Heritiana Andrianiaina and Faratiana Raharimanana win Madagascar Championship
Heritiana Andrianiaina and Faratiana Raharimanana are the newly crowned 2021 Madagascar National Champions. The 2021 Madagascar National Championship took place at the Live Hotel Andavamambawas at the beginning of November and was a part of the Olympiad selection process. Heritiana Andrianiaina (pictured below) beat a strong 12-player field in the open section to win the 9-round Swiss tournament scoring 6½ points. Tahina Hajanirina Rakotomaharo, the only unbeaten player in the event, also netted 6.5 points but had to settle for silver due to a lower tie-break. Fanomezana Rakotomaharo tied for third place with Mananihaja Charly Rajerison and took bronze as the winner of their direct encounter. Final standings: 1 Andrianiaina, Heritiana 2100 6½ 2 Rakotomaharo, Tahina Hajanirina 1964 6½ 3 Andriamalala, Fanomezana 1861 6 4 Rajerison, Mananihaja Charly 1828 6 5 Rakotoniaina, Antsiva 1958 5½ The ladies section saw the victory of Faratiana Raharimanana, who ended up with a perfect score of 7 points out of 7. Just like the open section women’s event brought together 12 players. Christine Razafindrabiaza finished second with 5½ points. Tiana Johanna Rakotoniaina came in third with 4½ points. Veteran chess players have their separate section in the Madagascar National Championship. Zakariasy Fanomezana (pictured below) emerged as the proud winner of this tournament. Text and photo: Kenya Chess Masala
FIDE World Championship Dubai 2021: 10 facts about opponents
With the FIDE World Championship match between Magnus Carlsen and Ian Nepomniachtchi around the corner it is time to know the reigning champion and the challenger a bit better. We present some interesting facts about Magnus and Ian below: Learned to play chess when he was 5 His peak rating is 2882 Holds the record for the longest undefeated streak – 125 games, from 31 July 2018 to 10 October 2020 Rated #1 in the world (classical chess) since July 2011 Has won 12 World Championships (4 classical, 3 rapid and 5 blitz) Reached the top 100 when he was 15 years old Modelled for G-Star Raw alongside Liv Tyler Was a guest star in The Simpsons Dedicated fan of Real Madrid C.F. Was leading Premier League’s official Fantasy Football table Learned to play chess when he was 4.5 His peak rating is 2792 His lifetime record vs. Magnus Carlsen in classical chess is +4 -1 =8 Is a 2-time Russian champion European Individual Champion (2010) Graduated from the Russian State Social University majoring in journalism A proud owner of a cat and a dog Appeared in the Russian TV show “What? Where? When?” Devoted fan of Spartak Moscow Played DotA and Dota 2 at a competitive level Official website of FIDE World Championship Dubai 2021
Mark Plotkin wins Banff Open 2021
The fifth edition of Banff Open attracted a record number of one hundred and one participants. Once again, there was lots of fighting chess with very few quick draws and a photo finish. Going into the last round two players shared the lead on 4.5/5. Canada’s FIDE Representative and the captain of many Canadian Olympiad teams, FM Victor Plotkin was pitted against twenty-two-year-old International Master Mark Plotkin, who is coincidently Victor’s son! If the game was a draw, this could mean up to five players fighting in an Armageddon playoff until the winner was determined. Mark played a solid positional game and eventually ground down his father, much in the style that Victor is famous for. This resulted in IM Mark Plotkin finishing clear first with 5.5/6. International Grandmaster Joel Benjamin made two draws and finished clear second with 5/6, a half-point behind the champion. This year’s tournament faced many challenges, not the least of which was whether the government would allow it to take place. Two months before the tournament, there was a sudden surge in COVID-19 cases – roughly 1,600 new cases a day in the province of Alberta. The government imposed new restrictions, but they also launched a Restrictive Exemptions Program, which basically meant if people were fully vaccinated and wore masks, then you could proceed as usual. The Banff Centre was extraordinary in checking for vaccinations, providing hand sanitizing stations, as well as giving us a generous amount of extra space for social distancing. FIDE generously donated €1,000 to the event as part of its Aid Package Program for open tournaments. As a result, the organizers were