Grand Opening for FIDE World Team Rapid and Blitz Championships in Astana
Astana, Kazakhstan – The FIDE World Team Rapid and Blitz Championships 2024 commenced with a week of chess festivities, highlighted by a spectacular opening ceremony held at the Astana Amphitheater on the Esil River Embankment. This event marked the beginning of an exciting week of world-class chess competitions, celebrating the game’s rich heritage and future. The opening ceremony began with FIDE’s Torch Relay, an event commemorating the 100th anniversary of the International Chess Federation. The relay started at the “Atameken” monument and culminated at the Amphitheater, showcasing a parade of top chess players, local authorities, and prominent figures from Kazakhstan. Among the distinguished torchbearers were the FIDE President, Arkady Dvorkovich, Prime Minister of Kazakhstan Oljas Bektenov, President of Kazakhstan Chess Federation Timur Turlov, and current World Champions Ding Liren and Ju Wenjun. They were joined by young chess stars such as Bibisara Asaubaeva, symbolizing the future of the sport in Kazakhstan. The ceremony officially kicked off with the arrival of the Prime Minister and other esteemed guests, followed by a moving performance of the National Anthem of Kazakhstan. Prime Minister Bektenov delivered a heartfelt opening address, highlighting the significance of the event for Kazakhstan and the global chess community: “The International Chess Federation, with more than a century of history, became a reputable and well-known organization, which brought together over 200 countries around the chessboard. FIDE’s famous slogan, “We are one Family”, signifies that chess is not only an intellectual sport but also a deep science and incredible art. In this regard, the lighting of the Olympic torch in the city of Astana is a great pride for the people of Kazakhstan.” FIDE President Arkady Dvorkovich also shared his thoughts, celebrating the Federation’s centenary and the collaborative spirit of the chess world. “This gathering today is particularly significant as it marks the first formal FIDE event since World Chess Day on July 20th, the day FIDE was officially established in 1924. As we step into FIDE’s second century, it is fitting to host such a prestigious event here in Kazakhstan. This is our way of expressing our deepest appreciation for all that you have done and continue to do for the chess community. Let us look forward to a spectacular tournament and a promising future for FIDE and the world of chess,” he said, greeted with a round of applause. President of Kazakhstan Chess Federation Timur Turlov stressed the significance of holding the FIDE World Rapid and Blitz Team Championship and expressed his gratitude to FIDE for assistance in their joint endeavors. “For us, a young nation, and hundreds of children who are learning chess today in clubs, sections and their schools, it is you – the chess world stars – who are the main conductors of the values of this noble game, idols of hundreds of thousands of young Kazakhstanis. You motivate people to play chess, improve and follow the main trends.” In a moment of unity and pride, the FIDE 100th Anniversary Torch was ceremonially transferred from President Dvorkovich to Prime Minister Bektenov, who then passed it on to Timur Turlov, President of the Kazakhstan Chess Federation. The relay continued with notable participants, including world champions, young prodigies, and influential figures, all contributing to the electric atmosphere. As the relay concluded, former women’s World Champion and current Women’s Number one, Hou Yifan, took center stage to light the ceremonial bowl, a symbol of the enduring flame of chess. This was followed by a stunning display of cold fireworks, and all torchbearers were invited onto the stage, where they were introduced and celebrated. The ceremony continued with a dynamic mass dance performance, speeches from key officials, and a musical interlude. Chief Arbiter Laurent Freyd and Grandmaster Jan Gustafsson conducted the draw to determine the first-round colors. The color drawn was black, which means that the first board will be played with black pieces. To conclude the evening, the President of FIDE declared the Championships officially open, accompanied by a countdown and a dazzling fireworks display. The opening ceremony’s headliner, the “Orda” band, delivered a memorable performance, setting a festive tone for the championships. The FIDE World Team Rapid and Blitz Championships 2024 in Astana promises to be a landmark event, bringing together the best in chess and celebrating the game’s global community. Photos: Ruslan Mazunin and Maria Emelianova Website of the event: World Rapid and Blitz Team Championship 2024 (fide.com) Freedom Holding Corp. is a US-based financial services holding company. The Company has retail locations in 20 countries: the United States of America, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Cyprus, Germany, the United Kingdom, Greece, Spain, France, Poland, Austria, Bulgaria, Italy, Netherlands, Belgium, Turkey, Armenia, Azerbaijan, and the United Arab Emirates. In Eurasia, the company is developing a digital ecosystem under the Freedom brand. The ecosystem already provides services in the field of investment banking and stock market brokerage, digital banking, online insurance, telecommunications, air and event ticket sales, digital car service, smartphone sales and other areas. Freedom Holding Corp. shares are traded on the NASDAQ stock exchange. The activities of the company are regulated by the US Securities and Exchange Commission. Official site: freedomholdingcorp.com Site of the digital ecosystem: ecosystem.ffin.kz/en
FIDE August 2024 rating list published
The Women’s top 10 remained intact in July, while the Open list saw some changes. Wei Yi reached his career-high 8th position, following his good showing in the Chinese Chess League, while Alireza Firouzja returned to the top 10 after a three-month hiatus. Photo: Grand Chess Tour/Lennart Ootes Biggest gains in top 100 Open and Women Kulon, Klaudia IM POL 2415 (+36) Van Foreest, Jorden GM NED 2696 (+25) Liang, Awonder GM USA 2666 (+18) Vaishali, Rameshbabu GM IND 2506 (+18) Sliwicka, Alicja WIM POL 2373 (+16) Salem, Saleh GM OAE 2652 (+14) Warmerdam, Max GM NED 2676 (+13) Dronavalli, Harika GM IND 2502 (+11) Badelka, Olga IM FID 2409 (+11) Le, Quang Liem GM VIE 2741 (+10) Zhu, Jiner GM CHN 2479 (+10) Klaudia Kulon became the biggest rating gainer in July thanks to her impressive performance in the Pardubice Open, where she finished sixth and picked 36 rating points. The tournament winner, 14-year-old Vaclav Finek, Vaclav Finek earned 15 points, reaching a career-high 88th place in the top 100 Junior list. Photo: Czech Open Jorden Van Foreest had a very successful trip to Canada, winning both the Canadian Open and Maplewood Invitational. He gained 25 rating points and came very close to the 2700 mark. Awonder Liang climbed to his career-high 65th place in the top 100 Open after a very productive July (+18) in the American tournaments that included the 52nd Annual World Open and U.S. Junior Championship. Photo: Saint Louis Chess Club/ Austin Fuller Alicja Sliwicka dropped 12 points in the 2024 FISU World University Mind Sports Chess Championship. However, she recovered with a strong performance in the Open International d’Aix en Provence, gaining 29 points and increasing her overall rating by 16 points in July. Saleh Salem and Rameshbabu Vaishali shone in the inaugural Biel GMT-Challengers, collecting 14 and 18 rating points, respectively. Saleh returned to the top 100 Open after a year’s absence, while Vaishali climbed as high as the 11th position and is now knocking on the top 10 Women’s door. Le Quang Liem won his third straight title in the main event, GMT-Masters, translating into 10 rating points. Photo: Biel International Chess Festival Max Warmerdam won the 2024 Dutch Championship (his second national title) and the Brasov Grand Prix Classic, picking up 13 rating points, while Harika Dronavalli overperformed in the Isbank of Turkiye Chess Super League, gaining 11 points.
Ding and Carlsen meet in Kazakhstan for WRBTC 2024: Everything you need to know
Everything is ready in Astana for a spectacular five-day chess event where top world players and amateurs will play side by side for the titles of World Rapid and World Blitz Team champions “We have been preparing this event for a while and are very grateful for the support we have had from Freedom Holding Corp., KazChess, and local organizers here in Kazakhstan. With elite international players and non-professionals in each team, this promises to be a very exciting and dramatic event for the chess world,” said Pavel Tregubov, tournament director. Altogether, 350 players representing 39 teams are taking part. Leading the lineup are world champion Ding Liren and top-rated player Magnus Carlsen. The competition also includes current and former Open and Women’s world champions in different categories and many of the world’s strongest players, all vying for a prize fund of €350,000. The event will be broadcast live on FIDE’s YouTube channel, and the competition schedule can be found here. The Top Teams Last year’s winners, WR Chess, return with an even stronger lineup. Featuring three former world champions – Magnus Carlsen, Alexandra Kosteniuk, and Hou Yifan (pictured below) – as well as two-time world champion candidate Ian Nepomniachtchi and Polish superstar