Eight teams qualify for World Corporate Championship Finals
The second World Corporate Chess Championships have concluded their qualification stage, and eight successful teams are now gearing up for the highly anticipated over-the-board finals in New York The online qualification stage witnessed fierce competition among 64 teams representing 46 companies from 26 countries across four continents. Among the participants were renowned global corporations, including Morgan Stanley, Microsoft, UBS, Von Doren Watch Company, J.P. Morgan, Airbus, Freedom Holding, Bosch, Maruti Suzuki, and Deutsche Bank. While most teams comprised amateur players and enthusiasts, each team had the right to include one player with a FIDE rating exceeding 2400 points. Some squads even recruited top-class Grandmasters, such as Jan-Krzysztof Duda, Andrew Tang, reigning European Women’s Chess Champion WGM Ulviyya Fataliyeva, WGM Jolanta Zawadzka, and the remarkable eight-year-old chess prodigy from the UK, Bodhana Sivanandan. To secure their spot in the finals, teams engaged in online tournaments in two formats: rapid and blitz. The intense competition culminated in an online knockout stage, ultimately determining the final eight contenders. The following companies have successfully qualified for the World Corporate Chess Championship finals: From June 15 to 17, these eight elite teams will converge in New York for a series of over-the-board matches. The tournament will feature both a group stage and an intense playoff stage. Finalists will enjoy fully covered travel and accommodation expenses in New York. Additionally, each qualifying team will secure four seats for an online simultaneous chess match against a participant from the recently concluded FIDE Candidates Tournament, with more prizes to come. For comprehensive event details, including results and regulations, visit the official website of the World Corporate Chess Championship.
FIDE May 2024 rating list: Gukesh D climbs to #6
The FIDE Candidates brought significant changes to the world’s top 10. Among others, Gukesh D (+20 points) and Tan Zhongyi (+19 points) simultaneously climbed up to #6 after winning the FIDE Candidates and Women’s Candidates, respectively. Both winners of the Candidates 2024 reached their career-high positions. Photo: Michal Walusza Biggest gains in top 100 Open and Women Priyanka Nutakki WGM IND 2355 (+83) Nandhidhaa, P V WGM IND 2353 (+81) Saric, Ivan GM CRO 2695 (+25) Alekseenko, Kirill GM AUT 2677 (+22) Gukesh D GM IND 2763 (+20) Dardha, Daniel GM BEL 2650 (+20) Warmerdam, Max GM NED 2652 (+19) Tan, Zhongyi GM CHN 2540 (+19) Shuvalova, Polina IM FID 2456 (+16) Narva, Mai IM EST 2417 (+16) Vaishali, Rameshbabu GM IND 2489 (+14) Two Indian female players, Priyanka Nutakki (pictured below) and Nandhidhaa P V, stand out in this nomination following their great performance in various open tournaments. Priyanka shone in the XLIV Open International Ciudad de San Sebastian (+25 points), Open Menorca (+18 points) and Ponte De Lima Chess Festival (+40 points), while Nandhidhaa did an excellent job in the Fagernes Chess International 2024 (+32) and the Open Menorca 2024 (+49). Photo: Anastasia Korolkova Ivan Saric also reached his career high, mounting to #40 in the top 100 Open after solid showings in the GRENKE Chess Open, Extraliga and CIS 2024 – Serie Master. Kirill Alekseenko enjoyed a successful trip to Spain, winning the VIII Open Internacional Semana Santa San Vicente and tying for first in the Menorca Open, which translates into a +22 rating point gain. Polina Shuvalova also fared well in both these tournaments, picking up 16 points. Daniel Dardha has been on a roll this year, steadily increasing his rating every month. April was no exception for the 18-year-old GM from Belgium, who added to his tally another 20 points following his good performances in CIS 2024—Serie Master and Menorca Open. Photo: Lennart Ootes Similarly, Max Warmerdam has had a good spring tournament campaign so far. Unsurprisingly, the Dutchman returned to the top 100 Open after a half-year absence following his strong results in Belgian Interclubs and Bundesliga. After a tough start in the Women’s Candidates, Rameshbabu Vaishali strung together several wins in the second part and finished strong, gaining 14 rating points.