able to have special female and veteran prizes and invite the first grandmaster in the tournament’s history, GM Joel Benjamin. Kudos to an anonymous donor for donating the $500 Armageddon prize, which goes to 1st place, but in the event of a tie, it is given to the winner of the playoff. He also was instrumental in suggesting bringing a grandmaster to the tournament and paying for most of his appearance fee. The Banff Centre stepped up in that they had just reopened and were magnificent in helping us be COVID-19 compliant and giving extra space for social distancing. The Society of Chess Aficionados donated Banff Open Chess pins this year, which everyone loved. Final standings: 1 Plotkin, Mark 2549 5.5 2 Benjamin, Joel 2640 5 3 Ng, Gary 2368 4.5 4 Mackinnon, Keith 2259 4.5 5 Cummings, David 2416 4.5 6 Plotkin, Victor 2428 4.5 7 Findlay, Ian 2316 4.5 8 Haessel, Dale 2216 4.5 9 Tolentino, Patrick Angelo 1936 4 10 Miller, David 2224 4
New set of FIDE regulations covering FIDE Titles and Ratings published
A new set of regulations covering FIDE titles, rapid and blitz games and ratings will come into force on January 1, 2022. Worked out by FIDE Qualification Commission (QC), the new regulations came out after a lengthy period of consultation with other Commissions, federations, individual players, and chess supporters worldwide. Two important meetings, one limited to the QC members and another open to all, took place in 2020. The most significant point of interest was the minimum time controls for games to be rated by FIDE. After many different views were expressed, the QC put together a detailed questionnaire, again open to all (but not anonymously). There was then another worldwide Zoom meeting where final decisions were taken. As a result, 3-hour games (90+90) will be accepted provided that both players are rated below 2400, an increase from 2200. Hopefully, it will help the organisers of tournaments with shorter time controls to submit their events for FIDE rating. FIDE Rating Regulations effective from January 1, 2022 FIDE Rapid & Blitz Regulations effective from January 1, 2022 FIDE Title Regulations effective from January 1, 2022 “I would like to thank all QC Councillors and members for their help in this major task, as well as Management Board and FIDE Council for their input,” said Nick Faulks, QC Chairman. It should be noted that these regulations are intended for the long term. Chess is now returning to normal after almost two years of lockdowns and quarantine, but the damage to the rating system caused by this gap in results is yet to be assessed. Possibly, some short term adjustments will be required. If so, the chess community will be kept informed, although the consultations might not be as lengthy.
FIDE World Championship Dubai 2021: branding and design
We are proud to share with you the branding developed for the FIDE World Championship Match 2021, in partnership with Expo 2020 Dubai. After evaluating the proposals of some of the top branding agencies in the world of sports, FIDE decided to hire the services of Morillas, a Spanish international agency founded in 1962 that has worked with Leo Messi, Davis Cup, FC Barcelona, and Nike Spain. “Developing a strong brand for an event like the FIDE World Championship match can help build credibility, engagement, recognition, and support. This will benefit not only the event, but FIDE in general, and chess as a whole”, said FIDE Chief Marketing and Communications Officer David Llada, who oversaw the creative process. “Having the opportunity to contribute to a project capable of uniting and inspiring the world like this is simply amazing. Looking forward to meeting the FIDE team in Dubai next week!” said Marc Morillas, CEO of the company, who was personally involved in the creative process. Event branding and design create the look and feel of an event. This comprises printed materials, signage and structural elements, video, digital assets, and sonic branding. In the case of a world championship match, even the smallest elements, like the scoresheets, are branded. Of course, merchandising is a crucial part of the branding, and very soon, you will be able to buy memorabilia from Dubai 2021 at the official website fideworldchampionship.com The FIDE World Championship match between the reigning champion Magnus Carlsen and the challenger Ian Nepomniachtchi from November 24 to December 16, 2021, will be held in Dubai, UAE, alongside the Expo 2020 Dubai.
