National preparations for FIDE World Schools Team Championship go big around the Globe
The inaugural edition of the FIDE World Schools Team Championship will take place in Aktau, Kazakhstan from August 3-8, 2023. With just a little more than a month left, national federations are forming their teams and evaluating the results of the first stage of this global event, the national scholastic championships. One of the perks of being quick to register is that the first 50 National Federations can nominate one of their teams for an “invited team” status and receive free accommodation and travel grants. But first and foremost, it is vital to form a formidable lineup! Many countries included the FIDE flagship event in the existing system of their national school competitions. For example, in Austria, the scholastic championship is held in four categories – Oberstufe, Unterstufe, Volksschule, and Mädchen, and the team winner of Oberstufe (Under 18) is eager to take part in the World Championship. Germany, Bulgaria, Kenya, and other federations chose this path, too. Many of them, like Belgium or Barbados, already held their national championships earlier in the year. In Greece, 116 teams and 1300+ children participated in the national championships! Now, the winners got a fantastic opportunity to defend their colors at the international level. Belgian school championship On the other side of the Atlantic, 19 teams from all over Canada participated in a dedicated hybrid qualifier for the Finals. In another part of the world, Bhutan also organized a special National Team Championship at the beginning of June to find out who’s going to Kazakhstan. The new FIDE event inspired some federations, like Cyprus or Pakistan, to hold their first-ever national school team chess championships. 1st Pakistan School Chess Championship Some federations, like Ecuador or England, are still to hold their national qualifiers at the end of June and July. It is inspiring to see the quick and enthusiastic response from the chess federations all over the Globe, showcasing how massive the scholastic chess movement is and promising a fantastic World Championship in August. Zimbabwe School Chess Championship, district level
GCL makes its grand debut: “A brand new revolution in an ancient sport”
The inaugural edition of the Global Chess League officially opened in Dubai in a ceremony which saw tech entrepreneurs, big sports names and chess fans celebrate the launching of a project which will showcase the game in a completely different light Dubai, known for its innovative spirit, has become home to another pioneering project, this time in the world of chess. Following the match for the title of World Champion in 2021 between Magnus Carlsen and Ian Nepomniachtchi, the city has again embraced chess, but this time, it seems, on a much grander scale. The ceremony marked the beginning of an exciting new chapter for chess, as the Global Chess League aims to revolutionize the game and expand its reach globally. India’s tech giant Tech Mahindra partnered with the International Chess Federation (FIDE) to launch the first chess franchise, the Global Chess League, which promises to make the game more accessible to everyone, regardless of their level of play. Among the VIPs at the event were HE Saeed Mohammed Hareb (Secretary General of the Dubai Sports Council), Anand Mahindra (Chairman of the Mahindra Group), Arkady Dvorkovich (President of the International Chess Federation, FIDE) famous Australian cricketer Steve Waugh, Indian tennis star Sania Mirza as well as CP Gurnani (Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Tech Mahindra). They were joined by Parag Shah, Director – Global Chess League and Member of Group Executive Board, Mahindra Group, and Jagdish Mitra, Chairperson of the Global Chess League Board. It all started with a tweet Speaking at the ceremony, the visionary behind the Global Chess League, Anand Mahindra (Chairman of the Mahindra Group), shared the story about how the event was born. “In 2020, I was watching the Chess Olympiad online. I got hooked on it because of the commentary of some young chess enthusiasts who also happen to be comedians. I tweeted about this, complimenting them. One of them replied to my tweet and threw me a challenge – if you like this, why don’t you create a chess league as you did in other sports? So, I started this. A few days later [FIDE President] Arkady Dvorkovich got in touch saying he saw my tweet, and here we are today”, Anand Mahindra said. “Some of the best ideas in the world happen from a series of happy coincidences”, the Chairman of the Mahindra Group said. He emphasized the league’s commitment to advancing chess and fostering its growth worldwide. We are making “a brand new revolution in an ancient sport”, Mahindra concluded. “The Champions League of Chess” The President of the International Chess Federation (FIDE) Arkady Dvorkovich thanked Tech Mahindra and the Indian companies taking part for putting the Global Chess League together, creating a partnership “built on trust”. “We started this journey a long time ago, and the story Anand Mahindra told about how this whole thing started is true. This project brings a fresh look at chess and more technology – something we sometimes forget when organizing traditional events”, the President of FIDE said. Dvorkovich highlighted the important role the Global Chess League will play in expanding the game of chess and furthering its global reach. “We want to make a Champions League of chess, and I hope we succeed in it”, said Dvorkovich. An eye on chess in every part of the world One of the key aspects of the Global Chess League is the aim to use new technologies to provide better and more understandable access to chess to a broader (non-chess) audience. Tech Mahindra’s MD & CEO, CP Gurnani shared his company’s plan to leverage technology and digital transformation to enhance the chess experience for fans worldwide. “When I went to look at the venue, I had tears in my eyes. Not because of the journey we took, but how the sport will now look. I saw dozens of cameras in the playing venue and some of them belong to global sports broadcasters from all around the world. That gave me a huge confidence that at the launch of the Global Chess League we are witnessing a movement which will translate into big numbers and transform the game”. CP Gurnani’s speech emphasized the league’s commitment to embracing innovation and placing fans at the heart of the project across the globe. The guests were then shown a video – The Big Move – taking them on a journey through history, transition and the future of chess. The video was accompanied by an act featuring dancers whose performance symbolized the evolution of the game and its integration into contemporary society. Chess in every sport Cricket is a big game in India and the Gulf area, so it was no surprise that the audience erupted with applause when Australian cricket legend Steve Waugh appeared on stage. He was joined by Indian tennis star Sania Mirza. The two took part in a discussion about the connection between chess and cricket. “The more I think about it, the more I see that, in a lot of ways, cricket is very similar to chess. A lot of strategy, thinking ahead, planning”, Steve Waugh said. “I was a team captain, and the camera was most often on me. I didn’t always want my emotions to be seen. There is a lot of bluffing involved in cricket, and I guess there is some of that in chess in a way – you need to portray confidence even when you feel you’re vulnerable”, said Waugh. Talking about the connection between chess and tennis, Sonia Mirza noted that “in tennis, we make small decisions every second, and those decisions are based on what the opponent might do”. “There is a similarity to chess in every sport – in every competition, you need to think ahead and plan how to react to your opponent’s move”, Mirza noted. She also reflected on playing the tennis doubles (where Mirza successfully competed with another tennis legend, Martina Hingis) – “in critical moments, you have to take ownership. The appearance of the Waugh and Mirza highlighted one of Global Chess League’s core messages –