World Cadets & Youth Rapid & Blitz Chess Championship 2023 starts in Batumi
The World Cadets & Youth Rapid & Blitz Chess Championship 2023, organized by FIDE and the Georgian Chess Federation, kicked off at the Euphoria Hotel in Batumi with an opening ceremony. The rapid competitions in all categories are 11-round Swiss tournaments with 15-min + 5 second increment time control. The event brought together 459 participants from 35 countries. The event will be broadcast live with professional commentary by IM Valeri Gaprindashvili daily. The opening ceremony was attended by Deputy Chairman of the Supreme Council of Adjara, Tite Aroshidze, the Minister of Education, Culture and Sports of Adjara, Maya Khajishvili, the Mayor of Batumi, Archil Chikovani, FIDE Special Tasks Director, the President of the Georgian Chess Federation, Akaki Iashvili and Georgiian Chess Federation first Vice-President George Giorgadze, who welcomed the participants and wished them success. The government members made the first ceremonial move on several boards. Before the games start all participants were presented with symbolic gifts. On the first day threee rounds were played in all categories 39 participants having the perfect score of score of 3 out of 3. Official website: batumi2023.fide.com/ Live games Pairings and Results Champions Match Day 2 On the same day, the second round of the Champions Match was played in the conference hall of the Legend Hotel in Batumi. In the second round, Ukainian players, Mariya and Anna Muzychuk, had the black pieces. After four hours of play, both games ended peacefully. White had a slight edge in both encounters but Black held draws with accurate defense. The third round of the Champions Match will start on June 8 at 3 PM local time. Photos: Mindia Malakmadze Live games Pairings and Results
Global Chess League Unveils Six Franchises for Inaugural Edition Set to Reach 600 Million Viewers in 160 Countries
A Paradigm Shift in Chess Spectatorship with the Inclusion of World-Class Players and Visionary Franchise Owners U SPORTS, Insurekot Sports(ISPL), Punit Balan Group, Triveni Engineering & Industries Ltd., Chingari App, and APL Apollo-led SG Sports take ownership India / New York / London: 5th June 2023: The Global Chess League (GCL), a joint venture between Tech Mahindra and FIDE, today unveiled the six participating franchises for its highly anticipated first edition. The league, set to revolutionize the chess ecosystem, will commence with a players’ draft where franchise owners will select players for their respective teams. The GCL aims to redefine the world of chess by bringing together the brightest stars in the game, including Viswanathan Anand, Ding Liren, Magnus Carlsen, Ian Nepomniachtchi, Hou Yifan, Kateryna Lagno, and other renowned players, alongside distinguished sports entrepreneurs as franchise owners. U SPORTS, Insurekot Sports (ISPL), Punit Balan Group, Triveni Engineering & Industries Ltd., Chingari App, and APL Apollo-led SG Sports are the franchises committed to propelling the chess revolution forward. The league is scheduled to take place from June 21st to July 2nd, 2023, at the Dubai Chess and Culture Club. The FIDE President, Arkady Dvorkovich, said, “Tech Mahindra Global Chess League started as a dream, and as we are heading towards its actualisation, we have found the right partners who believe in the vision. We are excited that such reputed entrepreneurs have joined the ranks of GCL. We want to welcome all the owners and their teams to the GCL family and look forward to making the league a big success.” Jagdish Mitra, Chairperson of the Global Chess League Board said, “GCL, the world’s first and largest official franchise league of its kind, blends traditional chess with the new era, aiming to enhance fan experience through digitization, innovation, and technology. The joint-team format, encompassing men, women, and U21 players, demonstrates our commitment to equal opportunities for all. With a cutting-edge broadcast reaching 600 million viewers in 160 countries, GCL will captivate new fans worldwide. We are delighted to have found the right partners to establish GCL’s strong presence across continents and look forward to creating a lasting legacy.” Joining the GCL bandwagon are three experienced sports entrepreneurs U SPORTS, Insurekot Sports, and Punit Balan Group. They are renowned for their successful investments in various franchises across leagues. Apart from the seasoned owners, three new names, Triveni Engineering & Industries Ltd., Chingari App, and APL Apollo-led SG Sports, have joined the franchise owners’ ranks. U SPORTS, led by Ronnie Screwvala, renowned for its sporting successes in sports like Kabaddi, Table Tennis, and eSports in India, will make its international debut with the upGrad Mumba Masters team in the GCL. Suhail Chandhok, CEO, U Mumba & upGrad Mumba Masters said, “Chess is a sport that resonates with all of us, and being a part of something as revolutionary as the Global Chess League really does excite us at U Mumba. The collaboration between Tech Mahindra and FIDE has done an exceptional job of expanding the