International Chess Festival Baku Open 2023 announced
The Ministry of Youth & Sport of the Republic of Azerbaijan and the Azerbaijan Chess Federation are pleased to announce the Baku Chess Open festival dedicated to the 100th anniversary of national leader Heydar Aliyev. The festival will be held from May 3 (arrival day) to May 12 (last round and closing ceremony) in Baku Crystal Hall, an indoor arena built to host the Eurovision Song Contest 2012. The program of the festival includes competitions in three sections (A, B and C), 9-round Swiss tournaments with classical time control. Group A is open to players with FIDE Elo above 2250 (Women – above 2100), Group B is for players with FIDE Elo below 2249 (Women – below 2099), Group C will bring together rated players and youngsters under 12 (born in 2011 and earlier). Baku Crystal Hall Photo: Interfase (Wikipedia) The total prize fund of the tournament amounts to USD 55,000, with USD 12,000 reserved for the winner of Section A. The first ten registered players with FIDE Elo above 2650 (as of May 1, 2023) and women with FIDE Elo above 2450 (as of May 1, 2023) will be provided with a full board. Schedule: Date Time Event 04 May 14.30 1st round 05 May 15.00 2nd round 06 May 15.00 3rd round 07 May 15.00 4th round 08 May 15.00 5th round 09 May 15.00 6th round 10 May 15.00 7th round 11 May 15.00 8th round 12 May 12.00 9th round 12 May 18.00 Closing ceremony Photo: thediaryofanomad.com/ The capital of Azerbaijan has a lot to offer besides chess. The guests of this open-minded and hospitable city are welcome to stroll along the Caspian promenade, visit the Old City and enjoy the unique blend of ancient and new. Regulations for the International Chess Festival Baku Open 2023 (PDF) Contacts: Azerbaijan Chess FederationWhatsapp: +994 77 732 99 76Е-mail: azerbaijanchess@yahoo.comWebsite: http://asf.org.az
FIDE Grand Swiss and WGS offer record prize funds
Photo: Mark Livshitz The International Chess Federation introduced updated regulations for Grand Swiss 2023 and Women’s Grand Swiss 2023 (WGS), the events to be held in Douglas, Isle of Man, from October 23 to November 6. Compared to the previous editions, the main changes involve the qualification system, increased prize money and prize fund distribution as well as travel and accommodation conditions. Qualification for Grand Swiss Invitations for Grand Swiss shall be determined according to the following criteria: A. One hundred players qualify by FIDE rating One hundred players shall qualify by their rating. For this purpose, the FIDE rating in June FIDE Standard Rating List shall be used. In case of equality, the total number of rated games in 12 standard rating periods from July 2022 to June 2023 shall be decisive: the player with the most number of games shall qualify. If these numbers are equal, the drawing of lots shall decide. Only players who played at least 10 rated games counted in any of the 12 standard rating periods from July 2022 to June 2023 are eligible. B. Women’s World Champion GM Ju Wenjun (as at 31 December 2022). C. Four Continent spots. Each spot shall be decided by the respective Continental President by July 31, 2023. D. Four players nominated by the FIDE President. Qualification for Women’s Grand Swiss Invitations for WGS shall be determined according to the following criteria: A. Forty players qualify by FIDE rating Forty players shall qualify by their rating. For this purpose, the FIDE rating in June FIDE Standard Rating List shall be used. In case of equality, the total number of rated games in 12 standard rating periods from July 2022 to June 2023 shall be decisive: the player with the most number of games shall qualify. If these numbers are equal, the drawing of lots shall decide. Only players who played at least 10 rated games counted in any of the 12 standard rating periods from July 2022 to June 2023 are eligible. B. Four Continent spots. Each spot shall be decided by the respective Continental President by 31 July 2023. C. Four players nominated by the FIDE President. PRIZES The total prize fund for Grand Swiss 2023 is USD 460,000 (compared to 425,000 in the previous edition) and the number of prizes has increased from 40 to 46. The amount is net and cleared of any local taxes. The money prizes shall be allocated as follows: PLACE PRIZE, USD PRIZE TOTAL, USD 1st 80,000 80,000 2nd 60,000 60,000 3rd 