FIDE news
The last couple of weeks have been prolific in announcements from our side. Some of them, unfortunate but unavoidable, like the postponement of the World Rapid & Blitz Championship and the Candidates tournament. This confirms that there will be no official “over the board” events for the remainder of 2020.
However, on a positive note, we are very excited about our agreement with the Government of Gibraltar to hold there the final stage of the FIDE Women’s Grand Prix, in January next year. Hosting this prestigious event opens a new chapter in Gibraltar’s continued tradition of supporting chess, in general, and the best female chess players, in particular.
Since the inception of the Gibraltar Chess Festival in 2003, almost all the world’s top female players have taken part, including the greatest woman player of all time, Judit Polgar, as well as a total of seven Women’s World Champions.
The Caleta Hotel, a traditional venue for this annual gathering of great minds, will be turned into an isolated environment to ensure the safety of the participants, and avoid any risks associated with COVID-19. There will be no other guests in the hotel during the entire duration of the event apart from the participants and the organizing team, and the competition will be held subject to and in accordance with Gibraltar Government Health Protocols.
We were also pleased to announce a new online competition, aimed at the younger members of the chess community: the FIDE Online World Cadets & Youth Rapid Chess Championships. This event will comprise five different age groups (U10, U12, U14, U16, and U18), competing in two sections: open and girls. A selection stage will take place between November 27 and December 13, with the finals being played in December 19-23..
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PHOTO: Niki Riga
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Chess in Schools Survey
Recently, FIDE has entered into a cooperation with the European Chess Union (ECU) to coordinate our efforts in chess in education. This is a priority to both organizations, and also an area that keeps growing in numbers and importance.
Joining forces is the best way to seize this opportunity. In order to cope with the demands of the enormous task ahead of us, we need to be more effective, share experiences and knowledge, and avoid duplicate work and overlap.
The first joint initiative between FIDE and ECU in the field of education is a global Chess in School Survey that has just been launched. The project was presented to the federations with a personal letter from FIDE President Arkady Dvorkovich, and FIDE Honorary Vice President Judit Polgar.
The goal of the survey is to obtain an overview of all the major projects run by the National Federations, Chess in Schools Organizations, Schools, and Private Tutors. The data collected will allow us to create relevant statistics, to identify needs, and to detect good projects already in place. Just as important, this data will help provide the basis for FIDE to design strategies for the ongoing development of Chess in Schools programs.
The team working on the survey is composed of:
Jesper Hall (Project Manager)
Jerry Nash (Secretary)
Leontxo García
Dijana Dengler
Serob Khachatryan
Maria Zaslavskaya
Kristine Tanajyan
Nune Gevorgyan
The survey is available in English, but we a Russian and Spanish translations are provided in supporting PDF-documents. If you have questions, please contact Jesper Hall (info@jesperhall.se) and/or Jerry Nash (jerry@chessinschools.us), who are in charge of the survey on behalf of FIDE.
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GM Max Illingworth, member of the Australian team. PHOTO: Sabrina Koetsier
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Australia takes the Asian Online Nations Cup
Some may have been surprised to see Australia listed among the participants of the Asian Online Nations Cup Chess Team Championship, which came to an end yesterday. The “special guest” was ranked six by average rating among 38 participant teams, but team Australia sensationally beat top-seed India in the final duel to win the event.
The Aussies finished fourth in the qualifying stage, only behind Iran, the Philippines, and Mongolia. In the knockout phase, Australia beat Indonesia comfortably by 3-1 and 3,5-0,5. In Semifinals, Australia edged Iran in the first match by 2,5-1,5, and then had two great strokes of luck in the second match. First, Maghsoodloo mouse slipped his bishop against Kuybokarov on Board 2, and second, Tabatabaei disconnected with 22 seconds left on the clock and lost on time in a position that was technically winning for him against the AUS champion 2018-19, Max Illingworth. Australia scored a second victory, by 3,5-0,5, and made it to the final.
Meanwhile, the main favorite of the event team India had knocked out Mongolia and Kazakhstan and cruised into the final – despite the absence of Vishy Anand and Vidit.
In the first round of the finals, GM Anton Smirnov and GM Max Illingworth scored victories over GMs B. Adhiban and S.P. Sethuraman, respectively. GM Temur Kuybokarov held GM Nihal Sarin to a draw to clinch the 2.5-1.5 win for Australia although a reserve player IM James Morris lost to Indian stalwart GM Krishnan Sasikiran. Australia’s fourth board, Moulthun, had to sit out due to an electric storm in Brisbane, and in fact Max Illingworth also had some connection problem at his residence (in Vietnam) and had to run to a coffee shop in order to be able to play.
