European Women’s Rapid and Blitz 2023: Alexandra Kosteniuk wins double gold
The European Women’s Rapid and Blitz Chess Championship 2023 took place from January 11-15, 2024 in Monte-Carlo, Monaco, bringing together 120 players from 26 European federations. Alexandra Kosteniuk emerged as the winner of both Rapid and Blitz tournaments, taking the historical double gold. The European Women’s Blitz Championship 2023, a 13-round Swiss event, was played on January 12. Heading into the last round of the competition, Alexandra Kosteniuk had a sole lead, being a whole point ahead of her closest rivals. However, after she suffered a loss at the hands of IM Sarasadat Khademalsharieh, three players tied for first place, scoring 10 points each. Alexandra Kosteniuk (SUI) claimed the gold medal thanks to best tiebreaks, winning her fourth European Women’s Blitz Champion title. IM Sarasadat Khademalsharieh (ESP) clinched silver, and GM Bella Khotenashvili (GEO) took bronze. The European Women’s Rapid Chess Championship 2023 took place from January 13-14, with 116 players from 26 European federations participating. Three players headed into the final round jointly leading the field, all on 8/10: GMs Antoaneta Stefanova (BUL), Elisabeth Paehtz (GER) and Alexandra Kosteniuk (SUI). While Antoaneta Stefanova and GM Elisabeth Paehtz drew their last-round game, Alexandra Kosteniuk defeated Anna Ushenina (UKR) and emerged as the sole winner of the European Women’s Rapid Championship 2023. Three players tied for second place, netting 8.5/11 points each, but Antoaneta Stefanova had the best tiebreaks and clinched silver, Elisabeth Paehtz claimed bronze, and Klaudia Kulon (POL) finished fourth and missed the podium. The Closing ceremony of the European Women’s Blitz Chess Championship 2023 took place on Friday, January 12, while the Closing ceremony of the European Women’s Rapid Chess Championship was held on January 14. The ceremonies were attended by ECU President Zurab Azmaiparashvili, the President of the Monaco Chess Federation and ECU Vice President Jean Michel Rapaire, ECU Vice President Gunnar Bjornsson, ECU Chief Executing Officer Erald Dervishi, and other distinguished guests. The final rankings of the championship can be found here. Written by europechess.org Photos: Patricia Claros Aguilar The photo gallery by Patricia Claros Aguilar can be found on the official Facebook page of the event.
Tata Steel Masters 2024: Firouzja grabs the lead
Alireza Firouzja scored his second straight victory and emerged as the sole leader after Round 2 of the Tata Steel Masters 2024 in Wijk aan Zee, Netherlands. Gukesh D defeated Wei Yi and joined Anish Giri and Ian Nepomiachtchi, who drew their games. This trio is trailing the leader by a half-point. Max Warmerdam came off victorious in a Dutch derby beating Jorden Van Foreest. Alireza Firouzja – Parham Maghsoodloo | 1-0, 43 moves The game saw a sharp line of the Ruy Lopez Berlin in which White sacrifices two pawns for the initiative. Most likely, Parham either forgot or mixed up his preparation as a novelty he introduced (20…Be6 instead of 20…c6) will hardly find followers. After a precise sequence, 19. Bc4! Bd4+ 20. Kh1 Bf7 21. Qe4 Bc5 22. Ne7+ Kf8 23. Qxh7, Alizera gained a considerable advantage. Black gave up his queen, for which he got almost sufficient material equivalent, but with poorly coordinated pieces and a weak king, his position was defenceless. As soon as White snatched Black’s central pawns and advanced his h-pawn, Parham threw in the towel. Wei Yi – Gukesh D | 0-1, 33 moves The opponents followed a recent game, Praggnanandhaa – Vidit (Tata Steel India 2023), in the Giocco Piano up to a certain point, but Black deviated with 12…Qc8 (instead of 12…Rg8). The players manoeuvred in a position with a little edge for White, but around move 21, things went awry for Wei. Instead of the natural 21.Bd3, the Chinese GM opted for 21.c4?! and after 21…exd4 22. Nd5 Qd8 played 23. Nxd4, which was met with a very strong response 23…Bc5! White ended up in an inferior position with numerous weaknesses and spiralled into self-destruction, sacrificing too much material: 24. Nb3 Ba3 25. Nxc7 Qxc7 26. c5 Bxc1 27. cxd6 Qb6 28. dxe7 Rfc8. After a few moves down the road, it was all over for Wei. Jorden Van Foreest – Max Wanderdam | 0-1, 40 moves The game was decided on move 19, when in a roughly equal position, Jorden played the tempting 19.e5? but missed a very strong response. 