World Junior U20 Championship: Registration extended to May 10
The organizer of the FIDE World Junior Under 20 Championships has extended the registration period for the participants. The competition will take place in Gandhinagar, state of Gujarat, India, from June 1-14, 2024. Entry forms should be filled by the National Federations and returned to the Organizing Committee no later than May 10. All federations must use the official registration form provided by the Organizers. All participants applying for a visa shall provide the copy of the passport by the same deadline: May 10. Each National Federation can enter one player born on or after January 1 2004 in each of two categories – Open and Girls, with a maximum of two invited players and send as many additional players as they wish. Players with personal rights, according to FIDE rules, will also be accepted as invited players: Top 3 players of the previous edition of FIDE World Junior Championships. The Continental Junior Champions of the year preceding this edition. If a Continent did not organize a Continental Junior Championship, then the Continental U18 Champions of the year preceding this edition. The first three players in the starting list of both the Open and Girls tournaments, using the current rating list when the tournament starts. World Youth U18 and U16 champions of the year preceding this edition. FIDE World Junior Championships 2024 official website: worldjunior2024.fide.com Official email: worldjunior@fide.com Regulations and invitation letter (pdf)
Abu Dhabi and FIDE Sign Agreement for 47th Chess Olympiad
The President of the International Chess Federation (FIDE), Arkady Dvorkovich, and the General Secretary of the Abu Dhabi Sports Council, Aref Hamad Al Awani, have signed the Agreement on hosting and organizing the 47th Chess Olympiad, the 4th Chess Olympiad for People with Disabilities, and the 98th FIDE Congress. In December 2023, it was announced that the capital of the United Arab Emirates, Abu Dhabi, had won the bid for the organization of the 47th Chess Olympiad, which will take place in 2028. In the FIDE Council meeting on December 17, 2023, Abu Dhabi won the bid with 96 votes, ahead of the bid from Genoa (Italy), which got 60 votes. The 47th Chess Olympiad is scheduled to take place between October 28 and November 11, 2028, at the world-class Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Center, the largest venue in the Middle East, with 154,678 m2 available for the event. The total proposed budget for the Olympiad is 15,300,000 Euros, while the budget for the Olympiad for People with Disabilities is 1,250,000 Euros. In their bid, the UAE emphasized the country’s increasing role as a global hub for major international and sports events and noted the Olympiad’s importance in promoting chess in the region. It was pointed out that the UAE already has a well-established chess community made up of players, clubs, and prominent chess coaches, and that it hosts several notable events, including The President’s Cup, the Dubai Open, the Sharjah Women’s Cup, and the Abu Dhabi Open. “The signing of this Agreement is a formal but important step. The UAE lies in a convenient geographical location and has the amenities and the experience in organizing large events. Now, work can begin on preparing for the 47th Olympiad and doing everything needed to make this a truly memorable successful event,” FIDE President Arkady Dvorkovich said in a statement. “We have good experience with our partner from the UAE and we have every faith that the organization of the Olympiad will be executed to the highest standard, like other events which the country has hosted,“ Dvorkovich added. This will be the second time the Emirates will be hosting a Chess Olympiad. The country was host for the first time in 1986, for the 27th Chess Olympiad. Held in Dubai, that Olympiad is often regarded as one of the best-organized in chess history.
