FIDE World Rapid & Blitz 2023: Registration deadline extended
The FIDE World Rapid & Blitz Championship will take place in Samarkand, Uzbekistan, from December 25-31 at the Congress Centre. This high-tech venue has hosted many international events, conferences, exhibitions, and shows. The registration deadline has been extended to December 11, 2023, 12:00 CET. Eligible players, accompanying persons, FIDE Principals and arbiters are invited to register via the following link: worldrapidandblitz2023.fide.com/registration/ The five-day tournament will bring together the world’s top chess players, vying for the title of the World Champion in Rapid and Blitz across the Open and Women’s categories. Photo: Lennart Ootes The reigning World Champion in rapid and blitz Magnus Carlsen (Norway) headlines the open competitions. Among those already registered for the open event are also Gukesh Dommaraju (India), Vincent Keymer (Germany), Shakhriyar Mamedyarov (Azerbaijan), Jan-Krzysztof Duda (Poland), Yu Yangyi (China), Levon Aronian (USA), former champions Maxime Vachier-Lagrave (France, Blitz – 2021; pictured above), Daniil Dubov (FIDE, Rapid – 2018), Nodirbek Abdusattorov (Uzbekistan, Rapid – 2021), alongside many other well-known chess players from all over the world. The women’s section of the FIDE World Rapid & Blitz Championship will feature all three reigning world champions Ju Wenjun (China, Classical chess), Tan Zhongyi (China, Rapid; pictured below) and Bibisara Assaubayeva (Kazakhstan, Blitz), Aleksandra Goryachkina (FIDE), Kateryna Lagno (FIDE), Humpy Koneru (India), Harika Dronavalli (India), Alexandra Kosteniuk (Switzerland), as well as many other chess stars. Photo: Lennart Ootes The final lists of the FIDE World Rapid & Blitz Championship will be published after the end of the registration process (December 11, 12:00 CET). Schedule: December 25 — Opening CeremonyDecember 26-28 — Rapid tournamentDecember 29-30 — Blitz tournament and Closing Ceremony Official website of the tournament: worldrapidandblitz2023.fide.com/ About the FIDE World Rapid & Blitz Championship The World Rapid & Blitz Chess Championship and the Women’s World Rapid & Blitz Chess Championship have been held annually since 2012. In rapid chess, each player begins the game with 15 minutes, and 10 seconds are added to their clock after each move. In blitz chess, each player begins the game with 3 minutes, and 2 seconds are added to their clock after each move. The reigning World Champions of the event: Rapid: Open – Magnus Carlsen (Norway) Women – Tan Zhongyi (China, Rapid) Blitz: Open – Magnus Carlsen (Norway) Women – Bibisara Assaubayeva (Kazakhstan) The total prize fund is 1 million USD dollars, with USD 700,000 going to the open championships and USD 300,000 to the women’s championships. OFFICIAL PARTNERS: Freedom Holding Corp. is a US-based financial services holding company. Through its operating subsidiaries, Freedom Holding provides services like retail securities brokerage, research, investment counselling, securities trading, market-making, retail banking, corporate investment banking and underwriting services in Eurasia. The Company has retail locations in Russia, Kazakhstan, Ukraine, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Azerbaijan and Germany. The Company’s financial services business provides retail securities brokerage, research, investment counselling, securities trading, market making, corporate investment banking, underwriting, complementary banking services and retail banking services to its customers. Its subsidiaries include LLC Investment Company Freedom Finance (Freedom RU), a securities broker-dealer; LLC FFIN Bank (FFIN Bank); JSC Freedom Finance, a securities broker-dealer; Freedom Finance Cyprus Limited (Freedom CY), a broker-dealer; LLC Freedom Finance Uzbekistan (Freedom UZ), a broker-dealer and FFIN Securities, Inc. (FFIN). Official website: freedomholdingcorp.com/ Kaspersky is a global cybersecurity and digital privacy company founded in 1997. Kaspersky’s deep threat intelligence and security expertise is constantly transforming into innovative security solutions and services to protect businesses, critical infrastructure, governments and consumers around the globe. The company’s comprehensive security portfolio includes leading endpoint protection and specialized security solutions and services, as well as Cyber Immune solutions to fight sophisticated and evolving digital threats. Over 400 million users are protected by Kaspersky technologies and we help over 220,000 corporate clients protect what matters most to them. Learn more at kaspersky.com. Chessable is the world’s leading e-learning platform and home to the largest library of online chess courses, including masterclasses by chess world champion Magnus Carlsen, top-10 player Anish Giri and 8-time Russian chess champion Peter Svidler and many more. Chessable is the #1 science-backed chess training app to study chess openings , strategy and endgames. Learning chess from top GMs and coaches made easier. Official siteFacebookTwitterInstagram
2023 Sinquefield Cup: Day 8 Recap