19…Qc5! It turns out that 20.exf6 fails to 20…Qf5! Taken aback, Van Foreest did not find the most stubborn 20.Rhe1 and opted for 20.Bxe6, but after 20… fxe5 21. Qxc5 Bxc5 22. Bh6? Bd4! 23. Bb3 Rd6! had to give up an exchange (24. Rxd4 exd4). Wanderdam activated his rooks, centralized the king and forced the opponent’s capitulation right after reaching the time control. Anish Giri – Vidit Gujrathi | ½-½, 35 moves The players tested a trendy line of the Exchange Variation in Slav Defence in which Black leaves his h7-pawn unprotected for a while. On move 17 Anish introduced a new but quite logical move breaking through in the center, but Vidit was just in time to castle and coordinate his pieces, reaching equality. As soon as the opponents exchanged most of the pieces and treaded weak pawns on d4 and e6, they shook hands, splitting a point. Ding Liren – Alexander Donchenko | ½-½, 37 moves After yesterday’s defeat, Alexander boldly essayed the King’s Indian as Black. After Donchenko played the thematic d6-d5, breaking in the center, Ding introduced a new move 14. Qc1, attacking the h6-pawn that allowed Black to solve all the opening problems. At first glance, White still had some edge, but Donchenko accurately traded most of the pieces. A draw was agreed in a dead-equal rook endgame. Nodirbek Abdusattorov – Praggnanandhaa R | ½-½, 47 moves The Indian GM demonstrated excellent preparation in the Catalan and completely equalized by move 15. In the rest of the game, the opponents played with great accuracy, gradually traded most of the pieces and signed a piece in an equal rook endgame. Ian Nepomniachtchi – Ju Wenjun | ½-½, 80 moves In a long theoretical line of the Catalan, the first original move was 19…c5 by Ju, who equalized. Having a minimal edge in an endgame, Ian tried his best to grind his opponent down, but the Women’s World Champion built an impregnable fortress. White even sacrificed a pawn in a rook endgame, but to no avail. A draw was agreed with only two rooks and kings left on the board. Standings after Round 2 1 Firouzja, Alireza FRA 2759 2 2-4 Gukesh, D IND 2725 1½ 2-4 Giri, Anish NED 2749 1½ 2-4 Nepomniachtchi, Ian FIDE 2769 1½ 5-10 Warmerdam, Max NED 2625 1 5-10 Vidit, Santosh Gujrathi IND 2742 1 5-10 Praggnanandhaa, R IND 2743 1 5-10 Abdusattorov, Nodirbek UZB 2727 1 5-10 Wei, Yi CHN 2740 1 5-10 Ding, Liren CHN 2780 1 11-13 Ju, Wenjun CHN 2549 ½ 11-13 Donchenko, Alexander GER 2643 ½ 11-13 Maghsoodloo, Parham IRI 2740 ½ 14 Van Foreest, Jorden NED 2682 0 Masters pairings Photos: Jurriaan Hoefsmit and Lennart Ootes – Tata Steel Chess Tournament 2024 Official website: tatasteelchess.com
Tata Steel Masters 2024: Day 1 Recap
The 86th edition of the Tata Steel Chess Tournament opened with a gong by Alderman Niek Wijmenga of the municipality of Beverwijk. Until Sunday January 28, Wijk aan Zee will once again be the global center of chess. The participants of the year’s first major tournament started right off the gate. The first round of the competition produced four victories, all scored by Black. The winners, Anish Giri, Ian Nepomniachtchi, Alireza Firouzja and Wei Yi, took an early lead in the race. Warmerdam – Nepomniachtchi | 0-1, 29 moves The first game with classical time control between the opponents saw a trendy line of the Queen’s Gambit Accepted, leading to an unbalanced position with opposite-side castling. White unforcedly weakened his kingside with 20. g3? and after the inauspicious Rd4-h4 manoeuvre came under a crushing attack. Ian swiftly wrapped it up and scored a full point. Alexander Donchenko – Wei Yi | 0-1, 36 moves After Black comfortably equalized in the King’s Indian and even emerged slightly better, Alexander ventured upon a tempting exchange sacrifice for which he did not get sufficient compensation. 19. Rxd4? There was no need for such drastic actions. After 19. Qd3 Nxb5 20. axb5 Qxb5 21. Rfe1 Bd4 Black is slightly better but hardly more. Wei Yi timely advanced the kingside pawns, forced the exchange of queens and converted his extra material. Jorden van Foreest – Alireza Firouzja | 0-1, 37 moves Alireza put some pressure on his opponent in an equal endgame that emerged from the French Defence, but up to a certain point, Jorden was holding his ground. Unluckily for the Tata Steel Masters 2021 winner, he made a dreadful mistake on move 36 that cost him the game. 36. Kd3! was the only move saving the game (36…e2 37. Kd2 Bxg2 38. Nd4 Ke8 39. c5 Bd5 40. c6 e1=Q+ 41. Kxe1 Rxa2). 