40,000 40,000 4th 35,000 35,000 5th 30,000 30,000 6th 25,000 25,000 7th 20,000 20,000 8th 18,000 18,000 9th 15,000 15,000 10th 12,500 12,500 11th – 15th 8,000 40,000 16th – 20th 5,000 25,000 21st – 25th 3,000 15,000 26th – 30th 2,500 12,500 31st – 46th 2,000 32,000 TOTAL 460,000 The total prize fund for Women’s Grand Swiss is USD 140,000 (compared to 125,000 in 2021) and the number of prizes has increased from 20 to 23. The amount shall be net and cleared of any local taxes. The money prizes shall be allocated as follows: PLACE PRIZE, USD PRIZE TOTAL, USD 1st 25,000 25,000 2nd 17,500 17,500 3rd 15,000 15,000 4th 13,000 13,000 5th 11,000 11,000 6th 8,000 8,000 7th 7,000 7,000 8th 6,000 6,000 9th 5,000 5,000 10th 4,000 4,000 11th – 15th 2,500 12,500 16th – 23rd 2,000 16,000 TOTAL 140,000 Daily and travel allowances also have grown significantly. Each registered player receives: An Accommodation & Meals Daily Allowance of USD 150 for each night spent on IOM, up to a maximum of fourteen nights (i.e. up to a maximum allowance of USD 2,100 per player). A Travel Allowance. The chess federation to which the player belongs shall determine the amount*: USD 950 for all players belonging to a chess federation in Europe. USD 1,600 for players belonging to a chess federation from the rest of the world. *The Organiser retains the right to compensate the travel fee according to the actual residence of the player. Grand Swiss 2023 and Women’s Grand Swiss schedule: DAY DATE START TIME EVENT 1 23 October n/a Arrivals* 2 24 October To be advised Opening Ceremony & Technical Meeting 3 25 October 14:30 Round 1 4 26 October 14:30 Round 2 5 27 October 14:30 Round 3 6 28 October 14:30 Round 4 7 29 October 14:30 Round 5 8 30 October 14:30 Round 6 9 31 October n/a Free day 10 1 November 14:30 Round 7 11 2 November 14:30 Round 8 12 3 November 14:30 Round 9 13 4 November 14:30 Round 10 14 5 November 14:00 Round 11 & Closing Ceremony 15 6 November n/a Departures Regulations for FIDE Grand Swiss 2023 (PDF) Regulations for FIDE Women’s Grand Swiss (PDF)
The home of chess welcomes Women’s Grand Prix
By Milan Dinic The third tournament of the four-stage Women’s Grand Prix will start on the 24th of March. After Astana (in September 2022) and Munich (in February of this year), the event returns to Asia, as the Indian capital New Delhi will be the host city for the third leg of the Women’s Grand Prix India, the birthplace of chess and the country where the game experiences enormous fame, has continued to promote international chess. Following the successful organization of the 44th Chess Olympiad in Chennai in 2022, the third leg of the Women’s Grand Prix, which will start in New Delhi on 24th March is another step in that direction. Altogether 16 players are taking part in the four-tournament Women’s Grand Prix cycle. Each tournament features 12 players, each playing in three of the four tournaments. The top two players will qualify for the Women’s Candidates Tournament. The 12-player line-up in Delhi has some of the strongest women players, including world number three Aleksandra Goryachkina, current Women’s World Blitz champion Bibisara Assaubayeva (pictured below) and former Women’s World Rapid and Blitz champion Kateryna Lagno. Current Women’s Grand Prix leader (and former world champion), Alexandra Kosteniuk, will not be playing in this leg and is saving her chances for the fourth – and final – tournament in the series, in May. Photo: Lennart Ootes The host country will have three players taking part. Two are well-known heavyweights in the chess world: Harika Dronavalli (three-time bronze medal winner in the Women’s World Chess Championship) and Humpy Koneru (the youngest woman ever to become GM, she has been at the top of women’s chess since 2005). India’s third hope is Chennai native IM Vaishali Rameshbabu. The older sister of GM Praggnanandhaa R, she currently has two GM norms and is considered to be one of the brightest upcoming stars in chess. GMs Anna and Mariya Muzychuk have withdrawn from the event and have been replaced by IMs Nino Batsiashvili and Vaishali Rameshbabu. What to expect in Delhi? The tournament in Delhi is the final run for Zhu Jiner in this edition of the Women’s Grand Prix. After coming in third in the inaugural tournament in Astana, the Chinese player was slightly behind in Munich, coming in 5th place. While she is currently