Chess for children with ASD: practical materials for teachers and parents
On October 2-3, 2021, FIDE has organized the 2nd FIDE Educational Seminar of Infinite Chess Project, “Chess for children with an autism spectrum disorder. Learn and teach”. It was an inter-commission effort, put in by the FIDE Chess in Education Commission, Commission for the Disabled and FIDE Social Commission. The main goal of this two-day seminar was to provide core knowledge and practical advice for teachers, trainers, and parents who wish to teach chess to kids with Autistic Spectrum Disorder. Guided by the project leader FIDE Vice-President Anastasia Sorokina, the seminar brought together teachers and researchers with practical knowledge in the field. Luis Blasco de la Cruz, CEO of Madrid Chess Academy (Spain), emphasized the difference between ADHD and ASD and shared his experience working with kids with special needs. Dr Anna Charchyan and Dr Lilit Karapetyan of the Chess Research Institute in Armenia provided some practical exercises in the form of dynamic chess games. Member of the International Commission of the French Chess Federation Franck Droin talked about the French initiative to support and promote the FIDE program. Researcher with more than 15 years of experience from Brazil, Dr Sandra Maria Guisso spoke about the role of psychologists and the importance of psychological therapy for children with ASD. A considerable part of the seminar’s time on both days was dedicated to the special education program stemming from more than two years of Belarus experience. In 2019, a club for children with ASD opened at the FIDE Chess Academy in Minsk, the country’s capital. This ongoing project helped WIM and FIDE Trainer Natalia Popova gain invaluable experience and knowledge to create a unique methodological program. During the seminar, Natalia Popova presented it together with another specialist in the field—Ala Mishchanka, who has more than 15 years of experience working as a special needs educational assistant in Canada. This program is suitable for groups of students with ASD, as well as mixed groups, inclusive education, individual lessons, or at-home schooling. We’re proud to share it as a pdf file as well as presentations by all the speakers. You can find them here. These materials can serve as an excellent practical guide for trainers and parents alike. In addition to that, you can find the video recordings of the seminars, edited for clarity, on our YouTube channel:PART 1 (October 2): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BECA0PsfxSgPART 2 (October 3): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OIrCLtQ5f3c The discussion was skillfully moderated by Judit Sztaray, Developmental Instructor, General Manager of Events and Youth Outreach at Mechanics’ Institute, who also chose several topical questions from the audience that the speakers answered during the Q&A at the end of each session. “Think of chess as a discipline that might not only give satisfaction and pleasure to these special kids but also improve their physical and mental health,” said Dana Reizniece-Ozola, Infinite Chess Project supervisor and FIDE Managing Director, at the first Introductory Seminar on how chess can help children with ASD in March 2021. Since then, the initiative has moved on and grown into a full-fledged project, and at FIDE, we are committed to continuing research and development in this vital area of knowledge.
European Team Championship in Terme Catez crosses midpoint
The European Team Championship in Terme Catez, Slovenia, crossed the halfway mark. With four more rounds to go, the participants are enjoying so much needed day off. It has been a very close race in the Open section so far, as, after five rounds, there is a six-way tie on the top. In Round 5, the leaders drew their matches: the Russians split points on all four boards with the Azerbaijani GMs while Spain and Hungary exchanged blows on the first and third boards. The competitors jumped on this opportunity to join Azerbaijan, Russia and Hungary: Armenia, Netherlands and Ukraine narrowly beat France, Serbia and Georgia respectively and caught up with the leaders. With six teams sharing first place (Russia, Azerbaijan, Ukraine, Hungary, Armenia and Netherlands all on 8/10) and no clear favourites, it is still wide open in the open section. Round 6 top pairings: Russia – HungaryAzerbaijan – ArmeniaUkraine – NetherlandsRomania – SpainFrance – Greece All the results, standings and pairings can be found here. The Women’s Championship has been dominated by team Russia winning all five matches. In Round 5, the Russian women prevailed over their closest competitor team Italy 2.5-1.5 and consolidated the top position (10/10), while Georgia and Greece defeated Armenia and France respectively and is now trailing the leader by two points (8/10). Round 6 top pairings: Russia – GreecePoland – GeorgiaItaly – AzerbaijanUkraine – ArmeniaGermany – Hungary All the results, pairings, and rank tables can be found here. Official website: euroteamchess2021.eu/ Photo: ECU Press
Blind Mode debuts at 4th FIDE World Championship for People with Disabilities