Jan-Krzysztof Duda, they are the favorites. Captained by German GM Jan Gustafsson, the team includes former World Rapid champion Nodirbek Abdusattorov, Indian prodigy R Praggnanandhaa, and German talent Vincent Keymer, with non-professional player Wadim Rosenstein. Photo: Niki Riga Challenging WR Chess is the team of Chessy, captained by GM Emil Sutovsky. Their roster includes top players Richard Rapport, Vidit Santosh Gujrathi, Alexey Sarana, Jorden Van Foreest, and top women players Anna Muzychuk and Humpy Koneru. The third top-rated team is ALAIN ACMG from the UAE, featuring Daniil Dubov (pictured below), Vladislav Artemiev, Parham Maghsoodloo, Dmitry Andreikin, Kateryna Lagno, and Zhu Jiner. Photo: Lennart Ootes Last year’s third-place winners, the Indian team of MGD1, return with strong players like Arjun Erigaisi, S L Narayanan, Raunak Sadhwani, and Harika Dronavalli. The all-Chinese “Decade China Team” boasts World Champion Ding Liren (pictured below), along with 2700+ GMs Wei Yi, Wang Yue, Yu Yangyi, and women’s World Champion Ju Wenjun. Photo: Stev Bonhage Other notable participants include super GMs Peter Svidler, Alexander Grischuk, Bibisara Assaubayeva, Nihal Sarin, Andrei Volokitin, Nigel Short, Zhu Chen, and Victor Bologan. Hans Niemann will play for “GMHans.com”, while “ROYAL CHESS” features all the stars from the young Uzbek Olympic gold-winning team, excluding Abdusattorov. The full list of registered teams and players can be found – here. Championship Format and Regulations The World Rapid and Blitz Team Championship will consist of two tournaments played over five days. Teams can be composed of club members, members of different federations, or other chess players. Each team shall consist of six to nine players, including at least one female player and one recreational player who has never achieved a FIDE rating of 2000 Elo points or higher. Rapid (August 2-4) · 12-round Swiss tournament · Time control: 15 minutes with a 10-second increment per move from move one Blitz (August 5-6) · Pool stage: Round-robin tournament, no more than seven rounds · Knockout stage: Knockout tournament for the top 16 teams · Time control: Three minutes with a two-second increment per move from move one Matches are scored by match points: two points for a win, one point for a draw, and zero for a loss. The team with the highest match points will be declared the winner. The venue The event will take place at the QAZEXPO Congress Center – the main congressional center in Astana. Opened in 2017, it is used for holding international forums, conferences, official events, as well as sports and cultural events. Photo: qazexpocongress.kz/ Detailed regulations for the event can be found – here. Website of the event: World Rapid and Blitz Team Championship 2024 (fide.com) Freedom Holding Corp. is a US-based financial services holding company. The Company has retail locations in 20 countries: the United States of America, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Cyprus, Germany, the United Kingdom, Greece, Spain, France, Poland, Austria, Bulgaria, Italy, Netherlands, Belgium, Turkey, Armenia, Azerbaijan, and the United Arab Emirates. In Eurasia, the company is developing a digital ecosystem under the Freedom brand. The ecosystem already provides services in the field of investment banking and stock market brokerage, digital banking, online insurance, telecommunications, air and event ticket sales, digital car service, smartphone sales and other areas. Freedom Holding Corp. shares are traded on the NASDAQ stock exchange. The activities of the company are regulated by the US Securities and Exchange Commission. Official site: freedomholdingcorp.com Site of the digital ecosystem: ecosystem.ffin.kz/en
World Rapid and Blitz Team Championships start in Astana this week
The World Rapid and Blitz Team Championship will be officially opened on August 1 in Astana, Kazakhstan. This five-day chess bonanza will feature both the world champion Ding Liren and the world’s top-rated player Magnus Carlsen, alongside a star-stunned lineup of super-grandmasters playing alongside amateur players Following the 2023 World Rapid Teams competition in Düsseldorf, Germany, this year’s edition also includes a Blitz tournament and will last two days longer. The event will host the FIDE 100 Torch Relay celebration, exhibitions, simuls, and discussions. “This is going to be a spectacular event, and we are pleased it’s taking place in Kazakhstan, which has recently become a global center for chess thanks to the efforts of Kazakhstan Chess Federation and Freedom Holding Corp.,” said FIDE President Arkady Dvorkovich. “The lineup looks like the World Cup or the Chess Olympiad – super GMs from all over the world in one