in second place in the overall standings, Zhu needs to perform very strongly in Delhi if she is to secure one of the two cards leading to the Women’s Candidates. Kateryna Lagno missed the Munich stage but is still at the top – currently third in the overall rankings – riding the wave of her impressive victory in Astana and will surely be after the top place in Delhi. Riding the same wave is Alexandra Goryackina, now in shared 5-6thplace in the Grand Prix, who is a strong contender in Delhi. The eyes of the local audience will be on the trio of their very own players. Humpy Koneru (pictured below) has 130 points from Munich and is currently in shared 5-6th place, while Harika Dronavalli is in the middle of the overall score broad. The tournament in Delhi will start with an Indian derby on board two, as Humpy will be leading white pieces against Harika. Photo: Lennart Ootes Looking to take advantage of playing in her home country will be IM Vaishali R, who already had a solid performance in the first leg in Astana, finishing in sixth place. The latecomer to the Delhi event (joining as one of the replacements) will have a greater surprise factor, which may play into her hands. Georgian Nana Dzagnidze is also one to look out for: the former European Women’s Champion and Blitz Champion won third place in Astana. Delhi will be her second appearance in this cycle, and she will be looking to capitalize on the solid score set in the event’s first leg. The path to Delhi: The first and second leg of the Women’s Grand Prix From 18 to 28th September 2022, Astana, Kazakhstan, hosted the inaugural Grand Prix tournament. The event was dominated by the rating favourites and Kateryna Lagno (pictured below) came up first with 8/11, followed by Alexandra Goryachkina, half a point behind. Both players did not suffer a single loss in that tournament! China’s Zhu Jiner came in third after losing two games in the finish. The same trio will appear in the New Delhi edition of the WGP series, already announcing excitement ahead. Photo: Anna Shtourman The second leg of the event was held in the Bavarian capital, Munich, from 2nd to 13th February 2023. Former Women’s World Champion and winner of the 2021 World Cup, Alexandra Kosteniuk, won with 7.5/11. In Munich, Kosteniuk proved that fortune favours the brave as she managed to turn around and win several games where she was struggling. Her strong start with four victories and steady performance later on meant that even the final-round loss (to Zhu Jiner) did not prevent her from being the sole winner of the second leg. India’s Humpy Koneru came in second, with half a point behind, followed by Nana Dzagnidze. Photo: Mark Livshitz About the Women’s Grand Prix The FIDE Women’s Grand Prix consists of four tournaments played between September 2022 and May 2023 and includes 16 women players who take part in three of the four tournaments. The two players who score the greatest number of cumulative points in the series shall qualify for the FIDE Women Candidates Tournament 2023-24. The players participating in the Women’s Grand Prix have been selected based on their performance in key FIDE events and their ELO. Also, each of the four local tournament organizers has a right to nominate a player of their choice. The time control for the tournament is 90 minutes for the first 40 moves, followed by 30 minutes for the rest of the game, with an increment of 30 seconds per move starting from move one. The total prize fund for each one of the four events is
Women’s Candidates Final: Lei Tingjie and Tan Zhongyi face off in Chongqing, China
By IM Michael Rahal (Barcelona, Spain) March 20th, 2023 The 2023 FIDE Women’s Candidates Final will be disputed in Chongqing (China) from March 27th to April 6th. Chinese Grandmasters Lei Tingjie and Tan Zhongyi will face each other in a six-game classical chess match. The winner will receive 60,000 Euros and the right to challenge the current Women’s World Champion, Ju Wenjun, for the title in July. The players Rated 2545, Grandmaster Lei Tingjie qualified for the Women’s Candidates Tournament by clinching the 2021 FIDE Gran Swiss in Riga with one round to spare. The winner of the 2015 Moscow Open and silver medallist in the 2016 Women’s World Rapid Championship, she has represented China on several occasions with outstanding performances: among others, a gold medal at the 