45th Chess Olympiad R06: India emerges as sole leader in both sections
India is going to the only rest day of the 45th Chess Olympiad as the sole leader, having won all matches in both the open and women’s sections. Both teams have been winning confidently, without experiencing tough matches so far—a strong statement on their path to the gold medals. Argentinian chess prodigy Faustino Oro, with a current rating of 2434 at just ten years old, made the first move in Round 6 for world champion Ding Liren, setting the games in motion. India continued their pursuit of gold medals, defeating Hungary 3-1. Arjun Erigaisi remains the only player with a perfect score in the open section. In Round 6, he won against Sanan Sjugirov, a recent addition to the Hungarian team. Erigaisi is gaining 13 rating points in the Olympiad, elevating him to a career-high of 2791. The second win in the match was delivered by Vidit Gujrathi, while the games on first two boards ended in draws. Incredible Vietnam halted China, tying the match 2-2. Wang Yue beat Tuan Minh Tran on the last board, but the leader of the Vietnamese team, Le Quang Liem, retaliated by defeating world champion Ding Liren. “This is the first time that after the first half of the tournament, we are among the leaders,” commented Liem on the official broadcast. “I am very happy with the result and proud of my teammates. We are playing fantastically this time. Coming into this tournament, we had no expectations. We were initially ranked #21. We have never been this close to the medals before. We will enjoy the games and see what happens.” Iran prevailed over Norway in a close match, thanks to a win on the fourth board, where Pouya Idani gained the upper hand over Frode Urkedal. Magnus Carlsen had a significant advantage in the middlegame against Parham Maghsoodloo but could only achieve a draw. Uzbekistan had a tough match against Israel, as Sindarov blundered and lost to Nabaty. However, thanks to the wins of Abdusattorov and Yakubboev, the defending champions clinched the match victory. The USA continues to struggle, with four draws against Romania despite being the favorites on every board—a result that is hardly satisfying for the team of Fabiano Caruana. After 6 rounds, India is the sole leader with 12 points, closely pursued by Vietnam, China, and Iran with 11 match points. In the women’s section, India continues to delight their fans too. A convincing victory over Armenia was secured by Divya Deshmukh, who defeated Elina Danielian. Draws on the other boards cemented the result. China, meanwhile, suffered a second consecutive loss. Poland pulled off this important victory by 2½-1½, thanks to Oliwia Kiolbasa, the heroine of the previous Olympiad, who beat Guo Qi. The other three games ended in draws. Georgia narrowly won against Mongolia, thanks to Melia Salome’s victory on the fourth board. After six rounds, India leads with 12 match points, followed by Georgia and Poland with 11. The tournament halts for a one-day break and the competition will resume on September 18 with Round 7. Position of the day: Ding Liren (China, 2736) – Le Quang Liem (Vietnam, 2741) White to move In this position, White could have held a draw with precise play after 44.Rd8. The World Champion played 44.Ra8? only to find himself lost after 44…d5! Le Quang Liem: “The main challenge for White is that it is not clear where you should put your rook – behind the pawn or on the side – and where to put your king, so it’s a bit tricky.” Peter Svidler: “The rook needs to be on d8, it turns out. It is very important to keep it on d8.” Results of the top matches: Open: (10) China 2-2 Vietnam (10)(10) Hungary 1-3 India (10)(9) Norway 1.5-2.5 Iran (9)(8) USA 2-2 Romania (8)(8) Israel 1.5-2.5 Uzbekistan (8) Women: (10) India 2.5-1.5 Armenia (10)(9) Georgia 2.5-1.5 Mongolia (10)(9) Poland 2.5-1.5 China (8)(8) Ukraine 3-1 Serbia (8)(8) Vietnam 1.5-2.5 Azerbaijan (8) Full results: Chess-results.com – 45th Chess Olympiad Written by WGM Anna Burtasova Photos: Michal Walusza, Mark Livshitz and Maria Emelianova See more Round 7 photos on FIDE Flickr Official website: chessolympiad2024.fide.com
FIDE WGP 2024-2025: Complete allocations published