place! Including a non-professional player is important as it opens chess to a broader audience and adds unpredictability to the outcomes. We are also pleased to add the Blitz event to the Rapid,” Dvorkovich added. World #1 Magnus Carlsen will lead WR Team in Astana The Rapid and Blitz competitions will feature over 350 players representing 39 teams, including participants from the 2023 edition. A stellar lineup of current and former top world grandmasters will compete for a total prize fund of €350,000. The event will be broadcast live on FIDE’s YouTube channel. The Championships will take place at the QazExpo Congress Center, Kazakhstan’s largest expo center, and will be open to the public through a ticketing system. Tickets can be purchased online here. A Week of Chess Festivities in Astana The event will start with FIDE’s Torch Relay and a spectacular Opening Ceremony held at the Astana Amphitheater on the Esil River Embarkment (Turan Avenue, 2/6). The torch will be carried along the streets of Astana from the “Atameken” monument to the stage of the Opening Ceremony by top chess players participating in the Championships, local authorities, famous athletes of Kazakhstan, young chess stars of the country. The torchbearers include Prime Minister of Kazakhstan Oljas Bektenov, Äkım of Astana Jenis Qasymbek, a Kazakh cosmonaut Talgat Musabayev, world #1 Magnus Carlsen and Hou Yifan, and many others. Other side events also include the photo exhibition “Capture” by photographer Stev Bonhage, a simul for chess bloggers and influencers, a football match involving players and officials, a simul at Astana IT University, a school visit by FIDE President Arkady Dvorkovich, and the traditional Kazakh Tusau Kesu ceremony. On August 4, there will be a chess simul for children with disabilities at the Hilton Hotel in Astana and the Business Women Brunch event chaired by FIDE Managing Director Dana Reizniece-Ozola, focusing on overcoming barriers and achieving success in the professional field. Astana is set to host an unforgettable week celebrating the game of chess and the centenary of FIDE. Official website of the event: worldrapidblitzteams.fide.com/registered_teams_rapid Photos: Lennart Ootes, Mark Livshitz, Niki Riga and Stev Bonhage
Vaclav Finek wins Czech Open 2024
The biggest talent of Czech chess, fourteen-year-old IM Vaclav Finek (2452), emerged as the winner of the 2024 Czech Open. The 2024 edition of the Czech Open in Pardubice, supported by the FIDE Aid Package, took place from July 19-27 and brought together 721 players from 37 countries. The festival included four main 9-round Swiss tournaments with classical time control. A – Pardubice Open In a major sensation, the main event saw the triumph of 9th seed Vaclav Finek and 24th seed IM Ameya Audi of India. Both pulled off crucial final-round victories over GM Liviu-Dieter Nisipeanu (Romania) and Valentyn Prokofiev (Ukraine), respectively and tied for first place with an excellent score of 7.5/9. Just a half-point of Buchholz advantage separated the champion, Vaclav Finek (pictured below, left), from the runner-up, Ameya Audi. As many as four players shared third place scoring (7/9), with GM Jiri Stocek of the Czech Republic completing the podium. “I think I played an awesome tournament, and I was especially pleased with the 100% win rate with white pieces,” said Vaclav Finek in a short interview. IM Klaudia Kulon (pictured below) from Poland became the best woman of the event. Klaudia achieved a great performance 2509 and finished in 6th place. Four norms of the international title were fulfilled in the main tournament: the IM norm by Petr Gnojek (CZE), Valentyn Prokofiev, and Vladyslav Fishchuk (both from Ukraine). The norm of WIM goes to Noga Orian (ISR). Final standings: 1 IM Finek, Vaclav CZE 2452 7½ 2 IM Audi, Ameya IND 2381 7½ 3 GM Stocek, Jiri CZE 2528 7 4 GM Zanan, Evgeny ISR 2476 7 5 IM Hrbek, Stepan CZE 2402 7 6 IM Kulon, Klaudia POL 2379 7 7 GM Nisipeanu, Liviu-Dieter ROU 2583 6½ 8 FM Prokofiev, Valentyn UKR 2337 6½ 9 IM Pulpan, Jakub CZE 2383 6½ 10 IM Noe, Christopher GER 2520 6½ Complete final standings Pardubice Open B – MOTORGAS OPEN Ukrainian Roman Tyshniuk became the only foreign player to win one of the main events. He came out on top in the Motorgas Open, scoring 7.5/9. Jachym Hrbek had the same score but finished second due to an inferior tiebreak, while Inchan Park (KOR, 7/9) was third. Final standings B- Motorgas Open C – GASCO OPEN The tournament under 1700 was won by 11-year-old Jan Kozusnik (CZE, 8/9), ahead of Hyunbin Choi (KOR, 8/9) and Oskar Gresek (CZE, 7/9). Final standings C – GASCO Open 30+ STAPRO OPEN The Czech players dominated the tournament for players aged 30, occupying the podium. First became Miroslav Muron (7.5/9), followed by Vit Zemlicka (7/9) and Tomas Vesely from the local club Rapid Pardubice (7/9). Final standings 30+ STARPRO Open Photos: Czech Open Official website: czechopen.net/en/
