FIDE World School Championship crosses halfway mark
Day 5 of FIDE World School Championship started with the National arbiters’ seminar, presented by Lecturer IA professor Tania Karalis and Assistant Lecturer IA Michalis Keramiotis. Mr. Panagiotis Nikolopoulos, chief arbiter of the World School Championships, welcomed the participants of the seminar and explained how important and necessary the arbiter’s role is in chess. After Round 5, four players still have a perfect score 5 out of 5. See, in detail, all the contenders for 1st place by age group. U07: Elliot McCallum first with 5 in 5.U09: First Thetas Rithmitha Kiringoda with 5 out of 5.U11: Four-way tie with 4.5 out of 4 Baver Yilmaz, Danis Kuandykuly, Vlad Petroff and Philippos Oikonomopoulos with 4.5 out of 5. U13: First with 5 out of 5 is Uygar Durucay.U15: First and with an excellent performance (Performance: 2358!) with 4.5 out of 5 is Inayat Bolat.U17: First with 4.5 out of 5 is FM Adar Tarhan.G07: First with 4.5 out of 5 is Tsogtgerel Gerelt-Oyu.G09: First with 5 out of 5 Alanna Berikkyzy.G11: Daliya Diaskyzy and Batpelden Buyankhishig are tied for 1st place with 4.5 out of 5.G13: Evangelia Siskou and Liennys Ferrer Naranjo are tied for 1st place with 4.5 out of 5.G15: First with 4.5 out of 5 is Davaademberel Nandin – Erdene.G17: WIM Amina Kairbekova and WFM Zeynep Ciftci are tied for 1st place with 4.5 out of 5. Round 5 produced many interesting and instructive games. A very nice smothered checkmate was put up by Garg Hriday against Rares Foral in the under 7 category.Another classic checkmate idea – cooperation of Knight and Rook (Hook Mate) was nicely executed by Edward Jackson against Kiril Kostov As for the Greek results, Filippos Oikonomopoulos (U11) and Evangelia Siskou (U13) are tied for first place with 4.5 out of 5. Grigoris Tamiolakis (U09) also remains undefeated – tying for 3rd place in his category – with 4 out of 5, while in the first 10 places are Dimitris Papaioannou (U15 – 7th), Nikolas Poupalos (U15-10th), Marianda Lambou (G11 – 9th) with 3.5 out of 5 and Katerina Argyro Goutzouki (U15 – 7th) with 3 out of 5. The top five boards in each category are broadcast on chess24.com and chess.com. News and photo materials can be found or downloaded from the official pages of the Rhodes Chess Club “Ippotis”, on the website wscc2023.ippotis.com , on Facebook @cc.ippotis, on Instagram @rhodes_chess_events & on Youtube @rhodes_chess_events The championship is a joint event of the Rhodes Chess Club “Ippotis” with the South Aegean Region and the Municipality of Rhodes through the Municipal Organization of Culture and Sports (DOPAR) under the auspices of the World Chess Federation (FIDE) and the Hellenic Chess Federation (ESO). The organizers express gratitude to the sponsors of the event. To facilitate transportation, Mr. Nikos Xenakis (Xenakis Cars) as the sponsor of electric mobility, provided 3 modern cars (electric–hybrid) covering the needs for the transportation of the organization’s executives. Beekeeping of Dodecanese, J&D Rent a Car, Rodos Palace Hotel, Radio Taxi Diagoras, Accounting Office of Papadimitriou and Associates (Papadimitriou Panagiotis), AtHolidays, Cafe Auvergne & Restaurant Romaio, Tropaion, Odeon of Dodecanese. Communication Sponsor: Eleftheros Typos Official website: wscc2023.ippotis.com/ Text and photos: Official website
World Solving Cup 2022/2023: Female touch in Riga
Laura Rogule left all Latvian men behind; Martynas Limontas extends the lead in the World Solving Cup Latvia is a country with a high percentage of women in top management and other important positions. In the world of chess, Latvian ladies are represented on the highest level by Dana Reizniece-Ozola, the Deputy Chair of FIDE Management Board. At the same time, another prominent Latvian lady has become a star of the World Federation for Chess Composition. Soon after her first steps in composing (2011), Julia Vysotska (Jūlija Visocka) quickly extended her activities in chess composition, first as the creator and editor of the highly popular website Julia’s Fairies (2012) and then as the Administrator of the WFCC website. Since 2016 she’s been directing the Youth Chess Composing Challenge, and later serving as the Latvian delegate and member of the WFCC Youth Committee. With all those duties, in 2021, Julia managed to become the first-ever woman with the title of the FIDE Master for Chess Compositions. Julia Vysotska directs the 4th Youth Chess Composing Challenge As the President of the Latvian Chess Problem Society, she’s been arranging