FIDE Ethics imposes a six-month ban on Karjakin
The FIDE Ethics and Disciplinary Commission (EDC) has reached a verdict on the case 2/2022, relating to public statements by grandmasters Sergey Karjakin (FIDE ID 14109603) and Sergei Shipov (FIDE ID 4113624). The EDC First Instance Chamber, formed by Yolander Persaud (Guyana), Ravindra Dongre (India), and Johan Sigeman (Sweden) as Chairperson, unanimously decided as follows: Sergey Karjakin is found guilty of breach of article 2.2.10 of the FIDE Code of Ethics, and is sanctioned to a worldwide ban of six months from participating as a player in any FIDE rated chess competition, taking effect from the date of this decision, 21 March 2022. Sergei Shipov is found not guilty of breach of article 2.2.10 of the FIDE Code of Ethics. The article 2.2.10 of the Code of Ethics reads as follows: “(…) Disciplinary action in accordance with this Code of Ethics will be taken in cases of occurrences which cause the game of chess, FIDE or its federations to appear in an unjustifiable unfavorable light and in this way damage its reputation.” “The statements by Sergey Karjakin on the ongoing military conflict in Ukraine has led to a considerable number of reactions on social media and elsewhere, to a large extent negative towards the opinions expressed by Sergey Karjakin”, reads point 7.37 of the 10-page document where the EDC explains the reasons and legal background for its decision. It continues: “A necessary condition for the establishment of guilt is that the statements have reached the public domain. This concept, with respect to disrepute clauses in sport, is not the world at large but the sport in which the accused engages, such as chess. Information concerning the accused’s conduct which is not published in the media, but which can be learnt without a great deal of labour by persons engaged in the chess world or a relevant part of it, will be in the public domain and satisfy the public exposure element. The EDC Chamber is comfortably satisfied that this condition is fulfilled in this case.” “The EDC Chamber finds, against the background given above, on the standard of comfortable satisfaction that the statements of Sergey Karjakin, which, by his own choice and presentation, can be connected to the game of chess, damage the reputation of the game of chess and/or FIDE. The likelihood that these statements will damage the reputation of Sergey Karjakin personally is also considerable”, it concludes. The Chamber explains its decision to not sanction Sergei Shipov with the following argument: “In comparison with Sergey Karjakin, Sergei Shipov is considerably less known and has, therefore, a less powerful platform. The statements made by Sergei Shipov are also of a slightly different and less provocative character than the ones made by Karjakin. In an overall evaluation of the potential negative impact on the game of chess and/or FIDE, the EDC Chamber is not sufficiently convinced that Sergei Shipov’s statements qualify as a breach of article 2.2.10.” Sergey Karjakin has been advised by EDC that this decision may be appealed to the Appeal Chamber of the EDC by giving written notice of such appeal to the FIDE Secretariat within 21 days from the date upon which this decision is received. The notice of appeal must clearly state all the grounds for the appeal. Failing the due exercise of this right of appeal, the EDC Chamber’s decision will become final. The FIDE Ethics and Disciplinary Commission (EDC) decision on the case 2/2022, relating to public statements by grandmasters Sergey Karjakin (FIDE ID 14109603) and Sergei Shipov (FIDE ID 4113624) (PDF)
Vietnam’s speed chess star races ahead in Charity Cup
Vietnam’s speed chess star Liem Quang Le left World Champion Magnus Carlsen in his wake as he raced into a commanding lead in the Charity Cup today. The former World Blitz Champion, who is now a university chess coach, scored three wins and a draw to stay unbeaten in the event being held as a fundraiser for UNICEF. So far more than $51,000 has been raised as Liem racked up 20/24 points at the half-way point in the Prelim stage. It means Liem, who won an incredible 6/8 games, has all-but booked his place in the Meltwater Champions Chess Tour event’s Knockout. Liem said afterward: “This is amazing. I did not expect this! I think this is my best performance ever on the Tour.” Asked what he’s doing differently this tournament, Liem added: “I think I’m just getting used to it and I don’t have too much stress and I just try to enjoy the games, and I tried to prepare a little bit better a play a bit more practical.” Four points behind in second is the World Champion Magnus Carlsen, who won three and lost his second of the tournament. The Norwegian is looking ominous and