EWCC 2024: Ulviyya Fataliyeva captures title
Ulviyya Fataliyeva (Azerbaijan) is the new European Women’s Champion. The native of Ganja dominated the competition, a 10-round Swiss tournament, finishing a full point ahead of the runners-up and picking up 22 rating points. The European Women’s Championship 2024, with a prize fund of 60,000 Euros, took place in Rhodes, Greece, from April 18 to 30. It brought together 182 players from 35 European federations. The 24th seed Ulviyya took the lead in Round 5 after defeating WCM Bozhena Piddubna of Ukraine and never looked back. Going into the final tenth round, a full point ahead of closest rivals, she drew her game Nino Batsiashvili and clinched the title with an excellent score of 8.5/10. As many as eight players netted 7.5/10 and tied for second place. IMs Nataliya Buksa (Ukraine) and Lela Javakhishvili (Georgia) secured silver and bronze medals, respectively, thanks to a superior Buchholz tiebreak. The top ten finishers (including FM Nadya Toncheva, who earned 65 rating points along the way) qualified for the next Women’s World Cup. Final standings: 1 IM Fataliyeva, Ulviyya AZE 2377 8½ 2 IM Buksa, Nataliya UKR 2394 7½ 3 IM Javakhishvili, Lela GEO 2447 7½ 4 GM Batsiashvili, Nino GEO 2445 7½ 5 IM Bulmaga, Irina ROU 2394 7½ 6 IM Mammadzada, Gunay AZE 2436 7½ 7 FM Toncheva, Nadya BUL 2258 7½ 8 IM Tsolakidou, Stavroula GRE 2424 7½ 9 IM Mkrtchian, Lilit ARM 2366 7½ 10 WIM Sliwicka, Alicja POL 2315 7 Complete standings The ECU Commission for Women’s Chess introduced Excellence on Board Awards for five different categories: Commissions Choice, People’s Choice, Junior U20, player rated U2200 rating, and 2201+ rated player. The awards went to: People’s choice 1st place: Kubicka Anna (game from round 8 Kubicka Anna – Narva Mai) People’s choice 2nd place: Mihaela Sandu (game from round 9 Atalik Ekaterina – Sandu Mihaela) Committees Choice: Sliwicka Alicja (game from round 7 Maltsevskaya Aleksandra – Sliwicka Alicja) Junior U20: Nadya Toncheva Player rated 2201+: Gunay Mammadzada Player rated U2200: Sabina Ibrahimova The Closing ceremony took place after the last round in the playing venue, with the attendance of the ECU Vice Presidents Alojzije Jankovic and Eva Repkova, the Vice Governor of South Aegean region Akis Delaportas, the Vice-rector of finance of Aegean University, Ioannis Seimenis, the Chairperson of the Greek Chess Federation Commission for Women’s Chess Maria-Anna Stefanidi, and other distinguished guests. You can watch a vidoe recap of the closing ceremony here. Photos: European Chess Union Official website: ewcc2024.eu/
ISF Gymnasiade 2024 in Chess: Registration is open
FIDE and the International School Sport Federation (ISF) invite all eligible players and FIDE Member Federations to participate in the ISF Gymnasiade 2024. The event will take place in Manama, Bahrain, from October 23 to 31, 2024. Chess has been included in the Gymnasiade program for the second consecutive time, following its debut in the U15 Gymnasiade 2023 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The event is open to full-time students born between 2006 and 2011. These students should be enrolled in schools that offer general education or vocational education with elements of general education. There are no restrictions on the number of students from the same school or country. During the eight-day competition a range of various activities from inspiring workshops to seminars will be offered. This provides students and teachers with a unique opportunity to interact with peers from all around the world. The registration deadline is June 23. Official website: events.isfsports.org/isf-gymnasiade-bahrain-2024/ General Information (pdf) Rules and Regulations (pdf) About the ISF Gymnasiade The Gymnasiade is an international multi-sport event organized by the ISF. As the world’s largest school sports event, it serves as a global congress for schoolchildren actively involved in sports, with a strong emphasis on social and educational aspects.
