2023 GCT Superbet Rapid & Blitz Poland: Day 2 Recap
Wesley So and Jan-Krzysztof Duda continued to lead the 2023 Superbet Rapid & Blitz after a hard-fought day resulted in 12 out of a total 15 games drawn. With three games left to play in the rapid portion, So and Duda are in first with 9.0/12 points, while Levon Aronian is in clear third with 8.0/12. Meanwhile a rusty Carlsen fared slightly better in today’s action, drawing all three of his games but without ever being worse. RAPID | ROUNDS 4-6 Surprisingly, all five games in the first round of the day were drawn, with Carlsen pushing MVL all the way in a two knights vs. pawn endgame but never managing to win. Perhaps the wildest game of the day was the encounter between Rapport and Duda, which featured some wild complications arising out of a Vienna Game that ultimately ended in a perpetual check: After 13…Qf1! both kings were in danger, with Rapport soon needing to give a perpetual. Carlsen looked in better form today, but has yet to win a game. | Photo courtesy of Grand Chess Tour, Lennart Ootes The fifth round was the only one with decisive results, as first Duda took advantage of a late-middlegame blunder by Wojtaszek which allowed him to transition into a winning queen ending: Wojtaszek’s 38…gxh4?? lost the game on the spot after 39.Qf4+!+-, with an easily winning bishop vs. knight endgame. Duda continued his excellent form during Day 2 | Photo courtesy of Grand Chess Tour, Lennart Ootes So kept pace, defeating Shevchenko after spotting a nice tactical resource to win a piece: The clever 47.Re1! ended the game on the spot after 47…Bc5 48.Re8+ Kh7 48.Ne4+-, winning a piece Picking up his first win was Deac, who exploited a serious blunder by Giri to win a pawn in the endgame, after which he duly converted. Deac has struggled so far but finally managed to score his first win. | Photo courtesy of Grand Chess Tour, Lennart Ootes Meanwhile Carlsen faced a c3-Sicilian from Aronian and executed an interesting positional exchange sacrifice, leaving him with two pawns and an unopposed bishop for the rook. But as the pieces got traded off neither side could make much progress and a repetition was eventually found. Two wins and four draws for Aronian, who remains just a point behind the leaders. | Photo courtesy of Grand Chess Tour, Bryan Adams The final round of the day again saw all draws, as in the battle of the leaders So missed a big chance against Duda which would have given him a clear lead, instead allowing a perpetual: Here Duda found 43…Ne3+!, forcing a draw by perpetual check. Still win-less, Carlsen started with 1.b3 against Giri and in the middlegame went for another positional exchange sacrifice. But he missed his only chance to get a clear advantage (34.d5), allowing Giri to eventually hold on with precise defense. The 2023 Superbet Rapid & Blitz continues Tuesday, May 23, with tournament action live starting at 7:05 AM CT with Grandmaster commentators Yasser Seirawan, Var Akobian, Cristian Chirila and International Master Nazi Paikidze on grandchesstour.org and on the Saint Louis Chess Club’s YouTube and Twitch.tv channels. Text: IM Kostya Kavutskiy Photos: Courtesy of Grand Chess Tour and Spectrum Studios Credits available on Flickr. Further Information:Web: GrandChessTour.org | Twitter: @GrandChessTourInstagram: @GrandChessTour | Facebook: @GrandChessTour#GrandChessTour#SuperbetRapidBlitzPoland Venue: Museum of the History of Polish Jews in Warsaw, PolandMay 21 – May 25, 2023 Press Contact:press@grandchesstour.org Livestream:GrandChessTour.org
Unprecedented Showdown: Ding Liren, Magnus Carlsen, Viswanathan Anand and Hou Yifan join GCL
The inaugural edition of Tech Mahindra Global Chess League will make history, featuring numerous chess icons that include a total of thirteen players who have been World Champions in different categories from 14 different countries. India/US/UK – 23rd May, 2023: Global Chess League (GCL), a joint venture between Tech Mahindra and FIDE, today announced the complete list of players for the upcoming inaugural edition. The first season of the Global Chess League will be held at the Dubai Chess & Culture Club from June 21st – July 2nd, 2023, in association with the Dubai Sports Council. It will feature reigning World Chess Champion Ding Liren, world’s top ranked chess player and five-time World Champion Magnus Carlsen, five-time World Champion Viswanathan Anand, and four-time Women’s World champion Hou Yifan, among others. Grandmaster Liren said, “Global Chess League appeared to be a fantastic opportunity from the moment I heard about it, and I was eager to participate. Not only is it an interesting format, but also, as an ICON player, I get to contribute to an exciting concept that will change the face of the chess world for years to come. Further, knowing that GCL will see participation from players worldwide, it will be a strong field, and I look forward to meeting all the players.” Carlsen is the world’s top-ranked chess player. A five-time World Chess Champion, and the reigning four-time World Rapid Chess Champion, Carlsen’s peak FIDE rating has been the highest in chess history. Speaking about his association with the league, the