will also breeze into the last eight. Indian teen sensation Rameshbabu Praggnanandhaa took another big scalp in the Tour, beating world No.3 Ding Liren in the final round of the day. He ended the day in 6th and faces Carlsen in his first game tomorrow – a re-match of the clash Pragg won in the Airthings Masters. David Navara also had a strong day, taking two wins and two draws – including his Round 6 win over Carlsen. But it could have been even better for the Czech No.1 after a third win in his Round 8 game against Richard Rapport slipped through his fingers to finish in a draw. Navara sits in 10th and has a battle ahead to make the cut while the other top eight spots are occupied by Jan-Krzysztof Duda, the American teen Hans Niemann, Ding, Rapport, Pragg and Jorden Van Foreest. The Prelim stage ends at Round 15 on Tuesday. Eight will progress to the Knockout stage and eight will be eliminated. The event is supported by NEAR Foundation and is being held as a fundraiser for UNICEF. Tune in at 17:00 UTC / 18:00 CET tomorrow for day 3 of the Charity Cup. About the Meltwater Champions Chess Tour The Champions Chess Tour is the leading online chess Tour worldwide determining the world’s best chess player over a full competitive season of online chess. The 2022 season begins in February 2022 and features monthly tournaments culminating in a Final in November 2022. The best chess players in the world are competing in rapid chess. All games take place online on www.chess24.com with players competing for a total prize pool of over USD 1.5 million. For more information visit www.championschesstour.com. About Play Magnus Group Play Magnus Group is a global leader in the chess industry focused on providing premier digital experiences for millions of chess players and students. The company offers e-learning and entertainment services via its market leading brands: chess24, Chessable, iChess, New In Chess, Everyman Chess, Silver Knights, Aimchess, the Play Magnus App Suite, and the Meltwater Champions Chess Tour. The Group’s mission is to grow chess to make the world a smarter place by encouraging more people to play, watch, study, and earn a living from chess. Play Magnus Group is listed on Euronext Growth Oslo under the ticker PMG. www.pmg.me
FIDE Grand Prix Berlin: So and Mamedyarov advance to semifinals
Wesley So defeated Sam Shankland in the rapid tiebreak games by a score of 1½:½ to reach the semifinals of the third stage of the FIDE Grand Prix Series organised by World Chess in Berlin. The tiebreak games were played with the quicker time control of 15 minutes per game with an increment of 10 seconds per move starting from the first move. In the second tiebreak match, Shakhriyar Mamedyarov won the first game against Vincent Keymer, but the 16-years-old local hero managed to win on demand and levelled the score. The tiebreak continued with a shorter time-control of 3 minutes per game with an increment of 2 seconds per move. Shakhriyar dominated the blitz outplaying his young opponent in both games, finishing the match by a 3:1 score. In the semifinals scheduled for the 30 and 31st of March, Welsey So is up against Amin Tabatabaei, while Shakhriyar Mamedyarov will face Hikaru Nakamura. Both American players, Nakamura and So, will play with white pieces in the first game. Wesley So – Sam Shankland 1½:½ Sam Shankland got a nice position with White in the Catalan in the first the game against Wesley So. With a pair of bishops and the prospects to open the center, he was planning to fight for an advantage but Wesley had a solid position that was not easy to crack. After losing the central pawn, Sam was hoping his a-pawn would play a decisive role in the endgame, but Wesley’s pieces surrounded White’s king, forcing Sam to give up some an exchange. The rest was a smooth sail for So, who sealed the victory on move 54. In the second game, Sam got really good chances to equalise the score. He sacrificed an exchange and, after a few inaccuracies by Wesley, got a strong initiative on the kingside. So felt he was in trouble and returned material, moving the game into an ending with an extra pawn for Black. The only problem with Sam’s position was his rook on g5, which got stuck on the kingside. Sam didn’t find the precise way to activate his rook (33…f6! instead of 33…c5 looks much better) and let all his advantage slip away. The game was drawn in an equal rook endgame after 40 moves of play. Sam Shankland summed up his FIDE GrandPrix performance: “On paper, it was fine. I came in seeded number 3 in a group both times, and I finished in second both times, and I gained some rating. But I am sort of annoyed with myself that I never managed to get through.” “Sam is a very strong player and also very hardworking. He’s