk went for the dangerous 4.g4 Bayonet Attack, followed by the interesting 7.e6 pawn sacrifice, which, from the outside, seemed to catch her opponent by surprise. “I decided to play the Caro-Kan today, for the second or third time in classical chess, and she surprised me with the g4 move, as she usually plays other lines,” explained Zhansaya Abdumalik, who was kind enough to pop into the press centre for a quick chat. Kosteniuk might have blundered on move nine – the engine suggests 9…Qg3+ to be good for Black – but in any case, the position remained very complex, with both kings under severe attacks. Understanding the dangerous nature of the position, Kosteniuk opted to exchange queens and transition into an approximately equal endgame. “For me, it’s nice to play new openings, interesting positions. I’m not playing too well in this tournament, so I have nothing to lose,” were Abdumalik’s final words. GM Tan, Zhongyi vs GM Harika, Dronavalli (0.5-0.5) Having played 38 games to date, with a score of 13 wins for Tan Zhongyi and 11 for Harika with 14 draws, this match-up proved to be equal. Harika went for the Tarrasch Defence in the Queen’s Gambit Declined, an interesting option against the solid Chinese representative. The former Women’s World Champion decided to spice things up following a recent 2022 game between Aronian and Carlsen. However, very well-prepared, Harika simplified into an ending in which she had a slight edge due to a slightly better pawn structure, but apparently not enough to win. After the game, Harika came to the press centre to check for improvements with the journalists there, but no obvious way to secure an advantage was found. WGM Wagner, Dinara vs GM Koneru, Humpy (0.5-0.5) Contrary to most of her games in the first half of the tournament, Wagner’s opening preparation for today’s game was top-notch. Not only did she obtain a very nice opening advantage with the novelty 12.g4, but she was also significantly ahead of her opponent on the clock. Although Humpy Koneru did spend a lot of time figuring out the best equalising sequence, she proved successful in the endeavour in her first-ever game against Wagner. After twenty moves, the engine was already suggesting full equality for Black, and the amount of time left over on the clock was similar. However, in an attempt to exchange queens, Humpy damaged her pawn structure. Even so, the limited amount of material suggested that a draw was the most likely outcome. WGM Zhu, Jiner vs GM Dzagnidze, Nana (0.5-0.5) Zhu Jiner went for the popular Advance Variation against the Caro-Kan, but Dzagnidze immediately returned the surprise by playing the trending 3…c5 thrust. A few moves later, the former World U14 Girls Champion sacrificed a pawn for the initiative. Dzagnidze defended with great precision, and around move twenty, there didn’t seem to be much compensation for the pawn: in fact, after subsequent exchanges, it became clear that only Black had realistic chances of winning. In addition, Zhu Jiner only had about three minutes left with more than fifteen moves to go. However, although Dzagnidze was pressing, Zhu Jiner defended accurately and took home the half-point. In her post-game interview, Zhu Jiner said, “I analysed this pawn sacrifice some time ago, but I forgot some of the details”. The seventh round will be played on Thursday, February 9th, at 3 PM at the Kempinski Hotel venue. The games can be followed live with commentary