In the penultimate round the action quieted down with four draws, as Fabiano Caruana and Leinier Dominguez continue to lead the Sinquefield Cup heading into the final day. The only game that turned into a fully-fledged fight was Rapport-Aronian, where the Romanian No. 1 pushed for some time in an opposite colored bishop endgame, but ultimately couldn’t generate any chances. ROUND 8 GIRI – CARUANA | ½-½, 14 moves A Closed Catalan led to a quick draw by repetition via the typical Nh5-Bd2-Nhf6 drawing mechanism. With Caruana having White in the last round against Rapport, he’ll be able to fight for tournament victory with a win. A short day for Caruana, who clinched the overall Grand Chess Tour yesterday. | Photo courtesy of Saint Louis Chess Club, Lennart Ootes DOMINGUEZ – VACHIER-LAGRAVE | ½-½, 24 moves Essaying the Sveshnikov Defense, MVL chose the rare 12…Ne7, soon forcing Dominguez to spend lots of time in the opening. In a sharp position, Leinier walked into a three-fold repetition, which seemed to suit MVL as well. With the draw, Dominguez remains in the hunt to qualify for the 2024 FIDE Candidates by rating. Dominguez-Vachier-Lagrave: After 18…Nf5, Dominguez spent over thirty minutes before playing 19.f3, which led to a draw by repetition after 19…Qxf6 20.0-0 Qb6+ 21.Kh1 Qh6 22.Kg1 Dominguez is still just a single point behind So in the FIDE live ratings list. | Photo courtesy of Saint Louis Chess Club, Lennart Ootes SO-NEPOMNIACHTCHI | ½-½, 37 moves A highly theoretical 4.Qc2 Nimzo led to the players simplifying the position rather quickly, ending up in a completely drawn opposite colored bishops endgame. After the game So admitted he was unhappy with his performance in yesterday’s loss to Caruana. Since So was slated to play against Duda (who withdrew in Round 2) in the final round, his tournament is now over. So looked to be on the way to his second Sinquefield Cup title, but a tough loss against Caruana thwarted his chances. | Photo courtesy of Saint Louis Chess Club, Lennart Ootes RAPPORT – ARONIAN | ½-½, 57 moves In the only full game of the day, Rapport went for an aggressive handling of the Italian Game, advancing his kingside early on while leaving his own king in the middle of the board. A timely check allowed Aronian to trade the queens off, greatly reducing the risk to Black’s position. From there Rapport had a small edge in the endgame, but was never able to make anything with it, with the players eventually landing in a drawish opposite colored bishops ending. Rapport-Aronian: After 15.g4, White maneuvered with Nd2-f1-g3 to clamp down on the f5-square, but Black managed to create counterplay just in time. Rapport has shown some of the most fighting chess in the tournament, but has been left winless so far. | Photo courtesy of Saint Louis Chess Club, Lennart Ootes FIROUZJA – FREE DAY The Sinquefield Cup continues on November 30, with live coverage starting at 1:15 PM CST. Catch all the action live with grandmaster commentators Yasser Seirawan, Peter Svidler, and Jovanka Houska on uschesschamps.com and on the Saint Louis Chess Club’s YouTube and Twitch.tv channels! Written by IM Kostya Kavutskiy Official website:grandchesstour.org/2023-grand-chess-tour/2023-sinquefield-cup/
Maria José Campos wins 2023 Argentinean Women’s Championship
WIM Maria José Campos is the new women’s champion of Argentina. The second seed representing FMDA Obras Aysa, won her maiden national title. The 74th edition of the most important female chess event in Argentina took place in Buenos Aires from November 20-28 and brought together virtually all the best players except for the #1 Candela Francisco Guecamburu. The 9-round Swiss tournament turned into an exciting race with several participants taking turns on the top of the standings. Interestingly, neither participant completed the event unbeaten. Heading into the final round, Maria Jose Campos and WIM Milagros Tatiana Brizzi (pictured below)lead the field with 6/9, followed by WIM Anapaola Rorda Rodas on 5.5/8. To make things even more interesting, Campos faced Borda Rodas with the white pieces, while Brizzi took on Karen Nerina Gaite also with white. Maria Jose prevailed over Anapaola in a topsy-turvy game and clinched the title. Milagros Tatiana did not manage to break the resistance of Karen Nerina and had to settle for silver. The runner-up became the only player to defeat the champion. As many as four players tied for the third place on 6/9, with Marisa Zuriel taking bronze thanks to a better Buchholz. Final standings: 1 WIM Campos, Maria Jose 2208 7½ 2 WIM Brizzi, Milagros Tatiana 2076 7 3 WIM Zuriel, Marisa 2165 6 4 WIM Borda Rodas, Anapaola 2261 6 5 Flores Mirabal, Nancy 1937 6 6 WFM Nejanky, Maisa 1951 6 7 WCM Gaite, Karen Nerina 1871 5½ 8 Ramirez, Marysol 1720 5½ 9 WIM Sarquis, Maria Belen 2194 5 10 WFM Adam, Ernestina 2036 5 Photos: Federación Argentina de Ajedrez Facebook
Clarifications on FIDE Circuit Regulations and qualification for Candidates 2024
1. Qualification procedure for the (open) Candidates 2024.The following order of priority shall apply for two remaining spots: qualification via FIDE Circuit goes first, then qualification by rating goes, not taking into account all those players who gained the right to participate earlier via other paths. 2. Allocation of FIDE Circuit points in the Sinquefield Cup.According to the FIDE Circuit Regulations, the players who finish in the top half of the final standings receive Circuit points. After GM Duda’s withdrawal, with only nine remaining participants, the 5th final place is not in the top half anymore and, therefore, shall not receive any FIDE Circuit points. 3. Qualification for the Candidates 2024 by rating.A player shall participate in at least four FIDE Circuit tournaments with a standard time control. These tournaments shall meet all the requirements of the FIDE Circuit Regulations, particularly both general (1.1) and country restrictions (3.2). clauses. Thus, out of the four above-mentioned tournaments, not more than two (one of which is a national championship) can be played in the same country. If this rule is not respected, the player is not eligible for qualification.
