Breaking the limits: How FIDE’s Infinite Chess project helps people with autism
Five years since its launch, the Infinite Chess project has expanded globally, offering valuable insights to the chess community on its potential to enhance the lives of individuals on the autism spectrum The World Health Organization notes that autism affects one in every 100 children worldwide. In 2007, The United Nations General Assembly established April 2 as World Autism Awareness Day (WAAD) to raise awareness and provide opportunities for people with autism not only to survive but also to prosper. In 2019, FIDE answered the call and launched the Infinite Chess project aiming to help children with autism thrive using chess as a vehicle for developing important life skills. What began as a pilot program in 2019 has grown to encompass 19 countries worldwide, including Albania, Latvia, France, Spain, Portugal, UK, Gibraltar, Mongolia, Turkey, Morocco, Cyprus, India, Gambia, South Africa, Tanzania, Brazil, Taiwan, Malaysia, and New Zealand. Another six countries are expected to join this year: Jamaica, Botswana, Nigeria, Pakistan, Maldives, and Puerto Rico. Today, the project equips autistic individuals with essential life skills through free training and resources, promoting their acceptance and contribution to society. In March 2024, a three-day seminar at the Second International Congress of Chess, Education, and Health showcased studies on the project’s impact. The results confirmed that chess has helped children with autism improve their socio-emotional well-being and build a stronger foundation for life skills. In March 2024, a three-day seminar at the Second International Congress of Chess, Education, and Health showcased studies on the project’s impact. The results confirmed that chess has helped children with autism improve their socio-emotional well-being and build a stronger foundation for life skills. In the same month, the Spanish island of Menorca hosted the Second International Congress of Chess, Education, and Health as part of the FIDE100 Celebration program. The congress brought together experts in the fields of chess, education, and health. The three-day seminar showcased studies and experiences from different parts of the world about the role of chess in education and health, including the Infinite Chess project. The results showed that chess has helped children with autism improve their socio-emotional welfare and provided them with a stronger foundation for grasping important life skills. Reflecting on the past five years, WIM Anastasia Sorokina, the project leader, emphasizes the significant learning experience for both the chess community and health experts. “It has been an important learning curve for both the chess world and health experts. Through direct work with children who have autism, we gained a better understanding of how chess can be made more accessible. Chess is for all – we are all one family – and FIDE is steadfast in its commitment to providing everyone, regardless of their background or life circumstances, with an opportunity to learn and play chess as it does help make one’s life better,” she said. Running in sync with FIDE’s Social Commission and supported by the International Olympic Committee, the Infinite Chess project explores how chess can help children with autism develop through the 64-square game. Through specially designed courses and seminars, educators are taught how to present chess to children with autism and help them learn the game. The program, available online on the Infinite Chess website, as well as through courses and seminars published on YouTube, has been translated into five languages (English, Spanish, French, Arabic, and Russian) and is currently taught to more than 150 children between the ages of four and 17. You can watch a video on the Infinite Chess here.
The best students of FIDE Chessable Academy shine in in-person training camp
Thirteen exceptional young talents, born between 2007 and 2013, recently participated in an exclusive in-person training camp alongside chess legends Judit Polgar and Artur Jussupow These students distinguished themselves among over 450 participants in the project, which brought together some of the most promising chess talents globally. In its third year, the FIDE Chessable Academy, a partnership between FIDE and Chessable, aims to provide an in-depth training experience for the most gifted young chess players nominated by their national federations and FIDE-endorsed Academies. This initiative provided a unique opportunity for advanced chess training led by renowned players and coaches. Running from January until the beginning of April, the FIDE Chessable Academy comprised weekly online lessons culminating in an intensive in-person camp for the most successful participants. From March 28 to April 2, thirteen talented players, including five girls, convened in Menorka to undergo rigorous training under the mentorship of Judit Polgar and Artur Jussupow. To qualify for the in-person training, each FIDE Chessable Academy student had to meet specific criteria, including FIDE standard rating above 2000, attendance of a minimum of 75% of the online lectures, and others. Both FIDE and Chessable reserved the right to add one additional player each. Although originally planned for twelve participants, the final training stage included thirteen individuals. The FIDE Chessable Academy in-person training camp, organized by the FIDE Trainers’ Commission, covered essential aspects of chess gameplay, including exploring typical and innovative opening ideas, position evaluation, game planning, prophylactic thinking, principles of attack and defence, piece evaluation, and exploiting weaknesses in a position. In addition to the chess mastery class, the participants also took part in the “FIDE Personal Growth Academy”, where they were taught about the importance of developing social skills and personal development. The session featured experts like Dana Reizniece-Ozola, Geert van der Velde, Maria Yuste, and Natalia Ryzhenko, covering topics such as the power of a personal brand, the rules of communication and the dress and ethics codes of FIDE. “With personal growth training, we want to give these young talents and their parents a glimpse into those skills that will be important in their professional career – healthy nutrition and fitness, personal brand development and media training,” says Sami Khader, the Chair of FIDE Trainers’ Commission. About the FIDE Chessable Academy The FIDE Chessable Academy was launched in 2021 as a joint training initiative by FIDE and Chessable — the world’s leading chess e-learning platform. Its mission is to help up-and-comers become the best players they can be. Over these years, hundreds of promising youngsters from over 100 national federations enjoyed free access to Chessable courses — plus exclusive lessons from the world’s top coaches. Among the academy’s students were the 2024 Candidate GM Gukesh D and the 2023 World Junior Girls’ Champion WGM Candela Belén Francisco Guecamburu.
