FIDE World Junior U20 Championship: Registration is open
FIDE and the Mexican Chess Federation, in collaboration with National Sports Commission, Mexican Olympic Committee and Culture Ministry, invite all FIDE Member Federations and eligible players to participate in the FIDE World Junior Chess Championships Under 20 in Mexico City, Mexico The dates of the tournament are from September 20 to October 2, 2023. Photo: Ari Helminen Each National Federation can register one player born on or after January 1, 2003, in each of two categories – Open and Girls, with a maximum of two invited players and send as many additional players as they wish. Players who have personal right, according to FIDE rules, will also be accepted as invited players: Top 3 players of the previous edition of FIDE World Junior Championships. The Continental Junior Champions of the year preceding this edition. If a continent did not hold a continental Junior Championship, then the Continental Under 18 Champions of the year preceding this edition. The first three players in the starting list of both the Open and Girls tournaments, using the current rating list as a reference. World Youth U18 and U16 champions of the year preceding this edition. The deadline of the registration is July 20, 2023. FIDE World Junior Chess Championships 2023 official website will launched on May 16: https://juniorchampionship2023.fide.com Regulations and invitation letter (pdf) E-mail: juniorchampionship2023@fide.com
Global Chess League inks distribution pact with Protocol Sports Marketing
Global Chess League (GCL), a joint venture between Tech Mahindra and FIDE, and key partner Viswanathan Anand (a five-time world chess champion), proudly announces a worldwide distribution deal with Protocol Sports Marketing as the exclusive media rights distributor for GCL. This strategic alliance with Protocol will bring world-class media rights expertise to the innovative new chess league. With over 600,000,000 adult chess players around the world, GCL aims to modernize chess into a thrilling live sports experience with an innovative production plan leveraging next-generation technologies and league format, which will see six joint male-female teams competing in a double round-robin tournament to advance as one of the top two teams to the Global Chess League Finals. Protocol Sports Marketing’s extensive network and proven track record in successfully promoting and distributing media rights for both established and emerging sports properties will bolster GCL’s efforts to revolutionize the chess landscape. The inaugural edition of the Global Chess League is set to take place in Dubai, kicking off on June 21, 2023, and running through July 2. The event will feature ten matches for each franchise team, franchises will be led by legendary icons of the sport, while featuring young and exciting fast-rising stars. A final showdown between the top two teams will crown the first-ever Global Chess League Champions. Chess enthusiasts and sports fans worldwide can anticipate a captivating new team format and production inspired by the biggest sports leagues in the world. With Protocol’s support, the Global Chess League can expect enhanced visibility, broader audience reach, and accelerated growth as it seeks to capture the attention of fans worldwide and establish a strong global broadcast footprint. The distribution deal will ensure that GCL’s live broadcast catalogue is licensed and broadcast by major sports broadcasters and platforms worldwide, further amplifying the league’s impact on the world of chess. Jagdish Mitra, Chairperson of the Global Chess League Board, commented, “We are committed to making GCL accessible to sports fans worldwide, and our partnership with Protocol Sports Marketing is a crucial step in establishing a robust broadcast footprint. With their expertise and vast network, which includes collaboration with prestigious sports rights holders such as Matchroom, Beach Soccer Worldwide, Triton Poker, Golden Boy Promotions, Top Rank, and more, we are confident that GCL will reach new heights, captivating audiences and revolutionizing the way people experience chess.” The FIDE President, Arkady Dvorkovich, expressed his enthusiasm for the collaboration: “We are thrilled to work with Protocol Sports Marketing, a company with a stellar reputation for promoting unique sports properties. Together with Tech Mahindra’s technological prowess and Viswanathan Anand’s invaluable partnership, we are confident that this alliance will elevate the profile of chess and captivate fans with an exciting new format.” Lowell Conn, President of Protocol Sports Marketing, added, “The Global Chess League is a visionary project, and we are honoured to play a role in its international distribution. We look forward to working closely with Tech Mahindra, FIDE, Viswanathan Anand, and GCL to contribute to the growth and popularization of this innovative league.” ABOUT PROTOCOL SPORTS MARKETING LTD. Protocol Sports Marketing Ltd. (www.protocolsports.com) is the global rights distributor, sponsorship agency and sports marketing agent that specializes in developing new and meaningful opportunities for rights holders and sports federations who sanction and/or produce live sports events and sports-related content. The company avoids the big box bubble approach to distribution, preferring instead to provide broadcasters, streaming platforms and rights holders with a personalized approach that prioritizes organic and sustainable exponential growth. For more information, please contact Rebecca Amorim at ramorim@protocolsports.com or +1-416-449-9400 ext. 247.