In the second round of the finals, GM Moulthun Ly restored connection and was able to rejoin the team. GM Temur Kuybokarov beat GM Nihal Sarin while GM Surya Ganguly leveled the score. Two draws on the first and fourth boards were enough for Australia to draw the second-round match and take the title and the top prize of $5,000.
In the women’s competition, India lived up to its top-seed billing and convincingly outplayed Indonesia in the final twice by the identical score of 3:1. On the way to the title, India steamrolled the opponents in the qualifying stage, then crushed Kazakhstan (4-0 and repeated 3.5-0.5) in the quarterfinals, and clobbered Mongolia (3.5-0.5 and 4-0) in the semifinals.
FIDE President Arkady Dvorkovich honored the winners at closing ceremonies in Zoom with the attendance of FIDE Executive Director Victor Bologan, Asian Chess Federation Deputy President Bharat Singh, Organizing Committee Chairman Hisham Al Taher, and other officials. Oceania Chess Federation president Paul Spiller, Zone 3.2 president Syed Shahab Uddin Shamim of Bangladesh also congratulated the winners.
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Your chess club needs you!
These are difficult times for everybody, and Chess Federations and clubs are not an exception. The situation is particularly dramatic in those countries where chess is not recognized as a sport, which greatly limits the sources of funding, and those with strict restrictions for public gatherings still in place.
Unfortunately for the English Chess Federation, they belong to both categories. ECF oversees a network of more than 600 chess clubs across the country, but not being considered a sports organization it is deprived of access to funding through government sports programs, and it is run by volunteers. It finances its activities through membership fees, but the numbers of ECF members have already dropped from around 12,500 in 2019 to less than 5,000 by the end of September.
To make things worse, “In England, players are unable to meet and play in person because of the UK government’s ‘rule of six’ that restricts groups meeting up, as well as local lockdowns in place around the country”, explained Leon Watson in an article for Chess24, which bears the explicit title "English chess facing ‘hour of need’”.
"Chess clubs, some of which date back 150 years, also face an uncertain future. Clubs in England often meet in venues such as pubs, community halls or hired rooms, which in some cases show no signs of reopening", says Leon.
In a direct appeal issued this week, ECF chief executive Mike Truran called on members to help:
"Like many sports and leisure organizations we have taken an enormous hit over the past six months, and we need members’ help to continue providing online and over the board services now and in the future. Despite members’ best efforts so far, around 55 percent of members have not renewed yet. We will face serious financial difficulties and potential damage to our infrastructure if the current crisis extends too far into 2021 without sufficient membership income to sustain a cost base that we have already stripped back as far as we feel able."
In very similar terms a letter was sent out last Thursday addressing the members of the Dutch Chess Federation. "We hear from a number of clubs that there are members who are considering canceling their membership this year, because they do not want to play competitions or matches in the clubs due to the coronavirus. If you belong to this group: we understand that you do not want to play chess over the board right now, but we still appeal to your solidarity with your club, and thereby also to support Dutch Chess Federation. Together we keep the sport of chess alive in the present time, and for future generations.
Clubs are doing an enormous amount of work to make in real life chess possible. They are booking larger rooms, they are providing disinfectants, and this of course implies extra costs. In addition, many clubs organize online club nights as an alternative. That requires a lot of arranging and organizing for all those hard-working volunteers. The club desperately needs your support and help right now".
FIDE supports the plea of our English and Dutch colleagues. Chess clubs are part of the cultural heritage of chess, and while online chess has opened up a world of possibilities to us, it is in the clubs where most chess fans have taken the first steps. These institutions still play a crucial role in attracting new players to the game and building our community, since chess, like any other game, is above anything else a social activity.
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Joel Benjamin and Irina Krush add to their legend
A few Member Federations held their national championships during the summer, under strict COVID protocols. Some others have opted to cancel this year’s edition altogether. And the US Chess Federation took the audacious decision to hold them online, using a round-robin format and featuring Rapid games (25 + 5), with three rounds played per day. Despite breaking with tradition, the titles are official and the results will count for the records.
Whatever the solution chosen, it wasn’t an easy call for the federations. “The decision to hold the U.S. and U.S. Women's Championships online instead of in their traditional over-the-board manner required a proposal from the Saint Louis Chess Club and then approval from the US Chess Executive Board. From US Chess' perspective, we want events to continue, especially as they represent players' livelihood”, explains Daniel Lucas, head of communications for US Chess.
The US Chess Championships consists of five events, four of which have already been played, while the main course is being served today: from 1pm local time (CT, GMT-5), the top 12 players in the country (with the only exception of Fabiano Caruana) will compete to be the 2020 US Champion.