FIDE April 2024 rating list: Abdusattorov, Erigaisi crack top 10
The FIDE April 2024 rating list was impacted by the Prague International Chess Festival, the 5th Shengzhen (Longgang) Chess Masters 2024, and several open tournaments across Europe. The world #1 Junior, Nodirbek Abdusattorov (pictured below), gained 15 rating points following his excellent performance in the Prague International Chess Festival and is now #4 in the world, while 21-year-old Arjun Erigaisi collected 8 points in the 5th Shengzhen Chess Masters and Bundesliga and mounted to the ninth position on the list. Both players debut in the top 10 Open. Photo: Petr Vrabec Biggest gains in the top 100 Open and Women Lu, Miaoyi WGM CHN 2438 (+45) Beydullayeva, Govhar WGM AZE 2402 (+28) Balajayeva, Khanim IM AZE 2371 (+21) Hejazipour, Mitra WGM FRA 2376 (+20) Maltsevskaya, Aleksandra IM POL 2393 (+19) Nguyen, Thai Dai Van GM CZE 2643 (+16) Abdusattorov, Nodirbek GM UZB 2765 (+15) Maghsoodloo, Parham GM IRI 2732 (+15) Stefanova, Antoaneta GM BUL 2447 (+14) Garifullina, Leya IM FID 2427 (+14) Lu Miaoyi (pictured below) continues her rise in the rankings, reaching 33rd position in the women’s list. This is thanks to her strong showing in the 55th Ladies’ Grandmaster Tournament in Serbia (won by Alexandra Maltsevskaya, who collected 16 points) and the Reykjavik Open, where she added 45 points to her rating. Over the last three months, the Chinese teenager increased her rating by a whopping 186 points! Photo: Lennart Ootes Govhar Beydullayeva and Khanim Balajayeva did an excellent job in the Women’s Tournament Azerbaijan vs Georgia, picking up 28 and 21 points, respectively, while Mitra Hejazipour put in a solid performance in Jubilaeumsturnier 125 Jahre Werder Bremen that translates into 20 points. Khanim returned to the top 100 Women after a two-month absence. Nodirbek Abdusattorov was not the only rating beneficiary of the Prague International Chess Festival Masters. Nguyen Thai Dai Van and Parham Maghsoodloo, who completed the tournament podium, gained 16 and 15 points, respectively. Photo: Hallfríður Sigurðardóttir Leya Garifullina (pictured above) overperformed in two strong open tournaments (Aeroflot Open and Reykjavik Open), earning 14 points and reaching her career high in the women’s rating list.
Danish Championship: Boris Chatalbashev retains title
GM Boris Chatalbashev emerged as the winner of the 2024 Danish Championship. The 50-year-old successfully defended his last-year national title, scoring an impressive 8/9. The 2024 Danish Chess Championship, a 10-player round-robin tournament with classical time controls, was held in Svendborg from March 23 to April 1. Chatalbashev got off to a fantastic start, winning the first five games and taking the lead early on. Going into the final round a half-point ahead of his main rival GM Jesper Sondergaard Thybo, he convincingly outplayed FM Mikkel Manosri Jacobsen and clinched the title. Jesper Thybo (pictured below) started with two draws but then picked up steam and stayed in the race for gold to the very end. Just like the champion, the runner-up completed the event unbeaten, netting 7.5/9. IM Filip Boe Olsen and GM Bjorn Moller Ochsner both scored 5.5/9 and tied for third place, with the former completing the podium thanks to better tiebreaks. Final standings: 1 GM Boris Chatalbashev 2448 8 2 GM Jesper Thybo 2542 7½ 3 IM Filip Boe Olsen 2456 5½ 4 GM Bjorn Ochsner 2518 5½ 5 IM Nikolaj Borge 2379 4 6 FM Casper Liu 2283 4 7 IM Martin Haubro 2436 3½ 8 FM Jens Ramsdal 2378 3 9 FM Mikkel Jacobsen 2367 1½ 10 IM Jens Fries-Nielsen 2364 1½ Photos: Jesper Simonsen Official website: turnering.skak.dk/
Johan-Sebastian Christiansen triumphs in Mar del Plata
The unforgettable 53rd City of Mar del Plata International Chess Open, one of the oldest tournaments in South America, took place from March 23-30 in the Hotel Provincial. The event, supported by the FIDE Aid Package, brought together 278 players from 11 countries and was a great success. The President of the Mar del Plata Chess Federation, Lic. Javier Curilen was the tournament director, while AI OI Leandro Plotinsky and his team officiated the competition. After nine exciting rounds, GM Johan-Sebastian Christiansen, a member of the Norwegian Olympic team, was crowned undefeated champion. The top seed arrived in Mar del Plata with great expectations and confirmed his status as a pre-tournament favorite, scoring 8/9 and taking clear first. As many as four participants finished a half-point behind the champion on 7.5/9 and tied for second place, with GMs Diego Flores and Leonardo Tristán completing the podium thanks to superior Buchholz. Final standings: 1 GM Christiansen, Johan-Sebastian NOR 2633 8 2 GM Flores, Diego ARG 2530 7½ 3 GM Tristan, Leonardo ARG 2521 7½ 4 IM Espinoza Palomino, Willyam PER 2400 7½ 5 CM Jaque Gutierrez, Matias CHI 2173 7½ 6 IM Acosta, Pablo Ismael ARG 2463 7 7 FM Spata, German ARG 2421 7 8 GM Felgaer, Ruben ARG 2565 7 9 IM Villegas, Franco ARG 2328 7 10 FM Schnaider, Ilan ARG 2314 7 Complete standings Official website: mdpajedrez.ar/