got a strong will to improve,” said Welsey So after the game. In a post-game interview, Wesly noted that he was looking forward to facing Iranian Grandmaster Amin Tabatabaei representing a new generation of Iranian players, who showed good play in the tournament. Shakhriyar Mamedyarov – Vincent Keymer 3:1 All the games of the tiebreak match between Mamedyarov and Keymer ended decisively. “It was a very fighting match – no draws. I tried to play for a win with both colours, and I think we had good tactical games,” commented the winner Shakhriyar Mamedyarov. Certainly, all the games were very exciting, and Mamedyarov was the first one to break the ice. A very sharp position with opposite castling appeared on the board in the first game, and Shakhriyar, known for his aggressive style, felt like a fish in water. He managed to open the files on the kingside, aggressively arranged his pieces and launched an unstoppable attack on his opponent’s king. It was the first-ever tiebreak match for Vincent, and he managed to pull himself together and staged an impressive comeback by defeating Mamedyarov in the second game. “I know myself; I cannot play for a draw in such situations when I need to make a draw”, commented Shakhriyar on his opening choice in the second game. Vincent knew the Botvinnik Variation in the Semi-Slave Defense quite well and thought it was a pleasant position to play with White. In an unbalanced position with chances for both sides, Vincent played precisely and managed to stir into a favourable ending in which his passer on the h-file, created in the opening, played a critical role. Eventually, this pawn sealed the deal for Vincent, who levelled the score. Mamedyarov was not taken aback and scored a crushing win in the first blitz game. In the Anti-Meran system, both players were slowly manoeuvring, preparing for the fight in the center. After numerous pawns exchanges, it turned out Black pieces are much more powerful and active. Mamedyarov won in style after sacrificing his knight on g2. After the loss in the first blitz game, Keymer was in a must-win situation again, hoping to force Armageddon, but the second encounter also went wrong for the German Grandmaster, who found it hard to defend the open king with a few seconds on his clock. “I think, in our pool, he showed the best play… He is fighting, he’s very good and still young. I hope he will be 2800 – I think he can do it. His only problem, I think, is school, university. If he can solve it somehow, he can be the very top player,” said Mamedyarov about his opponent after the match. The semifinals starts on March 30 with the pairings as follows: Hikaru Nakamura – Shakhriyar Mamedyarov Wesley So – Amin Tabatabaei The FIDE Grand Prix Series is brought to you by World Chess. Leading partners supporting the FIDE Grand Prix Series 2022 include: Kaspersky as the Official Cybersecurity Partner; Algorand as the Official Blockchain Partner; Prytek as the Technology Transfer Partner; FIDE Online Arena as the official Partner. Photo: Official Photo FIDE Grand Prix Berlin Press kit and Niki Riga
Underdogs set pace on first day of Charity Cup as UNICEF donations hit $17,000
Vietnamese star Liem Quang Le and the teenage American Hans Niemann set the pace on day 1 of the Charity Cup as more than $17,000 was donated to UNICEF. The two underdogs both racked up three wins and a draw to finish unbeaten on 10/12 points. World Champion Magnus Carlsen, meanwhile, ended on a sour note with a loss to the Chinese No.1 Ding Liren. The Norwegian suffered yet another slow start to a Meltwater Champions Chess Tour event as he closed on 7/12 and way down in sixth on the Prelim stage leaderboard. Carlsen had begun the Charity Cup supported by NEAR Foundation in solid form with a draw against the Pole Jan-Krzysztof Duda and then a win over Indian star Pentala Harikrishna. Carlsen then won again in Round 3 against Eric Hansen – but only after the Canadian streamer made a one-move endgame mistake in time trouble. The World Champion then spoiled his day with a Round 4 hiccup against Ding. Just like the start of the last event, the Airthings Masters, Carlsen has left himself work to do. Meanwhile, 18-year-old Niemann – the third-lowest ranked player in the event – was overjoyed with his performance. Sporting a new shaven haircut, the world No.123 said: “With the experience from the first [event], I really didn’t feel any nerves at all.” He added: “When I’m relaxed, good things happen.” Next up for Niemann, it’s Carlsen in Round 5 tomorrow. The world No.1 will be looking to get moving quickly against his young opponent. As the games were going on, the event was raising money for UNICEF to help its humanitarian work in and around Ukraine. By the end of play, more