36.Nd4?, played by Van Foreest, failed to 36…Be4! 37.c5 Rd2 0-1 Vidit Gujrathi – Ding Liren Vidit introduced a strong novelty on move 12 in a topical line of the Nimzo-Indian and exerted considerable pressure on Black’s position. Trying to disentangle himself, the World Champion sacrificed a pawn with 20…b5!? White should have maintained the pressure with 21.Rad1, but instead, Vidit accepted the sacrifice with 21. axb5 axb5 22. Nxf6 Nxf6 23.Nxb5 Qb8! which gave Black a sufficient counterplay. Massive exchanges followed, and the opponents split a point in an equal rook endgame. Gukesh D – Nodirbek Abdusattorov | ½-½, 37 moves The opponents demonstrated impressive opening preparation in the Two Knight Defence. White tried to engineer an attack on the kingside by advancing his g-pawn, but Black boldly sacrificed a piece and got adequate compensation. After some exciting complications White emerged with three minor pieces for his queen in a roughly equal position. Both displayed great accuracy in subsequent play, and a draw by perpetual came as a logical outcome. Praggnanandhaa R – Parham Maghsoodloo | ½-½ , 44 moves The young Indian sacrificed two pawns in a sharp line of the Najdorf, but Maghsoodloo was up to the challenge. After trading inaccuracies on moves 22 and 23, the opponents liquidated into an equal endgame in which they shook hands on move 44. Ju Wenjun – Anish Giri | 0-1, 80 moves The Women’s World Champion obtained a serious advantage in the King’s Indian Attack but proceeded a bit slowly. Anish sacrificed an exchange but got sufficient compensation thanks to pawn weaknesses in White’s camp. Somewhat surprisingly, he decided to trade queens but gave his opponent a chance to get the upper hand. However, Ju missed this opportunity and it was equal again. Several moves down the road, she overlooked a bishop manoeuvre and opted to return an exchange, liquidating into a rook ending. Although the endgame was equal, White had to avoid several pitfalls. Unfortunately for Ju, she eventually stumbled. 53. Kf3? This natural move proved to be the decisive mistake, whereas after 53. Kh3! hxg5 54. Rxe5 White could have saved the game. As played, Anish slowly but surely got to f5-pawn and sealed the deal on move 80. Standings after Round 1: 1-4 Wei, Yi CHN 2740 1 1-4 Giri, Anish NED 2749 1 1-4 Nepomniachtchi, Ian FID 2769 1 1-4 Firouzja, Alireza FRA 2759 1 5-10 Vidit, Santosh Gujrathi IND 2742 ½ 5-10 Gukesh, D IND 2725 ½ 5-10 Praggnanandhaa, R IND 2743 ½ 5-10 Maghsoodloo, Parham IRI 2740 ½ 5-10 Abdusattorov, Nodirbek UZB 2727 ½ 5-10 Ding, Liren CHN 2780 ½ 11-14 Van Foreest, Jorden NED 2682 0 11-14 Warmerdam, Max NED 2625 0 11-14 Ju, Wenjun CHN 2549 0 11-14 Donchenko, Alexander GER 2643 0 Photos: Jurriaan Hoefsmit and Lennart Ootes – Tata Steel Chess Tournament 2024 Official website: tatasteelchess.com
Magnus Carlsen withdraws from Candidates 2024, the spot goes to Nijat Abasov
Despite qualifying for the Candidates Tournament 2024 by winning the 2023 FIDE World Cup in Baku, Azerbaijan, world #1 Magnus Carlsen officially withdrew from the event. Carlsen had previously stated his disinclination after reaching the semifinals of the World Cup and in some private interviews; however, the formal Letter of Decline was received by FIDE today, January 13, 2024. According to the FIDE Candidates qualification paths, the vacant spot at the FIDE Candidates Tournament 2024 goes to the next highest finisher in the 2023 FIDE World Cup, Nijat Abasov (2641, Azerbaijan), who is fourth in the tournament final standings. The current lineup of the FIDE Candidates Tournament 2024 is the following: – Ian Nepomniachtchi, FIDE, 2023 Match Runner-up – Praggnanandhaa R, India, 2023 World Cup 2nd – Fabiano Caruana, USA, 2023 World Cup 3rd – Nijat Abasov, Azerbaijan, 2023 World Cup 4th – Vidit Santosh Gujrathi, India, 2023 Grand Swiss 1st – Hikaru Nakamura, USA, 2023 Grand Swiss 2nd – Alireza Firouzja, France, Best by Rating – Gukesh D, India, 2023 FIDE Circuit Winner The FIDE Candidates Tournament 2024 will take place in April 2024 in Toronto, Canada. The winner of this 8-player double round-robin (all-play-all twice) will become the Challenger for the chess crown and play in the FIDE World Championship Match against the reigning world champion Ding Liren (China).