FIDE has published the complete allocations for the WGP 2024–2025 series. Following consultations with renowned women chess players, the 2024–25 series introduced several notable format changes. The 2024-2025 season includes six tournaments (up from four previously) held across the world, with each of 20 elite female players participating in three events. The overall prize fund for the Women’s Grand Prix Series increased from 80,000 Euros to 120,000 Euros. The winner of the Grand Prix series will receive 30,000 Euros (up from 20,000 Euros), and the runner-up will be awarded 22,000 Euros (compared to the previous 16,000 Euros). The first leg of the 2024-2025 season held in Tbilisi, Georgia and saw the triumph of Alina Kashlinkaya, who took the lead in the overall standings. Shymkent, Kazakhstan will host the second tournament of the series from October 29 to November 9, 2024. FIDE WGP official website: womengrandprix.fide.com/
World Senior Championships 2024: Registration deadline extended
The organizing committee of the FIDE World Senior Chess Championships 2024, scheduled to take part in Porto Santo, Portugal, from November 16-29, 2024, announces that the deadline for registration has been extended to October 16, 2024. For useful information and details on how to get to Porto Santo, please visit the official webpage:https://worldsenior.fpx.pt/how-to-get-to-porto-santo/ There will be several options to reach the island: by ferry and by air, including a charter flight from Lisbon to Porto Santo on November 16, returning November 29. E-mail: worldsenior@fide.com Helpline via WhatsApp: +351937245507 (in English, French, German, Russian, Spanish, Portuguese, and other languages to assist you with information, Visas and travel arrangements) Regulations and invitation letter (PDF)
45th Chess Olympiad R05: Vietnam, Armenia and Mongolia deliver upsets
India is excelling in both the open and women’s sections at the 45th Chess Olympiad in Budapest. In the open section, team India defeated Azerbaijan by a strong 3-1 score, with two victories and two draws. Gukesh D and Arjun Erigaisi won their games, while Vidit Gujrathi came close to defeating Mamedyarov but missed his chance. In the women’s section, India triumphed over Kazakhstan 2.5-1.5. Both squads are displaying confident play and have avoided any close matches so far, unlike other favorites. Will they maintain this good pace through the second half of the tournament, and who will challenge them? In the next round, Gukesh and his team will face the hosts, Hungary. In round 5, this consistent team defeated Ukraine. Richard Rapport outplayed Vasyl Ivanchuk, and all other games ended in draws. Hungary has a glorious history of Olympiad victories, but all of them were achieved in the previous century: in 1927, 1928, and 1978. Altogether, Hungary has won 12 Olympic medals, the latest being silver in 2014. The team of Péter Lékó, Csaba Balogh, Zoltán Almási, Richárd Rapport, and Judit Polgár finished ahead of India, which took bronze. Fast forward ten years, and Richard Rapport is now leading the team, eager to exceed this result on home turf. China in the open section is also steadily winning but by narrow margins. Three draws and a victory by Wei Yi against David Anton secured them a win over Spain in round 5. In round 6, they will face the sensational team of Vietnam. After defeating Uzbekistan, Vietnam continued their hot streak by upsetting Poland. And again, Nguyen Ngoc Truong Son (2633) and Le Tuan Minh (2564) won their games, this time against Radoslaw Wojtaszek (2681) and Mateusz Bartel (2618), respectively. With 4.5/5, having defeated Sindarov and Bartel, Le Tuan Minh’s performance rating is currently 2810. The 27-year-old became Vietnam’s 13th grandmaster in 2022. He’s also a streamer who regularly plays online chess and has Titled Tuesday win under his belt. In the women’s section, the leaders alongside India are Armenia and Mongolia. Both teams toppled favorites in round 5. Armenia caused a sensation by beating China. Anna Sargsyan (2364) defeated 14-year-old Lu Miaoyi (2438), Elina Danielian (2393) drew with Ni Shiqun (2348), and after Mariam Mkrtchyan (2328) lost to Song Yuxin (2373), the score was 1.5-1.5. The outcome was decided by the first board game, where Lilit Mktchian (2366) was precise against Zhu Jiner (2487), who, looking at the other boards, pushed too hard for a win and ended up in an inferior position. Mongolia triumphed over the USA 2.5-1.5. Munkhzul Turmunkh (2256) bested Gulrukhbegim Tokhirjonova (2380) on the top board to secure the win, as all other games ended in draws. While India will face Armenia in the next round, Mongolia will be put to the test by one of the tournament’s favorites, Georgia, who are trailing the leaders by one point. Position of the day: Vasyl Ivanchuk (Ukraine, 2635) – Richard