U.S. Championships: Akopian, Lee and Yoo clinch titles
The US Junior and Senior Championship concluded on July 25, with three national champions crowned in Saint Louis. All three competitions—the US Junior, US Junior Girls, and U.S. Senior championships—were 10-player round-robin tournaments with classical time control. The total prize fund of the championships exceeded $135,000. GM Vladimir Akopian dominated the U.S. Senior Championship, securing the title with a round to spare with 7/9. The resident of Glendale, California, scored 4.5/5 at the start and never looked back. Akopian, the only unbeaten player in the tournament, received a $20,000 prize for his effort. GM Jesse Kraai suffered two losses, including one to the champion in Round 5, but finished strong with four straight victories to take silver. GMs Joel Benjamin and Larry Christiansen tied for third place on 5/9. GM Christopher Yoo confirmed his status as a rating favourite, convincingly winning the title at the junior event. The only undefeated player in the tournament, he drew with top-four finishers and beat five other participants to score an impressive 7/9. Justin Wang finished a full point behind the champion and took silver. Andrew Z Hong and Jason Wang both netted 5.5/9 and tied for third place. Last year’s winner, Alice Lee, successfully defended his title (7/9) in a close race with Rose Atwell, who finished just a half-point behind. In hindsight, their see-saw clash in Round 3, which Lee won, tipped the balance in her favor. With her junior title, Alice qualified for the upcoming U.S. Women’s Championship. Iris Mou scored 6/9 and earned bronze. Photos: Lennart Ootes and Crystal Fuller/Saint Louis Chess Club Official website: uschesschamps.com/
Lê Quang Liêm wins Biel Grandmaster Triathlon for third straight year
Lê Quang Liêm won the Biel Grandmaster Triathlon Tournament for the third time in a row. The Vietnamese player secured the title after defeating the world #8 Praggnanandhaa in the penultimate round. Lê Quang Liêm, the 2013 World Blitz Champion, showed once again that the triathlon format played in Biel suits him perfectly. The Biel Chess Festival, supported by the FIDE Aid Package, featured GMT-Masters and Challengers tournaments (held for the first time) and several side events. The Masters and Challengers 6-player round robins combined three different time formats (blitz, rapid and classic), counting towards the final score. A win in a classical game was worth 4 points, with 1½ points for a draw and 0 for a loss. In the Rapid (15min+5s) segment, a victory was worth 2 points and a draw 1 point. The blitz (3+2) was played as a double round-robin with 1 point for a win and ½ points for a draw. The top four players from the triathlon competed in another classical single round-robin. With his third win in the Biel Grandmaster Tournament, Lê Quang Liêm drew level with Alexander Morozevich and only needs one more win to equal the record of four wins in a row, which Maxime Vachier-Lagrave achieved between 2013 and 2016. In the winner’s interview after the game, Lê hinted that it would be nice to equal this achievement. Haik Martirosyan of Armenia (pictured below, left) finished second, while Praggnanandhaa R bounced back from his loss in the penultimate round to take third place. The Armenian lived up to his reputation in the Grandmaster Triathlon as an expert in the rapid cadences by being the best in rapid and the second-best player in blitz. It was a rather mixed tournament for the rating-favorite Praggnanandhaa that came to a conciliatory end. The Indian seized his chance to bronze by defeating Abhimanyu Mishra in the final round and completed the podium. Final standings GMT-Masters Salem Saleh of UAE achieved an even more convincing victory in the GMT-Challengers, clinching the title with two rounds to spare. It is the Emirati’s greatest success in his tenth participation in Biel. Alexander Donchenko secured second place after winning over Vaishali R in the penultimate round. The only female player in the tournament, Vaishali, put in a solid performance to finish third. Final standings GMT-Challengers Rinat Jumabayev (KAZ), Leon Luke Mendonca (IND), Ayush Sharma (IND) and IM Mukhiddin Madaminov (UZB) tied for first place in the Master Tournament MTO with the Kazakhstani GM (pictured below) prevailing in the tie-break. Final standings Master Tournament MTO Text and photos: Biel Chess Festival official website Official website: bielchessfestival.ch/
New Guinness World Record: Over seven million chess games played in one day!