Winners crowned at World Rapid & Blitz Cadet Championship 2024
The World Rapid & Blitz Cadet Chess Championship 2024, organized by FIDE and the Albanian Chess Federation at the Fafa Resort & Spa Hotel in Durres, Albania, is in the books. The competition took place from April 25-29, bringing together 375 participants from 43 countries in rapid and 336 players from 43 countries for the Blitz event. Find the winners of all categories below. World Rapid Champions – Girls: U8 Bissaliyeva, Alisha (KAZ)Nguyen Vu Bao Chau (VIE)Bos, Nina (POL) U10 Sharvaanica A S (IND)Yunker, Alisa Genrietta (FID)Norkulova, Malika (UZB) U12 Megan, Althea Paragua (USA)Venskaya, Nika (FID)Amanzhol, Khanzada (KAZ) World Rapid Champions – Open: U8 Reddy Adulla Divith (IND)Huzela Lukyan (UKR)Sultankhan Nurislam (Kaz) U10 Oleksii Nakonechnyi (UKR)Shogdzhiev Roman (FIDE)Deepak Ambattu Rithvik (SCO) U12 Kleimenov, Nikolay (FID)Yurasov, Matvey (FID)Radzimski, Antoni (POL) World Blitz Champions – Open U8 Li Aiden Linyuan (USA)Nurshin, Nurali (KAZ)Divith Reddy Adulla (IND) U10 Shogdzhiev, Roman (FID)Nguyen Truong An Khang (VIE)Zhauynbay, Alimzhan (KAZ) U12 Open Kleimenov Nikolay (FID)Yurasov Matfey (FID)Negrean Andrei (ROU) World Blitz Champions – Girls U8 Nguyen, Vu Bao Chau (VIE) Bissaliyeva, Alisha (KAZ)Badescu, Eliza-Ioana (ROU) U10 Yunker Alisa Genrietta (FID)Sharvaanica A S (IND)Bayramova Aya (TKM) U12 Paragua Megan Althea (USA)Matskevich, Varvara (POL)Nguyen Minh Chi (VIE) FIDE President Arkady Dvorkovich, who attended the final day of the championships, together with the President of the Albanian Chess Federation, President of the Balkan Chess Federation, Erald Dervishi, President of European Chess Union Zurab Azmaiparashvili and President of the Albanian Olympic Committee Fidel YLLI, welcomed participants, parents, coaches and guests at the closing ceremony as well as awarded winners. The top five places received diplomas, medals, cups and prizes. DGT company presented the winners of the Blitz Championships with DGT boards. FIDE President Arkady Dvorkovich awarded the Albanian Chess Federation, President of the Balkan Chess Federation, Erald Dervishi, President of European Chess Union Zurab Azmaiparashvili and President of the Albanian Olympic Committee Fidel Ylli with golden medals dedicated to the celebration of FIDE centenary anniversary. Text and photos: Anastasia Karlovich Official website: official website: worldcadetrb2024.fide.com/
Azerbaijan Championship: Aydin Suleymanli wins maiden title
Aydin Suleymanli (pictured above with his father) emerged as the winner of the Azerbaijan Championship 2024. The 19-year-old native of Baku prevailed over Mahammad Muradli in the final match to capture his maiden national title. The Azerbaijan Championship 2024, with a total prize fund of USD 18,000, took place from April 11-26, 2024. The tournament featured eight grandmasters and five international masters, with some notable absences from top Azerbaijani players like Mamedyarov, Radjabov, Mamedov, and the defending champion Vasif Durarbayli. Like a year before, the competition consisted of two stages. The first stage was a 9-round Swiss tournament with classical time control. The top four finishers – Mahammad Muradli (7/9), Aydin Suleymanli (6.5/9), Khazar Babazada (5.5/9) and Vugar Rasulov (5.5/9) advanced to the playoffs (two-game matches) to determine the champion. The top seed Muradli and Suleymanli confirmed their statues as the tournament favorites and met in the final. The first game was drawn, whereas in the second one, Aydin Suleymanli scored the decisive victory with a spectacular queen sacrifice. 29. Qxg6! Nd7 (29…hxg6 30. Rh7+) 30. Qh6 Nxf6 31. Rxf6 Rxf6 32. Rxf6 d5 33. cxd5 exd5 and Aydin won on move 41, clinching the title. In the match for bronze, Vugar Rasulov convincingly outplayed Khazar Babazada to complete the podium. During a short closing ceremony, Mahir Mammadov, President of the Azerbaijan Chess Federation and Vice President of FIDE, and Faig Hasanov, First Vice President of ASF, presented awards to the winners. Photos: Azerbaijan Chess Federation Facebook