Rapport (Hungary, 2715) Black to move The white king on e5 is quite exotic, but how to get to it? 24…Nb8! and after 25.Rd6 Qc4 26.Qf4 White resigned as 26…f6+ wins the queen. Results of the top matches: Open: (8) India 3-1 Azerbaijan (8)(8) Ukraine 1.5-2.5 Hungary (8)(8) Spain 1.5-2.5 China (8)(8) Vietnam 2.5-1.5 Poland (8)(7) Turkiye 1-3 Norway (7)(7) Iran 3.5-0.5 Canada (7) Women: (8) Kazakhstan 1.5-2.5 India (8)(8) China 1.5-2.5 Armenia (8)(8) Mongolia 2.5-1.5 USA (8)(8) Uzbekistan 1.5-2.5 Georgia (7)(7) Poland 3-1 Turkiye (7)(7) Azerbaijan 2-2 Ukraine (7) Full results: Chess-results.com – 45th Chess Olympiad Written by WGM Anna Burtasova Photos: Michal Walusza, Mark Livshitz and Maria Emelianova Official website: chessolympiad2024.fide.com
45th Chess Olympiad Round 4: Ukraine upsets USA, Vietnam beats Uzbekistan
Round 4 of the 45th Chess Olympiad in Budapest saw Ukraine triumph over the USA in a thrilling match. Fabiano Caruana was the first to score, defeating Andrei Volokitin. Leinier Dominguez and Ruslan Ponomariov drew on board three, and with Wesley So having a better position against Vasyl Ivanchuk, things looked promising for the Americans. However, So blundered, allowing the legendary Ivanchuk to create a mating net and win the game. By then, Anton Korobov was already winning against Ray Robson on the fourth board. He secured the victory, leading Ukraine to defeat the tournament’s top seed, by 2.5-1.5. When asked about the team’s chances following this brilliant performance, the hero of the day, Anton Korobov, joked bitterly: “There are seven rounds to go; it’s going to be a disaster! The average age of our team is like 70 years old.” Defending champions Uzbekistan, who hadn’t lost a single match in the 2022 Olympiad, surprisingly fell to the 21st-seeded Vietnam team. First, Le Tuan Minh (2564) defeated Javokhir Sindarov (2677), and then Nguyen Ngoc Truong Son (2633) prevailed over Nodirbek Yakubboev (2666), who seemed to push too hard for a win. The other two games – Le Quang Liem (2741) vs. Nodirbek Abdusattorov (2766), and Tran Tuan Minh (2434) vs. Jakhongir Vakhidov (2571) – ended in draws. India continues to perform strongly, with a 3.5-0.5 win against Serbia. In all 16 games, Gukesh and his team conceded only two draws to their opponents. Current world #4, Arjun Erigaisi (pictured below), with a rating of 2778, gained 7 rating points after his fourth victory, this time against Aleksandar Indjic, continuing to break his own records on the path to 2800. China narrowly defeated Armenia thanks to Yu Yangyi beating Gabriel Sargissian, while the other games ended in draws. From the leading pack, Poland, Hungary, Azerbaijan, and Spain also won their matches. Going into round 5, eight teams have 8 match points: India, Spain, China, Vietnam, Azerbaijan, Poland, Hungary, and Ukraine (listed according to tiebreaks). Unlike their male counterparts, the Ukrainian women’s team has had a tough start. After a narrow win against Lithuania and conceding two board draws against Israel, the defending champions tied 2-2 against lower-rated Turkey in round 4. The top two boards drew their games, while the sides exchanged blows on the lower boards. Nataliya Buksa (2387) defeated Kubra Ozturk Orenli (2262), but Evgeniya Doluhanova (2304) lost to 18-year-old Gulenay Aydin (2202). Other favorites, namely India, China, USA, and Georgia, won their matches convincingly. The Spanish women’s team, usually not among the favorites, is now reinforced with IM Sarasadat Khademalsharieh, world #20, rated 2468, who switched federations from Iran in 2023. As a result, the team is the #9 seed in the tournament, but in round 4, Sarasadat’s teammates lost two games and conceded to Mongolia by 1.5-2.5. In a surprising turn of events, the Uzbekistan women’s squad upset Bulgaria. Afruza Khamdamova (2313; pictured below) defeated former world champion Antoaneta Stefanova (2416), while the other games ended in draws. Fifteen-year-old Afruza is Uzbekistan’s brightest young talent, the first woman in the country to break the 2300 rating. In 2023, she won the U14 Girls World Championship, scoring 10 points in 11 games. Her only “loss” occurred because she had to withdraw from the first round due to a cancelled flight, but she won all her subsequent games. After four rounds, seven teams have won all their matches: China, India, USA, Armenia, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, and Mongolia. The young Chinese squad has conceded only one draw to their opponents in 16 