European Women’s Rapid & Blitz Championship 2023 starts in Monte-Carlo
The European Women’s Rapid and Blitz Chess Championship 2023 is about to kick off in Monte-Carlo, Monaco. The competition is be held from January 11-15, 2024 (it was moved from December 2023 to January 2024 due to venue commitment). The first event on the schedule is the Blitz Championship, taking place on January 12. The competition is a 13-round Swiss tournament with a time control of 3 min + 2 sec increment. It will be followed by the European Women’s Rapid Chess Championship 2024, an 11-round Swiss tournament with a time control of 15 min+ 10 sec increment, stretching over January 13-14. The total prize fund of the events is 22,500 EUR. Over 120 players from 24 European federations registered for the competitions, including former Women’s World Champions GMs Alexandra Kosteniuk (SUI), Antoaneta Stefanova (BUL), Anna Ushenina (UKR) and legendary Nona Gaprindashvili (GEO). Among the top seeds, we will see many well-known players such as GMs Paehtz Elisabeth (GER), Pia Cramling (SWE), Bella Khotenashvili (GEO), IMs Nurgyul Salimova (BUL), Sarasadat Khademalsharieh (ESP) and many others. A complete starting list of players can be found here. Live broadcast with commentaries by IM Almira Skripchenko and GM Emir Bagheri can be exclusively followed on the ECU YouTube channel. Official Facebook page of the event
13th edition of “Preparation of Teachers” course announced
Calling all chess enthusiasts and educators! Get ready for the 13th edition of the “Preparation of Teachers” course hosted by the FIDE Chess in Education Commission. Mark your calendars for January 19-21, 2024, for an enriching online experience conducted in English. This course is designed to equip you with innovative and creative methods to develop academic skills (the so-called 4C’s) using chess as an educational tool. It’s an intensive 3-day program you should not miss. And here’s the best part: Based on your exam results, you could earn the prestigious FIDE title of School Instructor. As an added benefit, successful candidates will receive lifelong access to the chess databases of OPENING MASTER PREMIUM. Read the detailed course description here. Presenters: commission members Anzel Laubscher and Boris Bruhn Who Should Attend: Teachers, chess educators, beginner and advanced players with basic chess knowledge, and anyone with experience working with children. To secure your spot, kindly complete and return this registration form. Registration is open until January 15. Join the course and learn how to teach chess effectively; only 20 spots are available! If you have any questions, please feel free to contact us at edu.courses@fide.com
Kosovo* Championship: Nderim Saraçi and Arlinda Aliu take titles
Nderim Saraçi and Arlinda Aliu emerged as the winners of the Kosovo* Chess Championship 2023. The competitions in open and women sections, Swiss tournaments with classical time control, took place at the premises of the Hotel “AFA” in Pristina (the capital of Kosovo) from December 22-30, 2023. The rating favorite IM Nderim Saraci dominated the open category clinching his tenth national title with a perfect 9/9 score. Nderim won triple crown, coming out on top in the rapid (8/9) and blitz (13/13) events. Muhamet Asllani finished second on 7.5/9 and took silver; CM Korab Saraci tied for third place with IM Bedri Sadiki and Arsim Kelmendi and won bronze thanks to a superior Buchholz. Final standings open: 1 IM Saraci, Nderim 2461 9 2 Asllani, Muhamet 2202 7½ 3 CM Saraci, Korab 2196 6 4 IM Sadiku, Bedri 2133 6 5 Kelmendi, Arsim 2061 6 6 Rama, Rame 1948 5½ 7 Aliu, Besnik 1947 5½ 8 Aliti, Rrahman 1952 5 9 FM Hamiti, Gani 2129 5 10 Boshnjakaj, Hysen 0 5 Complete standings In the women’s competition, Arlinda Aliu defended her title of Kosovo women’s champion with the final round victory over Lorenda Saraçi. Arlinda collected 6.5/7, winning six games and drawing with Jona Reçica. It is Arlinda Aliu’s fourth national title. Final standings women: 1 Aliu, Arlinda 1759 6½ 2 WCM Saraci, Rinesa 1595 6 3 Recica, Jona 1348 5½ 4 WCM Saraci, Ndriqona 1401 5 5 Saraci, Nita 1507 4 6 Elshani, Erisa 4 7 Hoxha, Donjete 3 8 Saraci, Lorenda 3 9 Salihu, Donika 2 10 Bunjaku, Mejreme 2 Complete standings Official website: shahu-rks.com *All reference to Kosovo, whether to the territory, institutions or population, in this text shall be understood in full compliance with United Nations Security Council Resolution 1244 and without prejudice to the status of Kosovo.