FIDE World Chess Championship for People with Disabilities, a 9-round Swiss tournament took place from the 4th to the 14th of November 2021 on Tornelo platform. The event brought together 249 players from 44 countries, belonging to any of three disability categories (visually impaired, hearing impaired and physically disabled) competing for the titles of “World Chess Champion among Disabled 2021” in the individual ranking and “World Chess Team Champion among Disabled 2021” in the team competition. Team final standings: 1. Poland – 29.52. Russia – 28.53. Cuba – 26 The tournament went for 10 days, and two more days were allocated for the Fair Play checks. “I was very happy and excited when I received the email from FIDE congratulating me and telling me the big news,” said the winner in the women’s category Tatiana Flores. You can watch the Award Ceremony of the 4th World Championship for People with Disabilities on the FIDE YouTube channel. This was the first official Online World Championship where blind chess players had the option to compete without any help, allowing 13 visually impaired participants to make their moves without any physical or virtual assistance. The introduction of the blind mode enables conditions to be more equitable for all players, regardless of their visual capabilities. The feedback received by some of the players emphasizes the importance of developments like these to make chess even more accessible, demonstrating that adversity can lead to innovation. José María Saponara from Argentina, who used the blind mode in all games, appreciates the work that has made the platform accessible. The blind mode is an important step forward in online chess. Thomas Luther, the chairman of the FIDE DIS Commission, refers to the utilization and implementation as “the highlight of the event, maybe even of the year.” He also pointed out that the DIS commission spent a lot of time and energy over many months to make blind mode possible. In the working since early 2021, many obstacles were overcome, and after more than twenty online meetings, all the right people were involved, and the hard work paid off, culminating in showcasing this new tool during this 4th FIDE World Chess Championship for People with Disabilities. “For the first time, the tournament was fully inclusive, because of the special framework that was developed to allow people with visual disabilities to play. Blind players played without any assistance. This is a huge achievement that we will promote further on,” said FIDE President Arkady Dvorkovich about the new blind mode. Under the coordination of the Commission, the project got support from many people, and the organizers use this occasion to say a big thank you to: Swedish visually impaired chess players Tage Johansson and Jorgen Magnusson, who worked very close with Tornelo.com from the start of the project The President of IBCA, Dr Charudatta Jadhav who provided useful material The Tornelo.com owner David Cordover for his cooperation and understanding The FIDE Vice President Akaki Iashvili, supervising the DIS commission, supporting all the way through the project “Dresdner Schachfestival”, specifically Dr Dirk Jordan and Egmont Pönisch, for providing the financial resources to go forward in programing and installing the blind mode on Tornelo.com The FIDE President Arkady Dvorkovich, who authorized DIS to proceed in this important innovation In the photos, Kerim and Selim Altinok from Turkey, using the blind mode
2021 3rd FIDE Council Agenda and Commissions reports/proposals
FIDE publishes the Agenda of the 3rd FIDE Council Meeting which was held on October 27, 2021. Download Agenda (pdf) Annex 3.2.1 FIDE Individual World Championship Cycles events Annex 3.2.2 Continental Championships and Zonal Tournaments Annex 3.2.3 Olympiad Pairing Rules Annex 3.2.4 FIDE Electoral Rules Annex 6.1 Global Strategy Commission’s report Annex 6.2.1 Arbiters’ Commission report Annex 6.2.3 Arbiters’ Commission’s proposal Annex 6.4.1 Events Commission’s report Annex 6.5.1 Second draft of the Ethics & Disciplinary Code Annex 6.6.1 Fair Play Commission’s report Annex 6.6.2 Fair Play Commission’s proposal Annex 6.7 Planning and Development Commission’s report Annex 6.8.1 Rules Commission’s report Annex 6.9.2 Qualification Commission’s proposal Annex 6.9.3a Granting of FIDE flag player status Annex 6.11 Data Protection Committee’s proposal Annex 6.13 Social Commission’s report
Nigerian Championship: Olufemi Balogun and Perpetual Ogbiyoyo clinch titles
IM Olufemi Balogun and WFM Perpetual Ogbiyoyo are the winners of the Nigerian Championship 2021. The National Chess Championship (NCC) of Nigeria took place from November 9-14 in Orchid-Lekki Chess Club, Lagos, and featured twenty strongest chess players of the country. Both open and women events were 10-player round-robin tournaments with two rounds played every day. The total prize fund for the National Chess Championship was over N10,000,000 ($24,000). The open event saw the victory of the third-rated IN Olufemi Balogun who scored 7 out of 9 and became the only player not to suffer a single defeat. FM Abimbola Osunfuy finished a full point behind the champion on 6/9. Chukwunonso Oragwu and Abdulrahman Akintoye Abdulraheem tied for the third place with the former taking bronze thanks to winning the direct encounter. Final standings open: 1 IM Balogun, Oluwafemi 2247 7 2 FM Osunfuyi, Abimbola 2244 6 3 FM Oragwu, Chukwunonso 2232 5 4 FM Abdulraheem, Abdulrahman Akintoye 2254 5 5 Okeke, Issac 2179 4½ 6 IM Aikhoje, Odion 2239 4½ 7 FM Akinseye, Abiola 2236 4 8 IM Anwuli, Daniel 2330 3½ 9 Ajibola, Olanrewaju 2297 3 10 FM Kigigha, Bomo 2272 2½ In the women’s competition the second rated 24-year old WFM Perpetual Eloho Ogbiyoyo turned in an excellent performance and came out on top a half-point ahead of Toritsemuwa Ofowino, despite losing the direct encounter. Emmanuella Trust Enomah netted 6 points and earned bronze. Final standings women: 1 WFM Ogbiyoyo, Perpetual Eloho 1850 7 2 Ofowino, Toritsemuwa 1825 6½ 3 Enomah, Emmanuella Trust 1808 6 4 Pelomoh, Jessica 1974 5½ 5 WCM Aramude, Sandra 1783 5½ 6 Suleiman, Azumi Ayisha 1796 5 7 Onoja, Iyefu Joy 1768 4 8 Omishogbon, Nkem 1748 2½ 9 WFM Akintoye, Deborah 1871 2 10 Assa, Oluwaseun 1777 1