FIDE Celebrates Centenary with FIDE100 Awards
The International Chess Federation (FIDE) proudly announces a series of awards to honor those who have made exceptional contributions to the world of chess in the past 100 years The aim of the FIDE100 awards is to recognize individuals and organizations who have significantly impacted the development and promotion of chess globally over the past century. The FIDE 100 Awards are aimed at different members of the chess community – players, arbiters, organizers, photographers, journalists, project leaders, authors, educators and others. By recognizing these contributions, FIDE wants to continue to support excellence and promote the cultural and intellectual values of chess worldwide. FIDE President Arkady Dvorkovich said: “As we celebrate our centennial, we wanted to give recognition to those who have made chess what it is today and what it represents for the future. We hope that these awards will inspire future generations to take up chess and bring the game to new heights.” The awards are given in 19 categories. Each category has a specified nomination and voting criteria. Where applicable, nomination submissions can be made on the official website. The deadline for nominations is August 15, midnight, CET. The awards will be presented in the following categories: Best Male Player Best Female Player Best Male Arbiter Best Female Arbiter FIDE Trainers’ 100 Years Award (male) FIDE Trainers’ 100 Years Award (female) Best Male Team Best Female Team Best Social Media Influencer Best Chess Journalist The Most Memorable FIDE Chess Tournament The Most Memorable Private Chess Tournament FIDE Book – 100 Years Best Photographer Best Educator Chess Social Impact Advocate for Women in Chess Inclusivity Presidential Award Each category has specific qualification criteria, nomination procedures, and selection processes. While some recipients will be chosen by a distinguished panel of chess grandmasters, historians, and educators, others will be determined through public voting. Self-nominations or nominations by national federations are open in several categories. They are: Best Chess Journalist 100.fide.com/fide-awards-2024-best-chess-journalist/ Best Photographer 100.fide.com/fide-awards-2024-best-photographer/ Best Educator 100.fide.com/fide-awards-2024-best-educator/ Chess Social Impact 100.fide.com/fide-awards-2024-chess-social-impact/ Advocate for Women in Chess 100.fide.com/fide-awards-2024-advocate-for-women-in-chess/ Besides, the best male and female players of all time will be chosen by a public vote. Voting for your favorite player is open via the following links: Best Male Player 100.fide.com/fide-awards-2024-best-male-player/ Best Female Player 100.fide.com/fide-awards-2024-best-female-player/ The winners of the FIDE 100 Awards will be announced during the 45th FIDE Chess Olympiad in Budapest in September 2024. For more information about the FIDE100 Awards and to submit nominations, please visit 100.fide.com/fide-awards-2024/.
FIDE World Championships 2026: Call for bids
FIDE Events Commission announces “Call for Bids FIDE World Championships 2026” and invites FIDE member federations to participate. The bid deadline is September 15, 2024, 15:00 CET. There are eight competitions on the list: World Youth U14, U16, U18 Championships World Junior U20 Chess Championships World Cadet & Youth Rapid & Blitz Chess Championships World Schools Team Chess Championships World Senior Chess Championships (50+, 65+ Individual) World Senior Team Chess Championships (50+, 65+) World Amateur Chess Championships World Disabled Chess Championships Dear bidders, you can find more details about the procedure including the Bid, Bid Form, Bid Form Annex, and Deposit Fees, HERE.
Belgian Championship: Daniel Dardha wins fourth title
GM Daniel Dardha emerged victorious in the 2024 Belgian Championship, capturing his fourth national title. The 2024 Belgian Championship, which included an invitational 10-player round-robin (expert tournament) and an open tournament, took place in the large refectory of the Sint-Gummarus College in Liege from July 06-13. The 18-year-old Dardha confirmed his status as a pre-tournament favorite to win the expert event, but it was a very close race with IM Stefan Beukema that came down to the wire. Going into the final round, Dardha and Beukema shared the lead with 6.5/8 each. Stefan made a quick draw with IM Steven Geirnaert, while Daniel jumped on this opportunity and defeated IM Alexander Alienkin with black pieces to clinch the title. The champion and the runner-up became the only unbeaten players in the event. Mher Hovhannisyan and Sim Maerevoet scored 5.5/9 and tied for third place, with the former completing the podium thanks to better tiebreak. Final standings: 1 GM Dardha, Daniel 2629 7½ 2 IM Beukema, Stefan 2411 7 3 GM Hovhannisyan, Mher 2405 5½ 4 IM Maerevoet, Sim 2436 5½ 5 IM Alienkin, Aleksander 2331 5 6 IM Geirnaert, Steven 2438 4 7 GM Dgebuadze, Alexandre 2442 4 8 FM De Waele, Warre 2365 3 9 Ruzhansky, Elias 2242 2 10 FM Dreelinck, Jacob 2310 1½ Photos: official website Official website: bk.schaakliga-antwerpen.be/en/main-event/
2024 SuperUnited Rapid & Blitz Croatia: Caruana rules supreme
Fabiano Caruana clinched the 2024 SuperUnited Rapid & Blitz Croatia title with a dominant performance, securing victory with five rounds to spare. Going into the blitz segment with a comfortable lead, Fabiano continued his hot run and matched Magnus Carlsen’s record by scoring 27 points. The American GM took the top position in the GCT overall standings, overtaking Alireza Firouzja. With Caruana dominating the field, Wesley So, Maxime Vachier-Lagrave, and Alireza Firouzja battled for second place and ended up scoring 23 points and earning a $25,000 prize each. Ian Nepomniachtchi and Levon Aronian had good moments throughout the event, but their inconsistent performances in the blitz segment did not allow them to climb higher. Gukesh D, Anish Giri, Vidit Gujrathi, and Ivan Saric finished at the bottom. Up next, the 2024 U.S. Juniors & Senior Championships from July 16–26. All three tournaments are by invitation-only to showcase America’s past and upcoming chess phenoms. The expert commentary team of GM’s Yasser Seirawan and Cristian Chirila and IM Nazi Paikidze will call the action live and provide game analysis daily online starting at 1:20 p.m. CT on the Saint Louis Chess Club’s YouTube and Twitch.tv channels. Photos: Lennart Ootes Official website: grandchesstour.org/