2016 Asian Nations Cup in Dubai and the 2018 Batumi Olympiad. Photo: Michal Walusza Currently ranked fourth and ninth on the Chinese and World rating lists, respectively, Lei Tingjie recently secured her spot in the final by convincingly winning the 2022 Monaco Pool A Women’s Candidates tournament, defeating Mariya Muzychuk in the quarter-final and her sister Anna Muzychuk in the semi-final. Former Women’s World Chess Champion in 2018, Grandmaster Tan Zhongyi was a child prodigy, winning the World Youth U-10 Girls Chess Championship in 2000 and 2001, followed by the World Youth U12 Girls Chess Championship in 2002. Currently rated 2526, she stands in fifth place in the Chinese rankings and number twelve overall in the world. Winner of the Women’s World University Chess Championship in 2012 and the 2014 Asian Women’s Blitz Championship, she broke through in 2015, becoming the Chinese Women’s Champion, amongst several other phenomenal results. Photo: Lennart Ootes Having qualified for the Candidates thanks to her brilliant third place in the 2021 Sochi Women’s World Cup, she won her place at the final with a compelling result in the 2022 Khiva Pool B Women’s Candidates tournament: she consecutively defeated none other than Kateryna Lagno and Aleksandra Goryachkina. The match Scheduled for six games plus a tie-break (if necessary), and with a 60.000 euro first prize on the line, the winner will also gain the right to challenge the current champion, Ju Wenjun, for the title in July. According to my database, Lei Tingjie and Tan Zhongyi have faced each other on twenty-eight occasions, with a total score of 16,5 to 11,5 for Tan Zhongyi. However, and more to the point, most of the games have been played at a fast time control, whereas this match will feature six classical games. The venue Strategically positioned as a gateway to China’s west, Chongqing is China’s major modernized manufacturing base, a financial center and an international transport hub in Western China. Photo: Jay Huang Home to more than 32 million people, it was an obvious choice for hosting the event as both players were born in the city. In addition, it’s an important center of chess activity in the country, abode to many important chess clubs and academies. A fun fact – both Lei Tingjie and Tan Zhongyi are teammates at the Chongqing Sports Lottery Chess Club. Official website: womenscandidates.fide.com/
European Women’s Championship 2023 starts in Petrovac, Montenegro
The 23rd edition of the European Women’s Individual Chess Championship 2023 kicked off in Hotel “Palas” Petrovac, Montenegro. The 11-round Swiss tournament with classical time control running from March 17-30 brought together over 140 players from 34 European federations, and the top seeds are: GM Bella Khotenashvili (GEO, 2491), GM Valentina Gunina (FIDE, 2478), IM Gunay Mammadzada (AZE, 2472), IM Marsel Efroimski (ISR, 2451), IM Yuliia Osmak (UKR, 2445), IM Lela Javakhishvili (GEO, 2443), IM Irina Bulmaga (ROU, 2438), GM Antoaneta Stefanova (BUL, 2433), IM Meri Arabidze (GEO, 2433), and the defending champion GM Monika Socko (POL, 2432). The complete starting list of players can be found here. GM Monika Socko (POL, 2432) hopes to defend her 2022 European Women’s Champion title | Photo: ewcc2022.net/ The event’s opening ceremony took place on March 17, while the first round begins on Saturday, March 18, at 15:00 CEST. The 23rd European Women’s Championship is a qualifying event for the Women’s World Cup. According to FIDE regulations and the decision of the ECU Board, nine players will qualify. The total prize fund of the event is €60,000, with €10,000 reserved for the champion. The list of prizes can be seen below: PLACE PRIZE PLACE PRIZE 1 €10,000 11 €1,500 2 €8,000 12 €1,500 3 €7,000 13 €1,000 4 €6,000 14 €1,000 5 €5,000 15 €1,000 6 €4,000 16 €1,000 7 €3,000 17 €1,000 8 €2,500 18 €1,000 9 €2,000 19 €1,000 10 €1,500 20 €1,000 Text: europechess.org/ Official website: sahcg.me/eurowomen2023/
World Senior Championships 2023: Call for Bids