than $17,000 had been donated including $1,100 from Grandmaster and Tour commentator David Howell auctioning off his “lucky” chess tie. Tour commentator Jovanka Houska thanked viewers for contributing the cause. She said: “It’s a wonderful thing to show we are part of a chess community and to help a country that is in need. “My heart goes out to every single one of you who donated and I hope we can raise even more in the next few days.” The Prelim stage ends at Round 15 on Monday. Eight will progress to the Knockout stage and eight will be eliminated. Tune in at 17:00 UTC / 18:00 CET tomorrow for day 2 of the Charity Cup. For further comments contact: Leon Watson leon@championschesstour.com About the Meltwater Champions Chess Tour The Champions Chess Tour is the leading online chess Tour worldwide determining the world’s best chess player over a full competitive season of online chess. The 2022 season begins in February 2022 and features monthly tournaments culminating in a Final in November 2022. The best chess players in the world are competing in rapid chess. All games take place online on www.chess24.com with players competing for a total prize pool of over USD 1.5 million. For more information visit www.championschesstour.com. About Play Magnus Group Play Magnus Group is a global leader in the chess industry focused on providing premier digital experiences for millions of chess players and students. The company offers e-learning and entertainment services via its market leading brands: chess24, Chessable, iChess, New In Chess, Everyman Chess, Silver Knights, Aimchess, the Play Magnus App Suite, and the Meltwater Champions Chess Tour. The Group’s mission is to grow chess to make the world a smarter place by encouraging more people to play, watch, study, and earn a living from chess. Play Magnus Group is listed on Euronext Growth Oslo under the ticker PMG. www.pmg.me
FFE acquires “delegation” status in France
More than 20 years after obtaining ministerial approval (Chess recognized as a sport), the French Ministry of National Education, Youth and Sports, granted French Chess Federation (Fédération Française des Échecs or FFE) the “delegation” status in accordance with the Sports Code. The delegation contract, signed by Jean-Michel Blanquer, French Minister of National Education, Youth and Sports and GM Éloi Relange, the President of FFE, on March 15, is a huge step forward in the recognition of chess as a sport discipline. The partnership between FFE and French State is deeply strengthened and the range of possibilities widened. From the legal point of view, this status means that newly delegated FFE receives prerogatives of public power: it is the only one authorized in the name of the State to enact the regulations of the competitions, to establish the selections of the French team, or to deliver the titles of national, regional, departmental champions. “We will benefit from increased support from our supervisory Ministry, which will provide us with Sports Technical Advisers. They will reinforce the team of employees in order to carry out all the projects of the term of office: professional chess players, training, increasing the participation of women, or even school development with in particular the Chess’Class project launched in partnership with the Ministry, the UNSS (national school sports union), l’USEP (school sports federation of the French primary school), l’Échiquier de la Réussite et le Crédit Mutuel Enseignant, on which I will have the opportunity to talk again soon,” reads the joint statement by the French Ministry of National Education, Youth and Sports and FFE. The delegation status is also placing chess among the recognized high-level disciplines. From now on all the competitions, projects and achievements will be registered on a ministerial list which gives the right to a real status: adaptation for school time or work contracts for sports practice, social coverage by the State for accidents, facilities for registration for exams and competitions, support for professional retraining after career. This recognition is the fruit of long-standing work, started under the mandate of Jean-Claude Moingt, during which two applications were filed. FFE had to build ambitious and coherent framework documents in order to earn the confidence of the Ministry of Sports. “I would like to thank all the people, employees and elected officials, who worked discreetly and efficiently for several months to put together our file, particularly Mathilde Choisy, Didier Pascal, Yves Marek and Bertrand Guyard,” said Mr Relange. The “delegation” comes with obligations for FFE, in line with the project that it has been carrying out for several years. The performance plan aims to consolidate a place among the top-5 chess nations, and to win a medal at the Olympiads by 2028. The contract also includes strong requirements of the democratic functioning and transparency of governance. In conclusion, Mr Éloi Relange expressed his gratitude to all involved: “Our federation is now entering a new dimension… This historic step forward for our Chess Sport is a collective success. For so many years, our discipline has been supported by all its volunteers. I am happy and proud that we have been able to make all these efforts come true, and I am particularly grateful to you.”