FIDE World Championship Match 2024 – Call for bids
The FIDE Worlds Chess Championship Match is a pinnacle of the FIDE World Championship Cycle. The 2024 edition will decide who will reign the chess world for the next two years — the reigning world champion, Ding Liren (China), or the youngest challenger in chess history, Gukesh D (India). The World Championship Match 2024 is provisionally scheduled between November 20 and December 15, 2024. FIDE is opening a bidding procedure to host the event. 1.2 The basic provisions are the following: a) Total duration of the event – up to 25 days b) The Regulations shall be approved by July 1, 2024. 2) Minimum total budget of the event – 8,500, 000 (eight million five hundred thousand) USD d) Minimum prize fund – 2,500,000 (two million five hundred thousand) USD. (The prize fund was increased from 2,000,000 USD in 2023). e) FIDE fee – 1, 100 000 (one million one hundred thousand) USD f) Payment for commercial, sponsorship and broadcasting rights will be specified according to bidders’ proposals. g) The Organiser shall respect the rights of the FIDE sponsors and partners, including for the video broadcast. 1.3 The Applicant shall fill in the Bidding Form. The Applicant must indicate the exact breakdown of the budget by item, including proposals for payments to FIDE for the commercial and sponsorship rights, payment for the broadcasting rights and the distribution of sponsorship and broadcasting rights between FIDE and the Organisers. A signed copy shall be submitted as an e-mail message to the FIDE Secretariat to office@fide.com no later than May 31, 2024, by 23:59 Lausanne time. The bid should accompanied by the relevant supporting documents.FIDE has the right to extend this deadline if considered necessary. All the documents shall be submitted in English. 1.4 FIDE reserves the right to enter into additional negotiations with any of the Applicants in order to improve or modify the bid. 1.5 The final decision of FIDE will be based on the totality of all the proposed conditions and interests of chess development.
World Cadet Rapid & Blitz Championship starts in Durres, Albania
The World Rapid & Blitz Cadet Chess Championship 2024, organized by FIDE and the Albanian Chess Federation, kicked off at the Fafa Resort & Spa Hotel in Durres, Albania, with an opening ceremony. The President of Albania, Mr Bajram Begaj, announced the event officially opened and made the first symbolic move in the game between Amina Hoti (Albania) and Gunesh Bayramova (Turkmenistan) in Girls U-8 section. Hundreds of talented youngsters aged 6 to 12 gathered at the prestigious venue where team “Offerspill” headed by Magnus Carlsen triumphed in the European Club Chess Championship just six months ago. The event running from April 25-29, brought together 375 participants from 43 countries. This is the highest number of participating countries since the inaugural event back in 2017. Competing over three intense days, these young chess talents, aged 6 to 12, from all around the world will vie for the coveted titles of World Champions in Rapid and Blitz, in the U8, U10, and U12 categories. The opening ceremony was attended by the President of Albania Bajram Begaj, FIDE Technical delegate, Honorary Chair and Chief Events lnspection, Ozgur Solakoglu, Renis Mullaj, the Vice MAJOR of Durres, Fidel YLLI, President of the Albanian Olympic Committee, Erald Dervishi, President of the Albanian Chess Federation, President of the Balkan Chess Federation, who welcomed the participants and wished them success. On the first day, five rounds of the Rapid Championship were played. On the second day, we will see the final six rounds of this competition. On the third day, the participants will play 11 rounds of Blitz. Text and photos: Anastasia Karlovich Official website: official website: worldcadetrb2024.fide.com/