FIDE announces the Call for Bids for the FIDE World Seniors Championships 2023. Bidders are given a deadline of 31st of March 2023. CALL FOR BIDS: World Seniors Chess Championships 2023 Deadline: 31st of March, 2023 · A bid for any FIDE Competitions onwards shall include the name of a FIDE licensed International Organizer. · All bids should be submitted by the due date in a sealed envelope or scanned documents to the FIDE Secretariat, postal address: Avenue de Rhodanie 54, 1007 Lausanne, Switzerland / Tel: + (41) 21 6010039 / Email: office@fide.com by 31st of March 2023, 16:00 local time. · Bid fees and Deposit fees can be found in the FIDE Handbook. · Bid fee for FIDE World Seniors Championships is 500 Euros. Bid Fee is not refundable. Bid fees should be paid the latest by 5th of April 2023 to the FIDE bank account. · Within a month after being awarded FIDE World Seniors Chess Championships 2023, the organising member federation shall pay a deposit fee of 5,000 Euros to FIDE. When the event has been successfully concluded (according to the bid and the regulations), the deposit fee shall be credited to the account of the organising federation or refunded. FIDE Bank Details: ACCOUNT NAME: FEDERATION INTERNATIONALE DES ECHECS BANK NAME: CAIXABANK S.A BANK ADDRESS: AV. DIAGONAL, 621-629, 0828 BARCELONA BIC/CODE SWIFT: CAIXESBBXXX IBAN: ES32 2100 0555 3107 0028 5124 · All bidders must fill in the bid form and the bid form annex completely. BID FORM and BID FORM ANNEX (PDF) · Price of hotels, details about the accommodation and tournament hall must be written in the bid. · FIDE Events Commission will make inspections. There will be a second inspection of the awarded organisation two months prior to the event. Accommodation and local transfer costs of the inspections must be paid by the organisers. · FIDE Officials: Appeals Committee, Chief Arbiter and Deputy Arbiter(s) – will be decided and appointed by FIDE by taking the opinion of organisers. · FIDE Technical Delegate will be appointed by FIDE Events Commission by the approval of the FIDE President. · All bidders must follow: – FIDE Fair Play regulations, – FIDE Medical Commission regulations, – Guidelines for marketing and communications to be applied at FIDE events. The regulations of World Seniors Championships were amended by FIDE Council in March 2023 – https://handbook.fide.com/chapter/D0403 Download Document
World Solving Cup: Titles for Piorun and Sidiropoulos
In Poland, eight minutes decided the winner; in the Netherlands, one subtle endgame study made the difference. The series of open national competitions for the World Solving Cup 2022/23 started in October 2022, with the Swiss championship won by Martinas Limontas (Lithuania). Then, in February, Dolf Wissmann (Netherlands) came out on top in Finland, and March began with the win for the Nikos Sidiropoulos of Greece in the Netherlands. The Polish championship, held in Sękocin Stary, the suburbs of Warsaw, was the test for domestic pride. Will the most successful nation in chess solving, with 12 titles in World Championship (WCSC) and five in European (ECSC) since 2009, allow any foreigner to win on Polish soil? It was the strongest national tournament since 2020, with 2425 points average solvers rating of the top ten, among the 28 participants from Great Britain, Lithuania, Poland, Slovakia, Ukraine, and Poland. Many titled solvers took part in this competition: Valery Kopyl, Martynas Limontas and Piotr Górski with single medals from World Chess Solving Championship, and two multi-medalists: Piotr Murdzia (8 times World champion, 16 medals altogether) and Kacper Piorun (5 times World champion, nine medals altogether). Vasil Ďačuk from Ukraine, the current individual World champion in composing, selected the 18 problems to be solved during six rounds and conducted the competition. Solvers focused before the first round: Kacper Piorun (left) and Piotr Górski (right) in the first rows | Photo: Piotr Górski In the end, as many expected, it boiled down to the battle of Murdzia and Piorun. On the 1st day, both gained equal points after solving all the two-movers and three-movers perfectly and getting the best (but not maximal) result in the round of studies. Kacper was ahead by 14 minutes. On the second day, both had identical results in help-mates, more-movers and self-mates. Thus, time became the decisive tiebreaker. Piotr, the record holder with 22 domestic titles, managed to catch up by 6 minutes, but it was not enough to close the cap. The total available time was 360 minutes, and Kacper Piorun became the Polish Solving Champion thanks to the 8 minutes difference! After the 1st day, no less than 11 solvers had about the same chances for the remaining third place