FIDE Candidates Tournament 2024 opens in Toronto
The historic FIDE Candidates Tournament 2024 kicked off in Toronto with the inaugural press conference and the Opening Ceremony at the welcoming 1 Hotel Toronto, a sustainable sanctuary in the heart of downtown. George Sovatzis, the Director of Sales and Marketing, set the tone with a warm welcome address. “We take immense pride in being part of this competition as it makes its North American debut,” he said. The press conference, moderated by Anna Burtasova, the event’s Press Officer, featured notable speakers: Emil Sutovsky, CEO of the International Chess Federation (FIDE) Vladimir Drkulec, President of the Chess Federation of Canada Fabiano Caruana (USA), the top-rated contender in the FIDE Candidates Tournament Vaishali R (India), one of the youngest participants in the FIDE Women’s Candidates Tournament When asked about the decision to host the tournament in Toronto, Sutovsky explained, “North America has not seen world championship cycle competitions. However, we were well aware of the chess boom in Canada, with a lot of young players emerging. There are a lot of chess fans in the country. The Scheinberg family’s support for staging the event here, coupled with the backing of the Chess Federation of Canada, made it a logical choice. Judging by the feedback we are getting, by the interest from the fans and the media and by the government’s support, it was the right decision.” Drkulec addressed a recent hiccup that had the community on edge: visa delays for the participants. “We embarked on an adventure to mobilize our entire chess community, ensuring timely visas for the players. I’ve never witnessed so many chess parents, former players, current players, and many others rallying together. We’ve managed to connect with over a dozen Members of Parliament and four Ministers, ultimately resolving the situation. It was amazing to get all this support.” Caruana said he doesn’t feel the pressure from the fact that he’s the rating favourite of the event. “We know that every player here can potentially win the tournament if they bring their best game. The numbers say something about the past performances, but I think it will be a mistake to take any of the players lightly.” The upcoming tournament marks a series of firsts. Not only is Canada hosting this prestigious event as it debuts in North America, the FIDE Candidates Tournament and the FIDE Women’s Candidates Tournament are being played under one roof for the very first time. Additionally, it’s a momentous occasion as siblings Vaishali R and Praggnanandhaa R compete side by side in this high-caliber event, which has never occurred before. “We discuss our games all the time and help each other throughout various events,” confirmed Vaishali. “We also have our mother here with us; this family support is very important to us.” The Opening Ceremony of the tournament set a delightful tone. Aris Marghetis, the Chief Arbiter, donned a different hat as he hosted the event alongside the charming Charlize Van Zyl. Drkulec took the stage first, expressing gratitude to FIDE and the Scheinberg Family, the main sponsor of the FIDE Candidates Tournament 2024, without whom this event would not have been possible. Adding a touch of humor, Kevin Vuong, Member of Parliament for Spadina-Fort York, shared a witty anecdote from his own days as a chess player 22 years ago. Each player was then invited to the stage to receive a welcome bag filled with tournament merchandise. A special question awaited them, such as “Oppenheimer or Barbie?” added a personal touch to the proceedings. Alireza Firouzja enthusiastically exclaimed, “Barbie!” while Ian Nepomniachtchi playfully disagreed by declaring, “Definitely Oppenheimer!” Sutovsky then took to stage and awarded the FIDE Medal of Merit to Isai Scheinberg. The significance of this award is marked by the fact that it had not been presented since 1994. In his acceptance speech, Isai shared that his support for chess was a tribute to his father, who had participated in two Chess Olympiads before pursuing a career in medicine. Both tournaments will be set in motion on April 4 at 14:30 local time with the first round. Watch the event live on FIDE YouTube with star commentators GM Viswanathan Anand and GM Irina Krush. Written by WGM Anna Burtasova Photos: Michal Walusza Official website: candidates2024.fide.com/ Partners:
Aktobe Open – Vladimir Dvorkovich Memorial announced
The Kazakhstan Chess Federation invites you to participate in the International Chess Tournament Aktobe Open 2024, dedicated to the memory of Vladimir Dvorkovich, a renowned arbiter and prominent figure in the chess world. The tournament is supported by the Ministry of Tourism and Sports of the Republic of Kazakhstan. The general partner is Freedom Holding Corp. while Aktobe Copper Company acts as a partner of the competition. Dates: from May 24 (day of arrival) to June 3 (day of departure). Location: ACE Tennis Club, 2, Mangilik El St., Aktobe. The Aktobe Open will be held in two sections: Masters Tournament for GM, FM, IM, WGM, WIM, and WFM ranked 2400 and above (men) and 2200 and above (women) as of May 1, 2024. The organizing committee provides support only for invited athletes with a rating above 2600 as of May 1, 2024 (the list of invited participants is formed by the Kazakhstan Chess Federation). Open Tournament is for players rated 1800 – 2399 as of May 1, 2024. Both events are 9-round Swiss tournaments with classical time control (90 minutes + 30 seconds increment). The guaranteed prize fund for the Masters Tournament is 45,000,000 KZT (approximately $100,000), with 9,000,000 KZT (approximately $20,000) going to a winner. Special prizes will be awarded to the three best women and three best Kazakhstani players. The guaranteed prize fund for the Open Tournament is 4,550,000 KZT. Special prizes will be awarded to the best women, veterans (born in 1964 or earlier), and boys and girls under 14 and under 10. Applications for participation in tournaments are submitted on the website of the Kazakhstan Chess Federation: kazchess.kz/pay Regulations for Aktobe Open – Vladimir Dvorkovich Memorial (pdf)
Daniel Barrish and Jesse February win South African Closed Championship
Congratulations to FM Daniel Barrish and WIM Jesse February, winners of the 2024 South African Closed Chess Championships hosted by the Cape Town Chess Federation at the Newlands Cricket Ground. Both open and women’s tournaments were 12-player round robins with classical time control. Fifth seed Daniel Barrish delivered an impressive performance, taking clear first in the open section, finishing a full point ahead of the runner-up FM Caleb Levitan. The champion scored 8/11 and became the only unbeaten player in the tournament. IM Jan Karsten netted 6.5/11 and won bronze. Final standings open: 1 FM Barrish, Daniel 2218 8 2 FM Levitan, Caleb 2235 7 3 IM Karsten, Jan 2323 6½ 4 Mnyasta, Charlton 2123 6 FM Mhango, Banele 2193 6 6 IM Cawdery, Daniel 2380 6 7 Mnguni, Jacob 2134 6 8 IM Kobese, Watu 2268 6 9 FM Klaasen, Calvin 2155 5½ 10 FM Simpson, Michael 2093 4 11 Mfazwe, Lutho 1956 2½ 12 CM Khumalo, Keith 2079 2½ Fresh from her triumph in the African Championship, Jesse February dominated the women’s competition, conceding her opponents just a half-point. WIM Charlize Van Zyl (9/11) and WFM Chloe Badenhorst (8/11) completed the podium. Final standings women: 1 WIM February, Jesse 1920 10½ 2 WIM Van Zyl, Charlize 1909 9 3 WFM Badenhorst, Chloe 1917 8 4 Klaasen, Robyn 1746 6½ 5 Nel, Hayley 1678 6 6 Strong, Davida 1672 5½ 7 Boshoma, Chisomo 1780 5 8 Grobbelaar, Jacqui 1726 4½ 9 Rautenbach, Helen 1586 3½ 10 WIM Laubscher, Anzel 1820 3 11 Joya, Imkhita 1656 2½ 12 Van Zyl, Bea 1507 2 The senior section was jointly won by CM Dr Lyndon Bouah and FM Dr Shabier Bhawoodien, who could not be separated by tie-breaks. Based on the competition results, the following players were selected to represent South Africa at the 45th Chess Olympiad in Budapest, Hungary in September 2024: OPEN: FM Daniel BarrishFM Caleb Levitan (13 years old)IM Jan Karsten (15 years old)Charlton Mnyasta (18 years old)FM Banele Mhango LADIES: WIM Jesse FebruaryWIM Charlize van ZylWFM Chloe Badenhorst (17 years old)Robyn KlaasenHayley Nel (17 years old) Photo: Flashlight Pictures