reach of chess to a wider audience. The star-studded lineup that the GCL promises thrilling matchups that will captivate and mesmerize spectators & we are thrilled to witness the incredible growth of this sport and proud to contribute to its flourishing future.” The second franchise of the tournament will be Ganges Grandmasters, led by Insurekot Sports (ISPL), an entity owned by Suresh Kotak. ISPL also owns the Pro Kabaddi League team & Ultimate Table Tennis League team, Puneri Paltan. Kailash Kandpal, CEO, Insurekot Sports Private Limited said, “We have always been dedicated to promoting sports with immense growth potential. While chess has a rich history, it has yet to establish itself as a mainstream spectator sport. GCL has the power to change that, and we eagerly wait for the league to start.” The third in this list of illustrious owners is the Punit Balan Group (PBG) which will own the team, Balan Alaskan Knights. Led by entrepreneur, businessman and sportspreneur, Mr Punit Balan, the Punit Balan Group has invested heavily across various sports leagues in India over the last two years and aims to contribute to India’s journey of becoming the sporting powerhouse globally. Punit Balan, Owner – Punit Balan Group said, “GCL is a vision that will attempt to change how Chess has been viewed and perceived globally. As a sporting brand, we at Punit Balan Group (PBG) wanted to be part of this historic milestone and represent India in the world of Chess as part of this game-changing global league. PBG supports multiple sports and Chess is a game which had its inception in India, it is something we always wanted to be part of and inspire more sporting enthusiasts to take up the game of chequered squares. We applaud the efforts of Tech Mahindra and FIDE in envisioning the League and look forward to a successful first season.” Triveni Engineering & Industries Limited, one of the largest integrated sugar manufacturers in India and a leading player in engineering businesses comprising Power Transmission business and Water & Wastewater treatment solutions, and Triveni Turbine Limited (TTL), a focused, growing and market-leading corporation with core competency in industrial heat & power solutions and decentralized steam-based renewable turbines up to 100 MW size, make their sports debut with Triveni Continental Kings in the GCL. Dhruv M. Sawhney, Chairman, Triveni Engineering & Industries Ltd., and Triveni Turbine Ltd., said, “We are excited to make our sports debut with Triveni Continental Kings in the Global Chess League (GCL). Chess is renowned for its strategic thinking and intellectual prowess that aligns perfectly with our core values. We are known for our rich legacy and nation-building initiatives through years of innovation and this venture marks another significant step in establishing global recognition for India. Our aim is to create meaningful connections with chess enthusiasts and the global chess community, nurture talent, and contribute to the growth of chess worldwide. Moreover, the association of Tech Mahindra with GCL reinforces our trust and confidence that the first-of-its-kind chess tournament will be a remarkable global success.” Chingari App (Tech4Billion Group), the world’s fastest-growing Web3 Social Networking App, whose popularity has skyrocketed since the pandemic, will also debut in the sports business
Champions Match Day 1: Black hold in both games
The Muzychuk sisters pressured with White, but the Georgian players stood their ground. On June 5, the Champions Match got off the mark in the conference hall of the Legend Hotel after a short opening ceremony. Before starting the clock, the participants were greeted by the Minister of Education, Culture and Sports of Adjara Maya Khajishvili and FIDE Special Tasks Director and the President of the Georgian Chess Federation, Akaki Iashvili. Mariya Muzychuk – Nino Batsiashvili (0.5-05) The opponents tested a popular line of the Sveshinkov Sicilian in which Black traded his light-squared bishop for White’s centralized knight and found herself in an inferior position. However, after a couple of sluggish moves by Mariya, Nino exchanged the queens and transposed into a roughly equal endgame where the opposite-coloured bishops suggested a draw as the most likely outcome. Indeed, the ladies split a point on move 44. Anna Muzychuk – Meri Arabidze (0.5-0.5) Meri comfortably equalized as Black in the Closed Ruy Lopez, but on move 26, she preferred activity to passive defence and sacrificed a pawn. It did not work out for Arabidze as, after a series of mutual inaccuracies, White gradually consolidated and achieved a winning position. After 48.a4 Black is hard-pressed for a reasonable continuation. However, Anna hastily played 48.e6? and let her opponent escape after 48…Rxe6 49.Rxe6 fxe6 50.Re5 Qc6. A draw was agreed in a rook endgame in which Black had sufficient activity for White’s extra pawn. The second round of the Champions Match will start on June 6 at 3 PM local time, with the Georgian players having the white pieces. Photos: Mindia Malakmadze Official website: batumi2023.fide.com/ Live games Pairings and Results