lessons in chess composition for juniors and organizing all domestic solving competitions. To raise the bar even higher, she hosted and organized two European Chess Solving Championships in Riga back in 2017 and 2022. So, the Open Solving Championship of Latvia, the 5th leg of the World Solving Cup 2022/23, held this month, was just another evidence of her devotion to chess composition. Latvian solving events are more than just competitions. They combine the beauty of chess art in the fittingly decorated ambient, with perfect conditions and a friendly atmosphere. This year’s edition, held in the heart of Art Nouveau district, in the Neo-Gothic building of the 4-star Monika Centrum Hotels in Riga, was no exception. Artistic surrounding for the chess art: solving in the heart of Art Nouveau district in Riga The selection of problems made by Antons Gajevskis, the most experienced Latvian solving judge, also had a female touch. Five out of the 14 problems to be solved in four hours (two rounds of two hours each) were composed by women. Both two-movers were by Odette Vollenweider (1933-2021), the famous Swiss chess composer, writer and editor. The next one is very characteristic of Odette’s style: a surprising key move introduces attractive variations and intense tactics: 1 Mate in 2 moves For many years Odette remained anonymous in the men’s world, using the pseudonym Gabriel Baumgartner. That’s how she signed the problem above and her first book Faszinierendes Schachproblem (1963). At the time of revealing her identity, she became a Swiss delegate in the WFCC and the editor of the chess problem section of the “Neue Zürcher Zeitung”. During the three decades of her caring and passionate editing, the NZZ column became famous. In 2017 she was granted the title of Honorary Master of Chess Composition. One of the three-movers to be solved in Riga was authored by the Ukrainian chess composer Nadya (Nadezhda) Leontyeva (1928-2012). Nadya was born without both hands in the village of Andriyashivka, Sumi region, and lived most of her life in Rivne. She started composing in 1962, producing around 220 problems and endgames, mostly three-movers. In 1973 she earned the title of Candidate Master in chess composition and left a mark in the theory of #3 with the “Rivne theme”. Her three-mover presents two harmonious pairs of quiet moves by White after mutual obstructions by black pieces, completely solved only by four participants: 2 Mate in 3 moves The Riga selection also included a selfmate in two moves by Edith Baird (1859 – 1924). Mrs Baird (née Winter-Wood), was the most prolific chess composer in the world of her day, with over 2000 problems to her credit. She published two books with selected compositions and was sometimes referred to in the press as the “Queen of Chess”. Her daughter Lilian Edith also became a chess composer. Finally, one of the two fairy problems (the trademarks of the Latvian Open Championships since 2018) was by the main organizer Julia Vysotska, specially composed for this event. It proved to be the most difficult of all 14 problems and was completely solved only by the overall winner of the Open section. The outcome of the 49th Latvian Solving Championship deserves special attention, as perfectly fitting to the overall female contribution in Riga. It was the Woman Grandmaster Laura Rogule who left all the Latvian men behind, and it was no surprise at all. Laura Rogule in action Latvia is probably the only country where a woman leads the overall rating list in any chess branch. The 12 times chess champion of Latvia for women is among the top 4 women in the World’s Solving List, and now she has won her second domestic solving title ahead of men. Her main rivals were the winners of the previous two domestic championships. The silver medal went to the 17-years old rising talent Emīls Tabors, the defending champion, and the winner from 2021 Emīls Miķelis Miķelsons ended in third place, closely followed by the ex-champion Rāviņš Modris. Laura Rogule is not only a great champion, but she is also a skilled trainer, first in chess and then in chess composition, too. This time she prepared her daughter Lauma Mieriņa for the junior solving competition held at the same time. In her first appearance, 11-years old Lauma won the bronze medal, not so far behind the winner Mihails Pučinskis and runner-up, Mihails Šalašovs, both one year older than her. The boys should soon beware of a strong rival coming. The event bridged the generational and historical gaps. It was nice to see the oldest participant Ēriks Priednieks (84), who won the silver medal in the 1st Latvian Chess Solving Championship in 1972 and was 12 times among the medallists. Ēriks Priednieks (84) won silver medal in the 1st Latvian Chess Solving Championship (1972) Back to the international event, the Open Solving Championship of Latvia was convincingly won by Martynas Limontas, with the maximal result of 70 points. The Solving Grandmaster from Lithuania has extended his lead in the World Solving Cup Standings 2022-23, and the 2nd