The US Girls Junior Championship was brilliantly won by IM Carissa Yip. Hardly a surprise: Carissa was not only the top seed, but also the winner of the two previous editions. In the US Junior Championship GM John Burke emerged as the winner in one of the most thrilling finishes ever. He and Jeffery Xiong tied for first with 6,5/7, and in the two-game rapid playoff both games ended in a draw. This led to an Armageddon game in which Xiong, with white, obtained a decisive advantage. However, Burke held on long enough to flag his opponent and clinch the title.
GM Joel Benjamin made history after winning the 2020 US Senior Championship, becoming the first trifecta champion in the US Chess history: he has won the US Junior, US Championship (three times!), and the US Senior. At 56, Joel exhibited great technique that allowed him to come ahead of a pack which included five former US Champions. “This is an incredible thrill for me,” Benjamin said. “I’ve felt for a long time that we have an incredible bunch of really strong, serious (senior) players, and we should have this opportunity. It makes a huge difference in our lives, it’s the one meaningful opportunity that we have, and it’s just a wonderful thing.”
GM Irina Krush won her 8th US Women's Championship after a long break, with her last victory dating back to 2015. She finished unbeaten, with 8,5/11, in what the official report describes, justifiably, as “a virtuous performance”. Only the Junior Champion, Carissa Yip seemed to be able to keep pace with her, but she fell half a point short. The revelation of the event was the underdog IM Dorsa Derakhshani who, despite being the lowest-rated player, climbed to third place.
Irina is now only one title short of the current record holder, the legendary Gisela Kahn Gresser, who dominated the US women's chess scene for three decades, winning nine national titles from 1944 to 1969.
It is very fitting that Joel Benjamin and Irina Krush won a US Championship in the year of COVID, an illness that they both suffered a few months ago. In particular, Irina fell ill in March, and she had been suffering some of its effects as a “long-hauler”, but this hasn’t affected her performance, neither at the Online Olympiad nor the US Championship.
More information at the official website: www.uschesschamps.com.
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The 2020 US Women's Champion, Irina Krush. PHOTO: David Llada
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The participants of the Cape Verde Championship. PHOTO: Daniel Lopes
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Brief news from National Federations
CAPE VERDE
The IV Individual Absolute Championship (CNIA) of Cape Verde took place in the conference room of the Chamber of Commerce of the Barlavento, in Mindelo (S. Vicente Island), from 15th to 18th of October 2020. It was the first and, until now, the only national sports competition held in Cape Verde during the COVID-19 pandemic, which makes it a landmark in Cabo Verdean sport.
The number of participants in the 7-round Swiss tournament was limited for safety reasons, with 20 players (4 women) in the representation of six different clubs. The youngest player was 12-year old Jacira Almeida, whereas the oldest participant was Carlos Mões, age 67.
The rating favorite IM Mariano Ortega lived up to his reputation – he won all seven games and clinched the title with a round to spare. The final round was decisive in terms of the remaining places on the podium. David Anes Monteiro defeated Célia R. Guevara, caught up with his opponent, and relegated her to third place as the winner of the head-to-head encounter.
| 1 |
IM Mariano Ortega Amarelle |
7 |
| 2 |
David Cabral Monteiro Antonio |
5 |
| 3 |
Celia M. Rodriguez Guevara |
5 |
| 4 |
Marcio Pereira Eder |
4,5 |
| 5 |
Luis De Pina Fernandes |
4,5 |
| 6 |
Alexandre Neves Diogo |
4,5 |
| 7 |
Henry Fernandes |
3,5 |
| 8 |
Aire Fortes |
3,5 |
| 9 |
Iliano Santos Silva |
3,5 |
| 10 |
Iura Miranda |
3,5 |
More information on the website of the Cape Verde Chess Federation:
www.fcvx.org
DENMARK
Grandmaster Mads Andersen from Skanderborg Skakklub became Danish champion for the 3rd time. The winner repeated his successes of 2016 and 2017.
The Danish Chess Championship took place in Svendborg from October 09 to October 17. The event should have been held in the spring but due to the epidemiological situation was postponed to the fall. The tournament became one of the strongest in the history of Denmark’s chess with six GMs and the highest rated IM of the country Bjørn Møller participating.