Chess becomes an official sport at XXIV Central American and Caribbean Games
The American Chess Confederation has shared the news that chess has been confirmed as an official sport at the XXIV Central American and Caribbean Games, to be held in San Salvador from June 23 to July 8, 2023. It was possible thanks to the work of IA Erick Hernandez together with the local organizing committee and the enormous support received by Yamil Bukele, President ad Honorem of the National Sports Institute of El Salvador (INDES). In their announcement, the CCA expressed its gratitude to the National Olympic Committees that make up Centro Caribe Sports for all the support shown in favour of chess being on the official Games calendar. “We want to express our enormous satisfaction for this momentous news, which is undoubtedly a fundamental step in our dream of competing in the Olympic Games”, concludes the announcement. Centro Caribe Sports and the San Salvador 2023 Organizing Committee have established that 32 male athletes and 32 female athletes will take part in the competition. The classifications system is currently being discussed, and it will be announced soon. Having chess in the Central American and Caribbean Games is some great news that follows the inclusion of our sport in the ODESUR Games 2022, to be held in Asunción, Paraguay (October 1-15).
Isle of Man to host FIDE Grand Swiss and Women’s Grand Swiss 2023
Photo above: Richard Hoare The International Chess Federation (FIDE) is pleased to announce that the Isle of Man will host the 2023 edition of the FIDE Grand Swiss and the FIDE Women’s Grand Swiss. The events will be held concurrently in the magnificent Royal Hall of the Villa Marina in Douglas from October 23 to November 5, 2023. The Grand Swiss is returning to the island after having to be moved from Douglas to Riga on its 2021 edition due to the strict travel restrictions affecting the Isle of Man during that period. With a total of 157 players from approximately 35 countries (114 in the open tournament and 50 in the women’s tournament), the combined prize fund has been raised to USD 600,000, thanks to the generosity of the Scheinberg family, patrons of the event. The 109 invitations to take part in the FIDE Grand Swiss (open) will be extended according to the following criteria: A. One hundred players qualify by rating, TPR, or other criteria devised by GSC and approved by the FIDE Council. The system shall be determined and announced by December 31 2022. B. One player from the ACP Tour 2022 standings as of December 31 2022. C. Women’s World Champion as of December 31 2022. D. Four Continent spots. Each spot shall be decided by the respective Continental President by August 31 2023. E. Three players nominated by the FIDE President. Photo: Fiona Steil-Antoni The Organizer is entitled to include five additional players of their own choice, with the total number of players being limited to a maximum of 114. The World Champion and Vice World Champion are entitled to play in the Grand Swiss if they meet the criteria of one of the above paths and shall receive the same financial terms as the other qualifiers. The 50 invitations to take part in the FIDE Women’s Grand Swiss will be extended according to the following criteria: A. Forty players qualify by rating, TPR, or other criteria devised by GSC and approved by the FIDE Council. The system shall be determined and announced by December 31 2022. B. One player from the ACP Women’s Series 2022 standings as of December 31 2022. C. Four Continent spots. Each spot shall be decided by the respective Continental President by August 31 2023. D. Three players nominated by the FIDE President. The Organizer is entitled to include two additional players of their own choice, reaching a total maximum of 50 players. The World Women’s Champion and Vice World Champion are entitled to play in the Women’s Grand Swiss if they meet the criteria of one of the above paths and shall receive the same financial terms as the other qualifiers. As in the previous edition, the winner and the runner up of both competitions will qualify for the Candidates Tournament and Women’s Candidates Tournament, respectively.