world’s top-ranked chess player Grandmaster Magnus Carlsen, said, “The Global Chess League will be a great new event in over-the-board chess that has never been done before. I am excited to be a part of this unique mixed-team format. Chess is played by many people worldwide, but it needs to catch up to other major sports as a spectator sport, and I am optimistic that GCL will contribute significantly to this. I look forward to meeting the team, competing against India’s exciting new generation of players, and enjoying the league’s team spirit.” All teams will compete in a one-of-a-kind joint team format at GCL, with each team consisting of six players a minimum of two women chess players per team. To add to the thrilling level of competition, five more World Champions will be competing in the Global Chess League, including reigning World Chess Champion Ding Liren, 2021 World Rapid Chess Champion Nodirbek Abdusattorov, 2021 World Blitz Chess Champion Maxime Vachier-Lagrave, 2013 World Rapid Chess Champion Shakhriyar Mamedyarov, 2008 Blitz Chess World Champion Leinier Domínguez, three-time Blitz Chess World Champion Alexander Grischuk, and 2018 World Rapid Chess Champion Daniil Dubov. Global Chess League will also feature top female superstars, including Grandmaster Hou Yifan, a four-time Women’s World Chess Champion and the second highest-rated female player of all time. She was a chess prodigy who was the youngest female player ever to qualify for the title of grandmaster at the age of 14. Hou Yifan is accompanied by Grandmaster Koneru Humpy, Grandmaster Harika Dronavalli, Grandmaster Kateryna Lagno, Grandmaster Alexandra Kosteniuk, Grandmaster Tan Zhongyi, Grandmaster Nana Dzagnidze, Grandmaster Bella Khotenashvili, Grandmaster Nino Batsiashvili, Grandmaster Irina Krush, International Master Polina Shuvalova, and 2018 European Women’s Champion in rapid chess, Elisabeth Paehtz. Chess Grandmaster Hou Yifan, four-time women’s world chess champion, said, “Global Chess League has already sparked widespread interest, and it is amazing to witness such fervour for the game of chess. I am grateful to Tech Mahindra and FIDE for inviting me to participate in the league’s inaugural season, and I cannot wait for the season to begin. GCL, with its unique joint format of men and women players on the same team, is certain to take the game in new directions and open doors that have never been explored before. Chess fans all over the world are in for a treat.” In addition to the renowned champions, the league will provide a stage for emerging talent from diverse nations, offering them an opportunity to compete against the very best in the world. Six U21 players will also compete in the GCL, with the trio of Grandmasters, Praggnanandhaa R., Raunak Sadhwani, and Nihal Sarin, leading the pack of prodigies. Grandmaster Jonas Buhl Bjerre, Grandmaster Javokhir Sindarov, chess prodigy and Grandmaster Andrey Esipenko complete the list of players in the category. The FIDE President, Arkady Dvorkovich, said, “The Tech Mahindra Global Chess League will feature chess icons, legends, and world champions from around the world, and we are excited to see the biggest names in chess compete for the top prize. This league promises a never-before-seen level of thrilling chess action, and the anticipation is palpable. We are confident the league will usher in a new era in the modern chess ecosystem.” In addition to the players mentioned above, the Global Chess League will feature several other superstars of chess, including chess Grandmasters Vidit Gujrathi, Gukesh D, Arjun Erigaisi, Teimour Radjabov, Yi Wei, Yu Yangyi, Richard Rapport, Kirill Shevchenko, Jan-Krzysztof Duda and Salem Salah. Jagdish Mitra, Chairperson, Global Chess League Board, said, “We are honoured to have some of the biggest names in chess for the inaugural edition. Apart from being great players, all of them have been ambassadors for the game in their respective countries and worldwide. With them on board, GCL only adds another feather to its cap in becoming a true game changer for the chess ecosystem by introducing a mixed-team format in chess in which men, women, and u-21 players will play on the same team. This is a true testament to our belief in providing equal opportunities to all, regardless of gender. We are certain that the league will drive and inspire a new generation of players to be interested in the growing chess community.” The league will also set the standards for technological innovations in the sport of chess as Tech Mahindra and FIDE 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. 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
FIDE on the situation in Arab Chess Federation
FIDE has been informed about the current situation in the Arab Chess Federation and the decision of the Arab Sports Union to appoint an interim committee to lead the ACF. In order to give a proper legal assessment of this decision, FIDE has sent official requests to the interested parties asking to provide updated Charters of both organizations, as well as other relevant information. FIDE will make efforts to resolve any issues through dialogue and in compliance with democratic procedures.