games. Position of the day: Vasyl Ivanchuk (Ukraine, 2635) – Wesley So (USA, 2752) White to move Black just played 44…Ra2-e2? – a terrible mistake. Seemingly out of the blue, White weaves a mating net: 45.Rb7 Re5 46.Rxf7 g5 47.h5 Kxh5 48.Rf6, and Black resigned. Results of the top matches: Open: USA 1.5-2.5 UkraineSerbia 0.5-3.5 IndiaChina 2.5-1.5 ArmeniaVietnam 3-1 UzbekistanHungary 2.5-1.5 ItalyPoland 2.5-1.5 LithuaniaMontenegro 1-3 AzerbaijanSweden 0.5-3.5 Spain Women: India 3.5-0.5 FranceEngland 0-4 ChinaUkraine 2-2 TurkeyUSA 3.5-0.5 NetherlandsSpain 1.5-2.5 MongoliaSerbia 1.5-2.5 KazakhstanArmenia 3-1 VietnamUzbekistan 2.5-1.5 Bulgaria Full results: Chess-results.com – 45th Chess Olympiad Written by WGM Anna Burtasova Photos: Michal Walusza, Mark Livshitz and Maria Emelianova Official website: chessolympiad2024.fide.com
45th Chess Olympiad R03: Netherlands and Germany fall, several favorites stumble
Round 3 of the 4th Chess Olympiad brought the biggest upsets so far, with two top teams losing their matches in the open section and a few others drawing. The Netherlands, seeded 5th, lost to 23rd-seeded Italy by 1-3. Lorenzo Lodici (2556) defeated Anish Giri (2724), Francesco Sonis (2554) won against Max Warmerdam (2679), and Sabino Brunello (2511) triumphed over Erwin L’Ami (2628). Jorden Van Foreest (2696) was the only Dutch player to win, defeating Luca Moroni (2558). Germany (#7) lost to Lithuania (#23) by 1.5-2.5 after Alexander Donchenko (2638) blundered away a winning position to Valery Kazakouski (2577). England (#8) only managed a draw with Denmark (#30), and Iran (#10) lost match points by drawing with Georgia (#32). India is going strong, defeating Hungary B by 3.5-0.5. So far, the team has conceded only 0.5 points to opponents in all 12 games. China also confidently won against Slovenia 3-1. The USA had no problems against Bulgaria, winning the match 3.5-0.5. Levon Aronian opened the scoring and shared some thoughts on his games in an interview. Reflecting on Game 1, which caused his fans a lot of anxiety, he said he was ready to resign but kept going and creating tricks because he was playing for the team. World #1 Magnus Carlsen played his first game, arriving at the hall 10 minutes late. His journey to face Colombian GM Roberto Garcia Pantoja was somewhat of an adventure. He arrived by bike in the rain, rushed to the venue, got confused about the entrance, and was finally taken through the media doors. Despite this, he defeated his opponent with the black pieces, contributing to his team’s 3.5-0.5 win. After the game, he commented: “It was a bit of a mess. I am in a different hotel from the others, so they were supposed to pick me up. Then, they suddenly told me that traffic was horrible and they would be at my hotel at five to three. At that point, I thought I couldn’t get there in time by car, so I decided biking might be faster.” Upsets also occurred in the women’s section. One of the favorites, Georgia, drew their match with Romania. Dzagnidze (2508) and Batsiashvili (2461) on boards 1 and 3 won their games against Bulmaga (2406) and Voicu-Jagodzinsky (2271), but on the other two boards, the Romanian players reached their opponents’ kings. Javakhishvili (2446) got caught in an unexpected mating net in the endgame against Sandu (2248), and Khotenashvili (2432) blundered mate in two moves to Ciolacu (2160). Greece surprised everyone, drawing with one of the favorites, Poland. Pavlidou (2141) won a rollercoaster game against Maltsevskaya (2404), which ended with three queens on the board and the black king on d3. The best performer of the previous Olympiad, Kiolbasa (2348), struck back with a win against Makropoulou (2103). The other two games finished in a draw. Other favorites, namely India, China, and Ukraine, did not face major problems in their respective matches but lost some board points along the way. Sixteen teams in the open section have won all three matches so far: India, USA, Uzbekistan, China, Vietnam, Azerbaijan, Poland, Spain, Ukraine, Armenia, Lithuania, Sweden, Hungary, Italy, Montenegro, and Serbia (listed in order of tiebreaks). In the women’s section, sixteen teams are in the lead with 6 match points: USA, Spain, England, China, Bulgaria, France, India, Uzbekistan, Ukraine, Serbia, Vietnam, Armenia, Turkey, Netherlands, Kazakhstan, and Mongolia (listed in order of tiebreaks). Going into the third round, only India, Slovenia, and Germany managed to win both matches with a 4-0 score in the open section. In the women’s tournament, six teams—Poland, China, Spain, Armenia, Argentina, and Iran—achieved this feat. However, none of them could maintain their perfect streak! Position of the day: Arjun Erigaisi (India, 2778) – Peter Prohaszka (Hungary B, 2542) White to move 32.Qxh6!