On International Chess Day, July 20, a monumental achievement was realized as over 350 events took place worldwide, both online and over the board, setting the record for the most chess games played in 24 hours While the initial goal was to surpass one million games, the total number played was an astounding 7,284,970. A total of 109 chess federations participated, reporting their results globally. The federations with the highest number of games were Sri Lanka (9,848 games), India (9,397 games), and Kazakhstan (8,759 games). Sri Lanka and India also hosted the most registered tournaments for this competition, each with 78, followed by China with 45. To validate the record, specific conditions were required: all games, whether online or offline, had to be played within a 24-hour period and registered as part of the FIDE 100 Guinness World Records Attempt. Each player could participate in multiple games, but the minimum time control was set at 3 minutes plus 2 seconds, excluding bullet games. Among the more than seven million games played, 75,132 (just over 1%) were over-the-board, with the rest played online across five platforms: Chess.com (including ChessKid), Lichess, FIDE Online Arena, SimpleChess, The Chess Alliance, and Zhisai. Chess.com, including its ChessKid platform, contributed the largest number of eligible games, exceeding six million. “This is a great success for FIDE and for chess, and I am very proud that we achieved this on the day we celebrated 100 years since the founding of our great organization,” said FIDE President Arkady Dvorkovich. Speaking on FIDE’s YouTube Channel during a special six-hour live broadcast of International Chess Day celebrations, Dvorkovich described the events as a “celebration of the spirit of victory for chess.” “This is just the first century [of FIDE]. Many more centuries are ahead of us,” he added. “We are happy to share this moment with millions worldwide, especially those who helped set the Guinness record. Many people will start playing chess from this day,” Dvorkovich concluded. A Huge Undertaking The Guinness World Records attempt was a massive project, prepared over several months. International Arbiter Laurent Freyd, the key instigator and supervisor from FIDE’s side, highlighted the event’s uniqueness. Speaking from the 57th International Chess Festival in Biel, Switzerland, Freyd remarked, “As an arbiter, you manage some players at an event. Today, it’s about managing 350 arbiters running events worldwide, with many players participating!” The Guinness World Records receives about 65,000 applications annually, each vetted by experts. For the FIDE attempt, Carl Saville, the Guinness World Records Official Adjudicator and a chess fan was sent to Biel. Together with Lauren Freyd, he closely monitored the event’s developments. At the end of the day, Saville joined FIDE’s live broadcast to announce: “After reviewing the documents and verifying the final guideline verification, I can confirm that FIDE has achieved a total of 5.4 million games played, setting a new record! FIDE – you are now, officially, amazing!” As he spoke, more results came in, and by the end of the 24-hour period, the total reached a stunning 7,284,970 chess games played globally—a record hard to set and likely even harder to surpass. “This fantastic record is the result of a tremendous collaborative effort. We are grateful to all national federations, tournament organizers and chess enthusiasts involved,” said Andre Voegtlin, Chair of FIDE’s Social Commission. On the importance of records The six-hour FIDE YouTube broadcast featured prominent figures from the chess world and some of the current and former top Grandmasters, including Vidit Gujrathi, Levon Aronian, Nigel Short, former women’s world champion Alexandra Kosteniuk and her husband Pavel Tregubov, former world champion Vishy Anand, and Emil Sutovsky. One of the guests was Alireza Firouzja, the 21-year-old Iranian-born Grandmaster naturalized in France and regarded as one of the most promising young chess players. “Chess took our childhood and everything with it, so it cannot be just a game. It’s a game we all love, one you get addicted to and cannot stop playing,” Firouzja said. He also emphasized the importance of world records: “Since childhood, I’ve always looked at the records – becoming the youngest world champion, eyeing the rating records. Records stay in history, and they motivate you to reach and break them.” With the setting of this record, FIDE has also set a new and promising challenge that will benefit the game: any future records will depend on more chess games being played, thus putting a challenge to chess enthusiasts of the future to do more and aim higher.