Davidson Gabriel and Rose Berline Seine win Haitian Championship
Davidson Gabriel and Rose Berline Seine are the new champions of Haiti. At the very end of 2023, the Haitian Chess Federation organized its National Chess Championship in the open and women’s sections. Two round-robin tournaments took place from December 22-29 at Quisqueya University, bringing together 24 of the best national players. Davidson Gabriel had an excellent start in the open event with four victories and taking the lead, but in Round 5, he lost to one of his main rivals and the rating favourite FM Angelo Etienne and then drew his next game. Unfazed, Davidson finished strong, winning five straight games and clinched the title with an excellent score of 9.5/11. Angelo Etienne could not keep up with Davidson, and after losing to Wyclef Victor allowed his opponent to leapfrog him at the finish and take silver with 8.5/11. Angelo had to settle for bronze netting 8/11. Final standings Open The women’s event became a close race between Rose Berline Seine, Merisena Cadeau and Davena Jonet. Heading into the final round, Davena was a half-point ahead of her main competitors, but she lost to Sara Daphka Mathieu. Meanwhile, Rose Berline and Merisena won their games and tied for first place, scoring an impressive 9.5/11. The title went to Rose Berline as the winner of their direct encounter. Merisena Cadeau took silver, and Davena Jonet won bronze. Final standings Women Photos: Federation Haitienne des Echecs Facebook
FIDE announces the first-ever World Cup for youngsters
In a landmark move, the inaugural FIDE World Cup for young chess players will take place from June 22 to July 3, 2024, in Batumi, Georgia This new event aims to redefine the youth chess landscape with a revamped system and offer more opportunities for young chess players. The tournament will be held in three age groups – under 8, under 10 and under 12 – in two categories, Open and Girls, with 48 participants in each. The competition will unfold in two stages, starting with a seven-round Swiss System featuring two groups of 24 players each. The subsequent stage will witness players in the same position from each group facing off against one another, elevating the intensity and excitement of the matches. The organizes will cover accommodation and flight costs for top qualifying players. Heads of delegations with more than four players will be provided with a full board and accommodation. Federations should refer to the invitation letter for all the details regarding eligibility for the event and support. Federations are urged to confirm their participation by February 1, 2024, based on the 2023 World Cadets Chess Championship results. The registration deadline for this prestigious event is April 22, 2024. The organizers are committed to delivering excellent playing conditions, with the players staying in the same hotel where the event will be taking place. On a rest day, participants can take part in several activities. These include a Delegation Coaches Blitz Tournament with a substantial prize fund of 4,000 Euros, the Chess Composition World Cup under 8, 10, 12, engaging cultural programs, and a football match between FIDE and Georgian Chess Federation. The event will feature special prizes for top achievers across six playing categories. Each category’s top three players will receive awards, including Cups, Medals, Diplomas, and gadgets such as MacBook Air 2022, iPhone 15, or an iPad (depending on placement). In addition to these grand prizes, the first three winners of each age category and gender will receive free full board accommodation for the World Cadets Championship later in the same year, while every participant will be awarded a certificate acknowledging their participation. “We are tremendously excited about this inaugural event, marking the very first time the World Cup is dedicated to young talents. We expect that the tournament will attract global public interest and raise global awareness of chess. Our foremost commitment is to ensure a memorable and enriching experience for players and their families in Georgia. FIDE’s dedicated efforts toward promoting and nurturing chess among children remain a cornerstone of our mission, and we are steadfast in our resolve to advance this cause,” said Akaki Iashvili, Chair of FIDE’s Events Commission and the President of the Georgian Chess Federation. More information about the event can be found here: wcc2024.fide.com/ as well as in the invitation letter sent to the federations. Invitation letter and regulations (pdf) Photo: Mark Livshitz