+ gxh6+ 33.Rxh6 Qh7 34.Rxh7# Results of the top matches: Open: Bulgaria 0.5-3.5 USAIndia 3.5-0.5 Hungary BSlovenia 1-3 ChinaUzbekistan 3.5-0.5 CroatiaItaly 3-1 Netherlands Women: Switzerland 1-3 IndiaGeorgia 2-2 RomaniaGreece 2-2 PolandChina 3.5-0.5 ItalyIsrael 1-3 Ukraine Full results: Chess-results.com – 45th Chess Olympiad Written by WGM Anna Burtasova Photos: Michal Walusza, Mark Livshitz, Maria Emelianova and Anna Shtourman Official website: chessolympiad2024.fide.com
FIDE and DGT extend partnership for another four years
The International Chess Federation (FIDE) and Digital Game Technology B.V. (DGT) have agreed to renew their long-standing partnership. DGT is well known in the chess world for providing innovative chess products such as e-boards, computers and chess clocks to players and organizers across the globe. The new agreement formalizes their continued collaboration to promote chess globally. The agreement is signed for a period of four years. DGT will continue to provide FIDE with its clocks, particularly the DGT 2500 and DGT 3000 models. The DGT 3000 chess clock will be used exclusively at all top FIDE events, including the World Chess Championship, Candidates Tournament, and World Cup. DGT will provide FIDE with 4000 DGT 2500 clocks, 680 DGT 3000 clocks and 680 electronic chess boards. FIDE retains the right to review the quality of DGT products annually to ensure they meet FIDE’s standards. Under the agreement, FIDE grants DGT exclusive rights to use FIDE’s trademarks, such as “FIDE Championship Clock” and “Official FIDE Clock,” on DGT chess clocks.
45th Chess Olympiad R02: Norway struggles without Carlsen, top teams lose board points
As the Chess Olympiad progresses, the matches become tougher. In the second round, the favorites still faced weaker teams, but the rating differences are narrowing. This led to many teams conceding more individual points and some even not winning their matches. Canada, seeded 50th, delivered an upset by drawing 2-2 with tournament’s #6 Norway. Former U18 World Champion Shawn Rodrigue-Lemieux (2509) won one of the longest games of the round against Johan-Sebastian Christiansen (2661) on board one. The absence of team leader Magnus Carlsen negatively impacted Norway, despite them being approximately 100 rating points favorites on each board. Ireland (#64) surprisingly drew with Israel (#20), Estonia (#60) split points with Serbia (#16), Mongolia (#63) drew with the Czech Republic (#19), and Venezuela (#67) tied their match with Greece (#23). China lost its first individual points but defeated Chile. World Champion Ding Liren drew on the first board against Cristobal Henriquez Villagra. Uzbekistan also conceded half a point to Egypt when Hamed Wafa (2368) managed to draw against Javokhir Sindarov (2677). The Netherlands narrowly won against Belgium with two draws on the lower boards, but were never at risk of losing the match, winning 2.5-1.5. Despite winning two matches, team USA has not yet found its best form. Fabiano Caruana scored the first win against Singapore in Round 2 but expressed concern about his teammates during the match: “At the moment, Levon is struggling. His game today is very dangerous for him, and we can’t really afford to lose a game. We’re playing a solid team, and they are probably going to make two draws with the white pieces.” His worries were in vain, though, as the team eventually won the match 4-0. India has also left no chances for their opponents so far, winning their second match 4-0, this time against Iceland. In the women’s section, Nikolina Koljevic (2030) from Montenegro delivered an upset to Salome Melia (2293), but Georgia, one of the tournament’s favorites, still won the match 3-1. “Some teams come here to have fun and meet friends, but for us, it’s always a fight for medals,” commented Nino Batsiashvili. “Any medal is good, but we’re striving for gold. We were so close last time!” Defending champions Ukraine had a surprisingly tough match against Lithuania as top board Yuliia Osmak (2471) lost to Olena Martynkova (2176) and the last board Evgeniya Doluhanova (2304) drew against Gabija Simkunaite (2005). The two middle boards won their games, securing a narrow 2.5-1.5 victory for Ukraine. Poland and China won their matches convincingly, 4-0. Position of the day: Andres Rodriguez Vila (Uruguay, 2417) – Vasyl Ivanchuk (Ukraine, 2635) Black to move 24…Bxf5! The game continued 25.Qxh5 Bg4 26.Qh8 Bxh3 and Black won in a few moves. Results of the top matches: Open: USA 4-0 SingaporeIceland 0-4 IndiaChina 3.5-0.5 ChileEgypt 0.5-3.5 UzbekistanNetherlands 2.5-1.5 Belgium Women: India 3.5-0.5 Czech RepublicMontenegro 1-3 GeorgiaPoland 4-0 BrazilColombia 0-4 ChinaUkraine 2.5-0.5 Lithuania Full results: Chess-results.com – 45th Chess Olympiad Written by WGM Anna Burtasova Photos: Michal Walusza, Mark Livshitz and Maria Emelianova Official website: chessolympiad2024.fide.com