on the podium. While the first two were not a surprise, no one expected 17-year-old Kevinas Kuznecovas from Lithuania to get the bronze medal. On the way to it, Kevinas obtained his final FIDE Solving Master norm (for achieving it a solver needs a performance rating of at least 2450 and the highest rating of at least 2350 points). He was followed closely by another Lithuanian, Martynas Limontas, the current leader in the WSC Standings. The 2019 World Champion, Piotr Górski, was only 11th after the 1st day, but the 2nd day elevated him to 5th place and the bronze medal in the Polish national classification. As one of the main organizers, he was under triple pressure, expecting the birth of his sixth child. The happy event came already the next day, and Piotr Górski became the sole “kids champion” among the World champions in solving, surpassing the “record” of the German Michael Pfannkuche. Best Polish juniors: Szymon Boryna (bronze), Michał Koziorowicz (gold), Radosław Psyk (silver), and the main judge Vasil Ďačuk Another exciting rivalry was among the best Polish juniors. In November 2022, Radosław Psyk and Michał Koziorowicz became the Polish OTB U20 champion and vice-champion, respectively. In solving, however, Michał successfully defended the junior gold medal, and the bronze went to Szymon Boryna. In the following table, you will find the results of the top 10 solvers. Final standings: The full results are available here. The next two problems were among the hardest nuts to crack: 1 White to play and mate in five moves In the starting position, white has a strong move 1. Bf5. This kind of sacrifice with double threat, known as Novotny interference, stops Black’s f8-rook from preventing 2. gxf4# and h3-bishop from averting 2. Nd7#. Taking White’s bishop on f5 does not help. However, 1. Bf5? is not a solution because of 1…dxc4! Hint: Can we allow Black’s king to move to d4? This year, even for some of the best solvers in the world, 100 minutes was too little time to solve three endgames completely. The best result was 6 points out of possible 15, and each of the medal winners got full 5 points for a different endgame! The next one was fully solved only by the overall winner Kacper Piorun, and Jakub Marciniszyn (10th place), with all others not getting even a single point: 2 White to play and win White is two knights down, but Black’s king can be trapped using the white pawns. The first move seems natural 1. d3+. How should white proceed later? For instance, 2. Bd8 (threatening 3. Bb6#) is met with: 2… Ng4+ 3. Ke2 Nf4+ 4. Kd2 Nd5! (and even stronger 2…Qf7+!). Black knight on d5 stops all checkmate attempts. Hint: How can White prevent the black knight from reaching d5-square? The Dutch Solving Championship took place the same weekend as the Polish one, but the overall atmosphere was very much different. In the nice town of Nunspeet, in the middle of the Netherlands, more than 30 people participated in the yearly gathering of the Dutch problemists, where the national championship was only a part of an extensive program that included lectures, composing tourneys, and unofficial solving competitions. Nicely decorated solving hall in Nunspeet | Photo Luc Palmans The 28th edition of the Dutch Open Solving Championship brought together 18 participants in the A-group and 9 in the B-group. The conditions were perfect: big tables, spacious room, no disturbing noise and refreshments at hand. Nikos Sidiropoulos from Greece, who resides in Belgium, has been consistently improving lately. This time, he managed to edge out the favourite Eddy Van Beers just behind him. Third place went to the Slovak Richard Dobiaš, who lives in the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, followed by two-time World Champion Michel
Chess for Freedom Conference: List of speakers announced