Global Chess League unveils its official logo
New Delhi, 19th April 2023: Global Chess League (GCL), a joint venture by FIDE and Tech Mahindra, today unveiled its official logo, which resembles a chess board with 64 squares. The logo has been strategically launched 64 days before the inauguration of the first-ever GCL, a number that is well-known in the chess world. GCL is the world’s largest and first-ever league-styled chess tournament set to take place from June 21st, 2023, to July 2nd, 2023. The first edition of GCL will feature six teams with six players each, including a minimum of two female players and one icon player per team. Viswanathan Anand, five-time world chess champion and Mentor, GCL, said, “As we inch closer to the start of the tournament, we are seeing all our plans come to fruition. The GCL logo is a reflection of the vision that we have for the tournament. We hope the fans will like the concept and theme we created here. The primary objective of GCL is to promote the sport of chess globally and make it visually attractive for the masses.” Each team will compete in 10 matches in the rapid format across all six boards in the tournament. Sutovsky Emil, CEO, FIDE, said, “GCL aims to change how chess is played, viewed and visualized globally. We are only a few weeks away from the inaugural season, and we are happy to launch the official logo of the league. FIDE looks forward to an exciting debut of the GCL in June 2023.” The top two teams after the round-robin format will progress to the final on July 2, 2023, and the winning team will be crowned the World Champion Franchise Team. Jagdish Mitra, Chairperson, Global Chess League Board, said, “As we gear up for the first edition of GCL, we are excited to launch the official brand identity, which has been created after a great degree of consideration and collaboration. The GCL brand identity, uniquely crafted and designed from the 64 Squares of chess, forms into a regal King piece representing the highest level in chess. The GCL brand has been designed for the digital space to support and elevate the incredible chess game full of mastery, judgement, and time pressure. We believe, GCL represents a new beginning in chess, and the carefully designed brand identity representing chess in its majestic glory is the first step in that direction.” The league will also set the standards for technological innovations in chess as FIDE and Tech Mahindra are exploring innovative ways to promote the game through interactive technology-enabled platforms by leveraging next-generation technologies such as 5G, artificial intelligence, and virtual reality, among others. About Tech Mahindra Global Chess League The Global Chess League is the world’s first and largest official franchise league of its kind, with chess players from all over the world competing in a unique joint team format. It is a joint venture between FIDE and Tech Mahindra, a part of the Mahindra Group. GCL will feature male and female chess champions competing in the same team. Playing on the popular Rapid format, the league’s joint male-female teams will have the rare distinction of being a unique multiplayer team in the world of professional sports. In addition, the League will be the first ever Live televised chess event of its kind that will help offer fans a unique viewing experience. FIDE and Tech Mahindra will explore innovative ways to promote the game through interactive technology-enabled platforms by leveraging next-generation technologies such as 5G, artificial intelligence, and virtual reality, among others. The first edition of the Global Chess League (GCL) will begin on June 21, 2023, and end on July 2, 2023. In the first season, ten round-robin matches will be played among six teams competing (six players in each team), followed by a final match between the top two teams. For more information on Tech Mahindra Global Chess League, please contact: Abhilasha Gupta, Global Corporate Communications and Public Affairs Email: Abhilasha.Gupta@TechMahindra.com; media.relations@techmahindra.com