Half a point behind the winner was Bjørn Møller Ochsner, who managed to win the last game 'on demand' to achieve his second GM norm.
| 1 |
GM Mads Andersen |
6,5 |
| 2 |
IM Bjørn Møller Ochsner |
6 |
| 3 |
GM Allan Stig Rasmussen |
5,5 |
| 4 |
GM Boris Chatalbashev |
5,5 |
| 5 |
GM Jesper Søndergård Thybo |
4,5 |
| 6 |
GM Jonas Buhl Bjerre |
4,5 |
| 7 |
IM Martin Haubro |
4,5 |
| 8 |
GM Sune Berg |
3,5 |
| 9 |
FM Nicolai Kvist Brondt |
3 |
| 10 |
IM Jens Ove Fries Nielsen |
1,5 |
More information on the website of the Danish Chess Federation:
www.skak.dk
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GM Alojzije Jankovic. PHOTO: Marko Lukonic
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Sports and business
The fourth edition of SportFest, a leading sports fair and conference, was held this year in Poreč, Croatia, from 16-18 October. One of the lecturers was the Grandmaster from Zagreb Alojzije Jankovic, who is currently Secretary-General of the Croatian Chess Federation – a country that loves chess with passion.
Jankovic, who also holds a Master’s degree in Economics, is a specialist in sports management, and his lecture focused on the connections between sports and business. In particular, he discussed the valuable skills that a sportsman acquires during his/her career, and how these skills can transfer later on to a second career, and be valued in the labor market.
A common problem for many chess players is that, at some point in their career, their results start to decline, but not knowing what else to do, they keep on playing, prolonging their sportive career even if that means lowering their living standards. Some others simply fail to achieve the level required to make a good living by just competing, after having sacrificed their formal studies in pursuing a chess career. At that point, many turn to coaching or to sports administration as their only option, underestimating other alternatives.
“In the North American business world, an athlete’s career is almost a recommendation in itself to employers. If a human resources manager sees that you were an Olympic athlete, they automatically know that you must have developed exceptional working habits, and you are a team player.”
Alojzije gives the example of the Croatian Olympic athletes Ante Kusurin (rowing) and Mario Ancic (tennis). "Together with their fund One Equity Partners, they were significantly involved in the purchase of the Croatian IT company Infobip. There are many athletes who have not made only great sports careers, but they are also successful in business".
Jankovic also mentioned his colleague at the Sports Gymnasium Tomislav Cutura, the son of the famous Croatian basketball player Zoran Cutura. "Thanks to sports, he got a scholarship to study in the USA, he graduated from college there, and he is now one of the partners in the company Ernst & Young. He has been a decision-maker in large acquisitions, like the purchase of the Croatian IT company Nanobit. To him, some of the skills he developed while playing sports are very useful in the process of analysis and in the preparation of business initiatives." And he stresses: "It is important to say that the time spent competing in sports, regardless of your success, is not wasted time."
According to Jankovic, it is easier to make a transition from a sports career into the business world, than the other way around. "The skills acquired in chess are quite profitable in the business world. Large corporations, like Google, are very keen to integrate 'problem-solvers' in their staff, rather than merely looking for those with a classic higher education. In today’s job market, people who have analytical skills, who know how to solve problems and are creative at the same time, are highly valued", explains.
"Garry Kasparov once said that chess is good for human development because a chess player has an obligation to make a move. Action, not reaction is the important factor", add Jankovic. Sometimes, the right move might be to reinvent one’s self and use the lessons learned at the chess board to move on and excel in some other field.
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Alexander Grischuk. PHOTO: Lennart Ootes
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Anniversaries
Alexander Grischuk and Alexander Alekhine not only bear the same first name: they also share a birthplace, Moscow, and they both were born on the last day of October.
Alexander Alexandrovich Alekhine came to this world on October 31, 1982. One of the most charismatic players of all time, Alekhine became the fourth World Champion in history, and the only one ever to have died while holding the title.
Alexander Igorevich Grischuk will celebrate his 37 anniversary this Saturday. He reached the semifinals of the FIDE World Championship 2000, and he has competed in five Candidates Tournaments (2007, 2011, 2013, 2018, and 2020). He has never qualified to play a match for the title in classical chess, but he is a three-time world blitz chess champion (in 2006, 2012 and 2015).
The first days of November will also see the birthday of three great legends from the seventies: Ljubomir Ljubojevic (Nov-2, 1950), Eugene Torre (Nov-4, 1951) and Robert Hübner (Nov-6, 1948). While Hübner is completely retired from chess, Torre and Ljubo still play occasionally: the two old gladiators crossed swords in the Platja d’Aro tournament just a couple of years ago. At the 2016 Chess Olympiad in Baku, Torre stunned the chess world with a 2836 performance, an impressive feat for a 64-year old player!
Last but not least, we would like to congratulate our colleague Thomas Luther, Chairman of the FIDE Commission for the Disabled (DIS), who will celebrate his birthday on November 4.
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Ljubomir Ljubojevic. PHOTO: David Llada
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