FIDE and the Cook County Sheriff’s Office (Chicago, USA) have revealed the first group of speakers for the Chess for Freedom conference taking place from the 17th to 20th of May, 2023, in Chicago, USA. The first in-person Chess for Freedom Conference features many experts from the worldwide chess community that will take the stage over three days to introduce more than a few new concepts and approaches to using chess as a rehabilitation tool for incarcerated people. Sergejs Klimakovs is FIDE Master from Latvia. He is the Leader of the National Correspondence Chess Team of Latvia and has 15 years of experience working as a coach with talented youth. Sergejs is also a voluntary Chess for Freedom trainer in Latvian prisons. In October 2022, Latvian inmates trained by Sergejs Klimakovs participated in the 2nd International Online Chess Championship for Prisoners. His topic at the conference will be “How to turn a crowd into a united chess team? A voluntary work experience in three different prisons in Latvia.” Franck Droin chairs the ECU Social Commission and the “Santé Social Handicap” Commission of the French Chess Federation. In this capacity, he leads and creates many programs to develop chess in the social sphere, including chess projects for educating and empowering prisoners. In Chicago, he will present an overview of the Chess for Freedom project in Europe. Founder of the nonprofit organization “The Gift of Chess” Russell Makofsky and Kansas Secretary of Corrections Jeff Zmuda will discuss implementing a chess program in correctional facilities statewide. In December 2022, the 1st annual Kansas Department of Corrections Chess Championships were held. It was a long-awaited event that the entire Gift of Chess team coordinated, organized and believed would come to fruition. Sonja Johnson is the President of the Trinidad and Tobago Chess Association. She introduced the Chess for Freedom initiative to the prisons’ programmes team in her country in July 2021, and it has received the full backing of the Trinidad and Tobago Prisons Service. From the federation to the ministry of communication – everyone was involved in making the national team play in the International Online Chess Championship for Prisoners. Sonja will share her experience on how to run the Chess for Freedom program for male, female, and youth correctional facilities in a small country. Professor Jerry Nash is the Chair of the FIDE Chess in Education Commission and FIDE Developmental Instructor, whose professional experience is centred on teaching. A long-standing educator who is passionate about helping others, Nash asserts: “Chess can really positively alter the environment by improving people’s behaviour and engagement”. At the conference, he will talk about the implications of the Chess for Freedom project on chess in education as a diversionary activity for those just entering the juvenile detention system. Hector Guifarro will be one of those proving by personal example that the game has a positive impact on the lives of people who have ended up in jail after making a wrong choice. A former convict picked up chess while serving his sentence, and, in his telling, it saved his life in prison — and is saving it now. At the conference, Hector will speak on how the game helps people to find another chance in life. Nebojsa Baralic is FIDE International Arbiter and Organizer, FIDE Instructor, and Arbiters’ Commission Secretary. He is also Chief Advisor to the President of the Serbian Chess Federation and Director of the 2nd FIDE Intercontinental Online Chess Championship for Prisoners. On October 2022, Serbia was the only country to win two medals in the event – taking gold in the youth tournament and silver in the women’s section. He will share his experience on how to conduct online competitions for prisoners. Dr Jane Gubser is the Executive Director at the Cook County Department of Corrections. In 2012 Cook County Sheriff Tom Dart launched a chess program at the county jail in the hopes that inmates can take what they learn from a game that rewards things like patience and problem-solving and apply it to their own lives. The program has grown, with about 3,000 individuals in custody participating over the last ten years. About 50% of these people were completely new to chess, and they learned the game from scratch. Jane Gubser will present an overview of educational and restoration programs at the Cook County Department of Corrections and the results of ten years of implementing a chess program for the incarcerated population. Chess for Freedom Conference schedule: May 17th: Guests arrive. May 18th: Cook County Jail tour (includes meeting with CCDOC administration and Program’s staff). May 19th: Conference plenary session featuring various breakout topics. May 20th: Sightseeing throughout downtown Chicago. May 21st: Guests departure. Chess for Freedom Conference – Lodging Details The official hotel for the Chess for Freedom Conference is the Hyatt Place Chicago/Schaumburg, located at 1851 McConnor Parkway in Schaumburg, Illinois (60173). Please click this link above for special conference rate details. All attendees are required to register for the conference via this link. Chess for Freedom Conference – Contact Information Mikhail Korenman Chess Program Coordinator at CCDOC, FIDE International Chess Organizer and Member of FIDE Social Commission E-mail: Mikhail.Korenman@ccsheriff.org WhatsApp.: +1-785-906-0402