Youth Solving Championships – FIDE & WFCC special project
The FIDE Centenary celebrations include some new and promising projects in cooperation with the WFCC. In November, World Solving Championships for girls and boys, the biggest ever youth-solving competitions will be held as part of FIDE major events for cadets (U8, U10, U12) and juniors (U14, U16, U18). Juniors will be solving eight problems and endgames on November 4, during the free day of the World Youth Chess Championships in Florianópolis, the capital of southern Brazil’s Santa Catarina state. Cadets will have their solving championships on November 21, the rest day of the World Cadet Chess Championships in Montesilvano, a city in the Abruzzo region of Italy. While celebrating this historical breakthrough in promoting chess composition among new generations, it’s time to recall the prehistory that allowed us to take a considerable step forward. More than 30 years ago, different countries started applying the national solving championship model in the context of national youth chess championships. On the European level, it debuted in 2002, with the first such event organized in Serbia during the European Youth Blitz and Rapid Championship, and in the age categories U10, U14, and U18. Roughly the same format has been adopted by most of the hosts of this type of European chess competition, but some countries were not ready to organize these events. In other words, those competitions depended on the activity of the local chess composers and their relations with the national chess federations. The longer-lasting chess competitions with classical time control were more suitable for organizing solving contests during the mandatory free days. Such a concept was brought to the platform of global FIDE events in Batumi 2006, when the director of the World Youth Chess Championships 2006 Akaki Iashvili initiated World Youth Solving Cup in the age categories U10, U14 and U18. We owe it to his long-lasting cooperation with the Grandmaster of Chess Composition David Gurgenidze, a chess writer, historian and trainer, in short – a Georgian chess legend. These two prominent Georgian chess personalities opened the doors for future solving competitions as a part of FIDE youth events. FIDE solving events pioneers Akaki Iashvili and David Gurgenidze at the closing ceremony of the World Congres of Chess Composition in Batumi 2023 / Photo WFCC However, after Batumi 2006 and Antalya 2007, the next such competition had to wait till 2016, when the FIDE championships were again organized in Georgia. In 2022, as the FIDE Special Tasks Director, Akaki Iashvili recommended solving competitions to become a part of all FIDE youth events. In Batumi 2022 (221 participants) and again in Batumi 2023, these events were branded as World Youth Solving Championships U10, U14 and U18. A month ago Batumi hosted a newly introduced Cadets World Cup (U8, U10 & U12), with 132 players taking part in the solving competition called the Cadets World Solving Cup. The youngest generations enjoyed uncovering subtle combinations in seemingly simple positions. To get full points for the Mate in 2 moves below, it was enough to write the correct first move of White, but to find it, one needs to anticipate all Black’s replies. The surprising solution is quite enjoyable: Yuri Selyavkin, “Vpered”, 1985 White to play and mate in 2 moves Since 2006, David Gurgenidze has directed all FIDE solving events (in the photo gallery below during the Cadets World Solving Cup 2024), with only one of the six competitions (Antalya 2007) held outside Georgia. The organizers’ goodwill and personal affinities with local chess composers determined whether such competitions would be held. The next step was to ensure regularity of solving championships and to avoid improvisation, whatever country gets the role of the organizer of the FIDE championships. That’s where fruitful cooperation between WFCC and the FIDE officers has helped enormously. It started in Fujairah 2022, when the FIDE Deputy Chair Dana Reizniece-Ozola came to honor the closing ceremony of the World Congress of Chess Composition (WCCC). The communications with the main WCCC organizer, Akaki Iashvili, continued at the WCCC 2023 in Batumi. As the Chair of the FIDE Events Commission, Akaki Iashvili negotiated with the organizers in Brazil and Italy to enrich their chess program with official solving championships under the standardized rules, conditions and guidance of the WFCC. In January 2024, as a special guest of the 20th International Solving Contest in Fujairah, the FIDE Executive Officer Victor Bologan (pictured at the closing ceremony, with the WFCC Vice-President Abdulla Ali Aal Barket on his left) showed a great interest in solving competitions and shared his ideas how to promote them. He suggested including the youth-solving championships into the special FIDE & WFCC projects in 2024, marking the FIDE Centenary. Photo: Fujairah Chess & Culture Club The future of this big joint project will largely depend on the success and overall effects of the two inaugural competitions in November. Our preparations started over a year ago, with forming a working group headed by the WFCC Vice-President Dinu-Ioan Nicula. An International Chess Arbiter with more than 20 years of experience in directing