FIDE Women’s Grand Prix: Show-down in Cyprus
By IM Michael Rahal (Nicosia, Cyprus) The fourth and final event of the 2022-2023 Women’s Grand Prix Series will kick-off tomorrow afternoon in Cyprus. Along with the 15,000 euros first prize, there is much more at stake: the overall winner of the series will take home an extra 20,000 euros and the first two players in the final standings will achieve direct qualification to the 2023-2024 FIDE Women’s Candidates. Located in the eastern Mediterranean Sea, Cyprus is the third-largest and third-most populous island and one of the major tourist destinations in the Mediterranean. The capital Nicosia, with an estimated 115,000 habitants, has established itself as the island’s financial capital and its main international business centre. The event will be held under the auspices of the Cyprus Chess Federation and supported by the Limassol-based Freedom Finance Europe, the European subsidiary of Freedom Holding Corp. The tournament will be played at the Hilton Hotel in Cyprus’ capital, Nicosia. Featuring 12 ballrooms and state-of-the-art technology meeting rooms, totalling 1,800 square meters of space for events, the venue is a very suitable option for both leisure and business visitors. Spectators are welcome to attend and live GM online commentary will also be provided. Photo: hilton.com According to the rules of the series, twelve of the sixteen qualified players participate in each of the four WGP events feature. Due to withdrawals, there have been three replacements in Cyprus: Bella Khotenashvili and Gunay Mammadzada replace Anna and Mariya Muzychuk, while Oliwia Kiolbasa replaces Alina Kashlinskaya. Sorted by rating, the participants are: GM Goryachkina, Aleksandra FID 2571 GM Lagno, Kateryna FID 2558 GM Kosteniuk, Alexandra SUI 2535 GM Tan, Zhongyi CHN 2517 GM Dzagnidze, Nana GEO 2513 GM Dronavalli, Harika IND 2501 IM Shuvalova, Polina FID 2484 GM Khotenashvili, Bella GEO 2478 IM Assaubayeva, Bibisara KAZ 2464 IM Mammadzada, Gunay AZE 2449 IM Kiolbasa, Oliwia POL 2422 WGM Wagner, Dinara GER 2417 After three of the four events, Zhu Jiner currently leads the standings with a total score of 308 points. However, having already played her three events, she will not be scoring in Cyprus. With 160 points for a win in any event, several other players have a good chance catching her and even taking over, winning one of the two coveted spots for the Candidates. Goryachkina, Kosteniuk and Lagno are the three prime candidates to fight for these spots but mathematically even Assaubayeva and Dzagnidze should have an outside chance, based on a perfect performance. The first round is scheduled for tomorrow Tuesday, May 16th at 3 PM. This afternoon a press conference will take place at the venue with the presence of Arkady Dvorkovich (FIDE President), Criton Tornaritis (President of the Cyprus Chess Federation) and Timur Turlov (founder of Freedom Finance). The official opening ceremony will follow and the evening will end with the players and official technical meeting. About Freedom Finance Europe Freedom Finance Europe, a subsidiary of Freedom Holding Corp., is a leading European stockbroker. The company’s Freedom24 web and mobile app investment platform provides traders with direct access to 15 global stock exchanges, including NYSE, Nasdaq, LSE, Euronext and others. Freedom Finance Europe is licensed by Cyprus Securities and Exchange Commission (CySEC) with the right to cater clients from EU and EEA countries. The company is rated “B/B” by S&P Global Ratings. Headquartered in Limassol, the company has tied agents and representative offices in Berlin, Madrid, Paris, Milan, Vienna, Warsaw, and Athens. More information: https://freedomfinance.eu
FIDE World Championships 2024: Call for bids
FIDE Events Commission would like to announce a call for bids for FIDE World Championships 2024. The deadline for bidders is July 14, 2023. There are 10 competitions: World Junior U20 Chess Championships 2024 World Senior Team Chess Championships 2024 World Senior Chess Championships 2024 World Youth U14, U16, U18 Championships 2024 World Amateur Chess Championships 2024 World School Chess Championships 2024 World Cadet & Youth Rapid & Blitz Championships 2024 World Cadet U8, U10, U12 Championships 2024 World U20 Junior Rapid & Blitz Championships 2024 World Schools Team Chess Championship 2024 Dear bidders, please pay attention: FIDE Events Commission has changed its approach to processing bidding applications. From now on, it is stricter and more formalized. More details about the procedure, including the Bidding Federations Responsibility, Bid Form and Bid Form Annex, Bid and Deposit Fees can be found HERE