FIDE President visits Saudi Arabia
Following the invitation from the Saudi Arabia Chess Federation to participate in their board meeting represented by the new members and as per invitation from Mr Turki Al-Sheikh to meet on the occasion of Riyadh Calendar Chess Championship 2023, FIDE President Arkady Dvorkovich visited Saudi Arabia. FIDE President had a chance to check and test the playing conditions of the championship and praised both the venue and the organizers’ efforts. Arkady Dvorkovich used the visit as an opportunity to discuss further chess development in Saudi Arabia, reiterating FIDE’s support for children’s education, social initiatives, professional chess events and the possibility of hosting the World Teams Championship. Saudi Arabia has been very supportive of the FIDE Year of Women in Chess celebration by initiating a new tradition of Queens Awards that allows paying tribute to the great personalities in women’s chess. Improving gender balance is one of the top priorities for Saudi Arabia and FIDE, which both intend to pursue in their policies and development projects. When asked about his impressions on the Saudi Arabia Chess Federation board meeting, the future of chess in the world in Saudi Arabia in particular, FIDE President said: “I really appreciated the invitation by the Saudi Arabia Chess Federation to come to the first board meeting. The board members are very active in supporting chess in the country. We, in our turn, are ready to contribute our share to chess development in the country, supporting new initiatives, especially in chess education and training young talents and hosting big international events here in Saudi Arabia. We stimulate professional chess but also believe in the social role of our game in helping disabled and incarcerated people. We are eager to ensure a good gender balance so young girls and ladies can play chess actively. I think we can do all this together here, in Saudi Arabia.”
Nukhim Rashkovsky (1946-2023)
FIDE is deeply saddened to hear of the passing of GM Nukhim Rashkovsky in his 77th year of age after a long and serious illness. Born in 1946 in Sverdlovsk, Nukhim Rashkovsky showed early promise and became one of Mikhail Botvinnik School’s first students. In 1958 he won the USSR Championship among schoolchildren and four years later came out on top in the RSFSR Youth Championship (1962). Two-time champion of the RSFSR (1974 and 1976), he debuted in USSR Championship in 1972 and received favourable reviews of his style from many experts, including the winner of the event Mikhail Tal. In 1979 Nukhim Rashkovsky performed excellently in a strong tournament in Sochi and became a grandmaster. A teacher by education, Nukhim Rashkovsky also proved himself an excellent trainer. Over the years, he successfully worked with Nona Gaprindashvili, Vitaly Tseshkovsky, Kazakhstan’s national team, and the RSFSR women’s team. In the 1990s, he was the head of the Russian women’s team, who became the bronze medalist of the World Chess Olympiad in Yerevan in 1996, and the silver medalist in Elista in 1998. From 2001-2003, he trained the Russian men’s team, which won the Chess Olympiad in 2002 and the European Chess Championship in 2003. Nukhim Rashkovsky founded and captained Agat, MaxVen and Ural chess teams for many years. Under his leadership, the Yekaterinburg team became a three-time winner of the Russian Club Championship and a winner of the European Club Cup. In 2008, Rashkovsky became the director of the Ural Chess Academy. In 2013, he revived the club under a new name Malachite, and in April 2014, his team won the Russian Club Championship. Nukhim Rashkovsky won three titles at the World Senior Teams Chess Championships (Germany, 2018; Greece, 2019; Czech Republic, 2020). FIDE extends its sincere condolences to Nukhim Rashkovsky’s family, friends, and loved ones.