solving competitions at chess events, he prepared all the relevant documents and accepted the role of selector for the November competitions. Some other members of our society have shown great enthusiasm in joining the project. Instructions for writing solutions with illustrative examples were prepared by Ilija Serafimović and Marcos Maldonado Roland, who also contributed to logistics in Brazil, where Ricardo de Mattos Vieira took the role of main judge. All the WFCC documents were agreed upon with the FIDE Events Commission first and then with the local organizers. These documents were enclosed in the official invitations sent to all national chess federations and later on the official websites of both FIDE events. WFCC Secretary Mohammad Alhallak has prepared the registration forms and the newly opened WFCC page on the Chess-Results server. With a kind support of Heinz Herzog, the creator of the Chess-Results server, WFCC now has a permanent license to use the most popular server for announcements and results of the
Team lineups announced for record-breaking 45th Chess Olympiad in Budapest
FIDE is excited to announce the participating teams of the 45th Chess Olympiad. The Chess Olympiad is growing with every edition, and the 45th in Budapest is going to be the largest. The record-breaking 193 teams in the Open section and 181 squads in the Women’s competition will gather in the Hungarian capital from September 10-23 to battle in the biggest team chess event of the biennium. Notably, several women’s teams – Liechtenstein, Guernsey, Grenada, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, St. Kitts and Nevis, the US Virgin Islands, St. Lucia, Nauru, and the Cayman Islands – will make their debut in Budapest. St. Kitts and Nevis female team – one of the first-timers in the upcoming Olympiad In a historic move toward inclusivity, the 2024 Chess Olympiad will welcome a team of refugees, as officially approved by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). This groundbreaking decision aims to promote diversity and support displaced individuals, reinforcing chess as a tool for positive change. 2024 FIDE Chess Olympiad Open Teams Team USA captained by John Donaldson tops the starting list in the open section. Although Hikaru Nakamura opted not to participate, with an average rating of 2758 the US fielded a formidable lineup of Fabiano Caruana, Wesley So, Leinier Dominguez Perez, Levon Aronian and Ray Robson and looks like one of the pre-tournament favorites. India 2 in Chennai – Praggnanandhaa R and Gukesh D will play for the main team in Budapest The Indian team, which features the current challenger Gukesh D and top tenners Arjun Erigaisi and Rameshbabu Praggnanandhaa, is stronger than ever and undoubtedly will be one of the main contenders for gold. The reigning champions team Uzbekistan preserved the winning roster and will be eager to repeat their 2022 success and retain the title. Notably, none other than Vladimir Kramnik will serve as the team captain. After missing the 44th Chess Olympiad, China is sending two teams to Budapest. It will be interesting to see how the reigning World Champion, in-form Wei Yi, Yu Yangyi and others will perform in the Hungarian capital. Magnus Carlsen leads Norway, but the world #1 will need a lot of help of his teammates to contest for the podium. Even if the team doesn’t succeed, Magnus will have a shot at winning individual gold, repeating his achievement at the European Team Championship. Poland, Netherlands, England (reinforced by Nikita Vitiugov) and the home team Hungary (boosted by the return of Richard Rapport) all have very solid, balanced lineups and cannot be discounted. Last but not least, a young and ambitious Iranian team might surprise many and become a “joker-in-the-pack”. 2024 FIDE Chess Olympiad Women Teams Team Georgia captained by Vladimir Tukmakov enters the women’s competition as the rating favorite. The runners-up in Chennai 2022 the Georgian ladies (Nana Dzagnidze, Nino Batsiashvili, Lela Javakhishvili, Bella Khotenashvili and Salome Melia) will try their best to move one step up and win coveted gold. The second seed India that won bronze in Chennai will miss Humpy Koneru this time, but with a rising star Divya Deshmukh joining Rameshbabu Vaishali, Harika Dronavalli, Vantika Agrawal and Tania Sachdev in Budapest, the team seems to be a real contender for the title. China has as many as four players in the women’s top 10, but none of them will play in Budapest. Nevertheless, seeded fourth, this young team led by Zhu Jiner and 14-year-old national champion Lu Miaoyi can go far if they catch the wind in their sails. In the absence of the Muzychuk sisters, who skipped the Olympiad, sixth-seeded Ukraine will face the challenging task of defending its title. The Ukrainian ladies will most likely not succeed, but we can’t write them off completely. The third and fifth seed, Poland and Azerbaijan, fielded their best players and will be teams to be reckoned with. Bringing together acclaimed heavyweights and rising stars from all across the globe playing for their national teams, the Chess Olympiad is an event like no other. We are in for an eleven-day magnificent spectacle showcasing chess brilliance in Budapest. Photos: Lennart Ootes, Madelene Belinki, Mark Livshitz and Stev Bonhage