Vodafone Fiji Championship: Manoj Kumar and Cydel Terubea clinch titles
CM Manoj Kumar and provisional WCM Cydel Terubea secured the 2023 Vodafone Fiji National Open Champion and 2023 Vodafone Fiji National Women’s Champion titles after a 5-day run of intense chess. Both winners completed the tournaments unbeaten. CM Manoj Kumar piled up a whopping 8/9 to win his sixteenth national title, which has been unmatched since the sport started in Fiji in 1979. CM Ronald Terubea and student of the University of the South Pacific, Yash Krishen Maharaj, tied for second place, scoring 7/9, while CM Taione Sikivou and Provisional FIDE Master (FM) Rudr Ravi Prasad came fourth and fifth, netting 6.5/9. Provisional WCM Cydel Terubea sealed her Vodafone Fiji Women’s National Chess Championship title with style, winning all nine games against the best female chess players in Fiji. Provisional WCM Tanvi Radha Prasad of Jai Narayan College gave the champion a good run for her money and came second with 7.5/9. Women’s National Rapid Chess Champion Louisa Corpuz finished third with 6.5/9, the first-year student from The University of the South Pacific, Eshal Bari, chalked up 6/9 for the fourth position, and Makayla Sukhu of Suva Grammar High School, ended fifth with a solid 5/9. “The tournament was a true celebration of chess. It was really difficult to predict outcomes across 5-days of play,” states General Secretary Goru Arvind. “Our team is very thankful to Vodafone Fiji for giving a new dawn to the sport of chess with their unwavering support, which will continue into 2024.” Arnav Lal of Jai Narayan College displayed patience to secure the top position in the Secondary School’s Division with 5/9, edging second-placed Rajatha Weerasekara of Jai Narayan College (who also had the same score) thanks to better tiebreaks. Schoolmate Kinura Herath of Jai Narayan College came third with a score of 4.5/9. Yajas Sharma of Mahatma Gandhi Memorial Primary School displayed firepower in a performance that tallied 6.5/9 to top the Primary School’s Division. Lionel Vaurasi of Yat Sen Primary School and Paul Corpuz of Lautoka Zhong Hua Primary School tied for second position on 5/9, with the former taking silver thanks to better tiebreaks. Yajas Sharma also secured the Best Upset Award for a win against CM Goru Arvind and a solid draw with CM Taione Sikivou to double-up his win. Louis Corpuz of Gurukul Primary School took the second Best Upset Award for winning against veteran Prashil Prakash. “The biggest achievement for 2023 is seeing a lot of younger players from Primary and Secondary school improve in their level of chess,” adds Goru Arvind. “Looking at how the tournament shaped up, we will surely feature a number of new National reps in the upcoming 2024 World Chess Olympiad in Budapest, Hungary. Exciting finish to the year with tremendous hope for the next one.” Joshua Sahayam of Holy Trinity Primary School won the Best Beginner Award (Open), and Fulori Masau of Dudley Intermediate Primary School bagged the Best Beginner Award (Female) for a respectful performance in their first Fiji Chess Federation tournament. The Lucky Draw Prize for early online registration via Google Forms was won by Visudda Dissanayake of Deenbandho Memorial Primary School. The tournament was successfully administered by Chief Arbiter WCM Gloria Sukhu and National Arbiter (NA) William Robert Raymond Bennion. All officials and players of the Fiji Chess Federation wish their followers and well-wishers a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year before they resume with the 2024 Vodafone Fiji National Blitz Chess Championship in late January. Text and photos: Fiji Chess Federation Facebook