FIDE Grand Prix: Esipenko replaces Andreikin in Berlin
GM Dmitry Andreikin withdrew from the third leg of the FIDE Grand Prix Series, organized by World Chess, due to personal reasons. Following the FIDE President’s decision, and according to the regulations, he will be replaced by GM Andrey Esipenko, as the highest-rated eligible player in as of December 2021 list. OAnastasiia Photo: Anastasiia Korolkova The third and final leg of FIDE Grand Prix will take place in Berlin from March 21 to April 04.
Second workshop on increasing inner strength to be held on March 27
WGM Jana Krivec, a Doctor of Psychology and a university professor, author of a book titled “Improve Your Life By Playing A Game” and a seven-time winner of the Slovenian Women’s Championship, continues a series of monthly workshops “Increase your inner strength”, scheduled between February and November 2022. The project is a part of the Queens’ Festival, also under the umbrella of the Year of the Woman in Chess, that the FIDE Commission for Women’s Chess prepared for this year. It aims to increase awareness of the power of the mind, help people to get to know themselves better, understand their inner world and learn some useful mental techniques to increase inner strength. “Within webinar 2 of the workshop “Increase your inner strength”, we will be the detectives of our own personality traits. We will discuss the concept of identity, self-awareness, personality, self-esteem and optimism. Participants will be asked to complete surveys, and we will discuss how to interpret the results. That is how we will begin our journey to our inner self,” Jana Krivec said about the second event of the project. The second workshop is scheduled for Sunday, March 27, at 15:00 CET. If you are interested, please fill out this form.
Workshop: How to Teach Pawn Endings by Artur Jussupow
The FIDE Trainers’ Commission announced a new workshop “How to Teach Pawn Endings” by GM Artur Jussupow, a World Championship Candidate who has been ranked as high as third behind legends Garry Kasparov and Anatoly Karpov at their peak. The seminar will be held in English via Zoom. Photo: Vladimir Jagr Here are several most important topics to be discussed at the workshop: 1. Correct approach to the study of pawn endgames, all the necessary elementary positions2. Classification of pawn endgames into two types3. Description of typical pawn endgame ideas4. Difficulties that our students may encounter when studying the opposition.5. Using the pawn endgame to train calculating variations, to develop strategic thinking, to develop logical thinking6. Forms of training used in studying the pawn endgame7. Other challenges for the trainer. Answers to the questions “This wonderful study by M. Zinar from 1987 will help you get rid of the inappropriate overestimation of the role of the opposition in the pawn endgame. We will discuss this study on March 26,” Artur Yussupow said, introducing his seminar. White to play and draw Fee: €50 for Licensed Trainers, €80 for others. Current licensed FIDE Trainer title-holders will be given credits towards potential title upgrades at attendance in a future seminar. Artur decided that all proceeds from the workshop are to be given to the FIDE Ukraine Support Fund. You can also join this great initiative of providing support to the Ukrainian chess players by making your donation here. Please download and complete the following registration form and email at: trainers@fide.com *Female Participants are Free – FIDE’s The Year of the Women in Chess – with Nomination or Endorsement of the FIDE Commission for Women’s Chess.