Chess for Freedom Conference brings together experts from all around the world
The first Chess for Freedom Conference, the three-day event, organized by FIDE and the Cook County Sheriff’s Office (Chicago, USA), was held in Chicago, USA from the 17th to 20th of May, 2023. More than 40 participants, including FIDE officials, representatives of national chess federations and prison staff involved in programmes that introduce chess to inmates, dicussed concepts of using chess as a rehabilitation tool for incarcerated people. Experts from all over the world shared information about their national initiatives and approaches to teaching chess in prisons. On the first day of the conference, the FIDE delegation visited the Cook County Jail, where chess programme was introduced to inmates more than 10 years ago. On the second day, they participated in the plenary sessions, featuring many experts from the worldwide chess community presenting their national initiatives and approaches to teaching chess in prisons. Participants were greeted by the FIDE President Arkady Dvorkovich: “We are here to summarize, analyze and share our best practices accumulated since the start of the project. We will put together our methodologies in teaching chess to prisoners as well as holding chess competitions inside correctional facilities and among them. I hope that we will engage more countries and be able to promote this programme around the world.” In her introductory speech, Deputy Chair of the FIDE Management Board Dana Reizniece-Ozolatold about the development of the programme since its launch with the invitational online chess demonstration tournament for prisoners in May 2021. “Our future plans include the development of the training methodology, awareness raising activities and post-incarceration educational programmes. We believe in the possibility of joining our efforts in the implementation of this important social project and expect that the greatest results are yet to come,” she added. To demonstrate and explore how chess can be used to help rehabilitate incarcerated people, speakers of the conference shared experience of their countries and correctional facilities in introducing chess to inmates. According to IM Batchimeg Tuvshintugs, who works at the national Court Decision Making Agency, Mongolia was one of the first countries where chess was intruduced to prisons as a tool of rehabilitation. In 1958, the first Penitentiary and Prisoner Chess Championships were held, and the inmates were instructed to prepare well for future competitions. According to the archives, chess tournaments were regularly held among the prisoners on the occasion of holidays, and chess masters were invited to simultaneous exhibitions and trainings. These days, a variety of training and educational activities are organized for inmates, focusing on improving their skills and education, developing their talents, and spending their free time properly, based on their interests. As of January 2023, a total of about 350 prisoners are practicing chess in 15 prisons. In the future, in order to successfully implement and expand the “Chess in Prison” project, it is planned to connect the practice of chess with the reward system of the prisoners. Delegation from India presented “Parivartan – Prison to Pride” an initiative to engage and rehabilitate prison inmates across the country through sports coaching programmes. Launched in August 2021 by IndianOil, training programmes in chess, basketball, volleyball, badmintonand carrom are now covering over 2950 inmatesfrom 51 Prisons in 21 states of India. The chess coaches involved in the project include Grandmasters Abhijit Kunte and Surya Sekhar Ganguly, Woman Grandmasters Eesha Karavade, Soumya Swaminathan, Padmini Rout, and others. “We take pride of saying that chess was invented in India. In earlier days chess was played by kings and military commanders in order to develop strategy to defeat enemies. A new version of chess was procreated by FIDE and the Cook County Department of Corrections. This version is for liberating incarcerated people. Look forward to see that Chess for Freedom project reaches all prisons on the planet,” – said Mukeshranjan Das, Executive Director (HR) of Indian Oil. Among other topics of the conference were experiences of chess coaches who are teaching the game to inmates. Jop Delemarre, a Dutch chess trainer with more than 20 years of chess training experience, made a presentation “A prison becomes a home when you have the key”, where he gave some hints how to introduce chess to prisoners and motivate them to learn. “They don’t care how much you know, until they know how much you care about them. One of the things you need to realize that in the beginning it is not about explaining chess – how the pieces move or the tactics work. You first need to give them the idea that you care for them, that you are giving them the opportunity to learn again and to activate their learning mindset.” Hector Guifarro was one of those speakers, who proved by personal example that the game has a positive impact on the lives of people who have ended up in jail after making a wrong choice. A former convict picked up chess while serving his sentence, and, after being released from prison, he took the path of helping others and teaching more and more people to play chess. One of his recent undertakings is an idea to combine boxing and chess lessons via “Chess for Fighters” classes. A program that introduces chess to youth in his community helps these children in the ring and in life. “Our goal is to make a difference in the community by keeping kids off the streets and teaching them the fundamentals of boxing and chess. But we won’t stop there. We want to build future chess champions and open the door for our youth to compete at chess tournaments at both state and national levels!” he said. To learn more about national initiatives and approaches to teaching chess in prisons, watch broadcast of the conference on FIDE Youtube or download presentations of the speakers: André Vögtlin – What can social chess do in society Anna DeLuna Fergusson – Using Technology to Expand Access to Chess in Corrections Arie van den Hurk – Chess in Dutch Prisons a promising new experience Batchimeg Tuvshintugs – History of chess in prisons in Mongolia Carl Portman – From Genesis to Revelation Dana Reizniece-Ozola – Chess for Freedom Grigg, Oldfield,