Judit Polgar’s Global Chess Festival celebrates 10th edition
The world’s most inspiring chess event turns ten this year – Let’s celebrate together with Judit Polgar and Ernő Rubik Inspiration is an integral part of our lives. We can draw ideas from our morning coffee just as much as from a meaningful conversation or the life journey of the world’s best female chess player, whose charisma inspires millions. This inner motivational power is brought to us by the chess legend Judit Polgar at the jubilee Global Chess Festival. Recharge your creative energy! The two-day event series kicks off at the Hungarian National Gallery. “Based on feedback from visitors and speakers, this festival is the most inspiring event of the year, which is why they love to return again and again. Their opinions inspire me as well. That’s why I chose inspiration as the central theme of this year’s event. Looking back, I was inspired as a child by my parents, my siblings, and various situations. For example, I was 12 years old, and one of the greatest chess players of all time, Garry Kasparov, watched my game. As an adult, I can find inspiration in a good book, an interesting performance, or a meaningful conversation. can draw inspiration from a good book, an interesting lecture, or a meaningful conversation. We will not lack any of these at the festival,” revealed Judit Polgár, the best female chess player in history and the festival’s founder. The organizers added that the 10th Judit Polgar’s Global Chess Festival, sponsored by Morgan Stanley, a company with an outstanding chess culture, will be about anniversaries, great encounters, and celebrations. More than 20 programs await visitors across three locations. Chess brings together families and communities On September 17, the first day of the festival at the National Gallery, visitors will have the opportunity to meet the Polgár sisters in person for a joint book signing, happening for the first time in five years. One of the festival’s flagship programs is the community chess simul where Judit Polgar will play against eight communities (hundreds of thousands of people). One of her opponents will be Chess.com, the world’s largest chess community. Other challengers include a team of Hungarian sports legends, featuring Dr. Jenő Kamuti, National Athlete of Hungary, and Ádám Varga, silver medalist in kayaking at the Tokyo and Paris Olympics. The artist community will also participate, represented by poet and slammer Zsófi Kemény, musician Charlie, actress and theatre director Enikő Eszenyi, and writer and film director Péter Gárdos. Additionally, the chess influencer Zachary Saine (The Chess Nerd) and his community will take part. The extraordinary chess simul can be followed live on-site and online from 2:00 p.m. This year’s festival patron is Ernő Rubik. “Games and puzzles provide a magical way to learn and flourish. Judit Polgár has explored every small path of this adventure and inspires thousands of children to join in every year. It was with great pleasure that I accepted the invitation to be patron of the Jubilee Chess Festival, as the 50th anniversary of the Cube could not receive a more worthy recognition as a symbol of playful learning,” highlighted the world-famous inventor of the Rubik’s Cube. Alongside the children, parents can also find inspiration at the festival from Judit Polgar’s new six-volume interactive book series, the Chess Palace, and its magic world. “The new book series is the result of two years of work. Parents can experience adventures and creative challenges with their children. They can draw inspiration from the books to play together. Chess Palace brings generations within families closer together,” said Judit Polgar. “We are delighted to support the Global Chess Festival and Judit Polgár’s mission for the sixth consecutive year to inspire the next generation of strategic thinkers. Chess has become an integral part of life at Morgan Stanley, not just in Budapest but globally. It is truly special to see how chess connects our colleagues—from grandmasters to enthusiastic amateurs. I am deeply moved by seeing my colleagues succeed, whether over the chessboard or at the forefront of the global financial world, where they work with the same dedication, creativity, and strategic thinking,” said Norbert Fogarasi, head of Morgan Stanley’s Budapest office. Success Stories in Education from Hungary to Denmark and Singapore What skills can chess develop from the age of four? How can we combat Alzheimer’s disease with chess? How can chess assist in improving the social skills of children with autism? Chess camps in shopping malls? These are just a few of the questions that will be answered on the festival’s second day at the 4th Educational Chess Summit on September 18 at the InterContinental Hotel. With 20 speakers from 14 countries, the presentations will explore chess’s potential in education, its role in fostering social connections, and its contributions to physical and mental well-being. “With the festival, I want to show how inspiring chess is, in the sense that it is present in everything: in our everyday lives, our speech, in science, and the arts,” said Judit Polgár. On the second day of the festival, September 18, you can also meet Judit Polgár at the BOK Hall, the venue of the Budapest Chess Olympiad, where the Judit Polgar Chess Foundation will welcome visitors with creative workshops, games, a photo exhibition, and presentations. Come, join the festival and get inspired by chess challenges and interactive programs! For the detailed program of the 2024 Global Chess Festival, click on this link. Further information: press@juditpolgar.com
Google announced as Title Sponsor of World Chess Championship 2024
Singapore, September 10, 2024 – The International Chess Federation (FIDE) and Singapore Chess Federation (SCF) are proud to announce Google as the Title Sponsor of the FIDE World Chess Championship Singapore 2024, which will take place at Resorts World Sentosa from November 23 to December 15, 2024. This landmark collaboration marks the first time the World Chess Championship has been sponsored by a global technology leader, setting a new standard for the sport’s reach and influence. Google Chief Marketing Officer for Asia Pacific Simon Kahn said: “Google is excited to sponsor this historic event. Chess represents a profound intersection of human ingenuity and technological potential, and has always been a proving ground for AI innovation. In fact, some of our earliest AI breakthroughs came from mastering chess as a proof-of-concept. Through Search, YouTube, and AI, we are now delighted to enhance the Championship experience for chess fans globally, celebrating the beauty of this game that continues to inspire and challenge us.” As chess continues to rise in global popularity, FIDE’s collaboration with Google signals a major step forward in connecting the sport with modern technology. Emil Sutovsky, CEO of FIDE, shared his excitement about the collaboration: “FIDE is thrilled to partner Google, as it becomes the title sponsor of the World Championship Match. It is a milestone for our sport. This collaboration brings a new dimension to the competition, blending the tradition of chess with the innovation of AI. The partnership is set to elevate the visibility of the World Chess Championship, taking the broadcast of the event to the next level and attracting new audiences globally.” Kevin Goh, CEO of SCF, added: “For Google to be our presenting sponsor for this year’s World Championship match is a groundbreaking moment for chess both in Singapore and globally. It is the first time a global technology leader has sponsored the most important chess event. Among many other innovative breakthroughs, Google has, in recent years, captivated the chess community with AlphaZero, its neural networks-inspired chess programme. Chess is all about problem-solving, and we are glad that Google’s special focus on deep learning resonates well with the game.” FIDE and SCF look forward to delivering an unforgettable Championship that will resonate globally, far beyond the final checkmate. Google’s sponsorship redefines the potential of the World Chess Championship, paving the way for a future where technology and chess continue to inspire and challenge each other, creating an engaging and dynamic environment for both players and fans alike.