2023 Sinquefield Cup: Day 7 Recap
Fabiano Caruana won a crucial game against Wesley So to not only equalize in the tournament standings, but actually clinch victory in the overall 2023 Grand Chess Tour. Meanwhile, Leinier Dominguez defeated Rapport to win his second game in a row, leaving himself with a great chance of earning the 2024 FIDE Candidates qualification spot by rating. With two rounds left to play, the Sinquefield Cup, along with the two qualifying spots available (FIDE Circuit, January 2024 FIDE Rating) are both very much up for grabs. ROUND 7 CARUANA-SO | 1-0, 25 moves A 4.e3 Nimzo seemed to catch So off-guard as he erred in the opening with 10…b6, allowing Caruana to seize the initiative with 11.Qf3! From there Caruana played a perfect attacking game, culminating with a brilliant flurry of tactics against So’s uncastled king. With the win, Caruana mathematically secured victory in the 2023 Grand Chess Tour, earning a bonus $100,000 first place prize. Caruana-So: After 18.Bxf7+!, White’s pieces started crashing through. 18…Kxf7 is met with 19.Qc7+ followed by Rd6 to win back White’s sacrificed piece. Two straight wins for Caruana, who clinched tour victory after today’s round. | Photo courtesy of Saint Louis Chess Club, Lennart Ootes DOMINGUEZ-RAPPORT | 1-0, 35 moves An Advance Caro left Rapport doing well out of the opening, as he even declined a repetition around move 20 in order to play for a win. However this decision ended up backfiring, as in mutual time-pressure Rapport opened up his own kingside with 24…f6, allowing Dominguez to soon launch a strong attack. Dominguez then managed to flood into Black’s position with his pieces, quickly forcing resignation in view of heavy material losses. Dominguez-Rapport: After 29.g6!, Dominguez followed up with Ng5-f7, Qh5, and even Nd6!, creating huge problems for Black. Dominguez is now only 0.4 rating points behind So on the live FIDE rating list, with a very clear chance of qualifying to next year’s candidates. | Photo courtesy of Saint Louis Chess Club, Lennart Ootes NEPOMNIACHTCHI-FIROUZJA | ½-½, 43 moves A fascinating game arising from the 4.e3 Slav, where it seemed that both players were well-prepared for some time, as they ended up in a sharp rook vs. two minor pieces endgame. Under some pressure, Firouzja started to spend lots of time, but managed to hold the ending without allowing any chances. Nepomniachtchi tested Firouzja’s prep, but ultimately couldn’t get anywhere. | Photo courtesy of Saint Louis Chess Club, Lennart Ootes ARONIAN-GIRI | ½-½, 30 moves Playing the Petroff, Giri showed good preparation to equalize out of the opening, where he achieved a middlegame with opposite colored bishops. Aronian tried but was unable to pose any serious problems, after which Giri generated some counterplay with his h-pawn on the kingside. Aronian then decided it was time to repeat, a result that seemed to suit both players. VACHIER-LAGRAVE – FREE DAY The Sinquefield Cup continues on November 29, with live coverage starting at 1:15 PM CST. Catch all the action live with grandmaster commentators Yasser Seirawan, Peter Svidler, and Jovanka Houska on uschesschamps.com and on the Saint Louis Chess Club’s YouTube and Twitch.tv channels! Written by IM Kostya Kavutskiy Official website:grandchesstour.org/2023-grand-chess-tour/2023-sinquefield-cup/
Empowering queens of the chessboard: National Female Team Development Seminar
The National Female Team Development Online Seminar was held online on November 26, 2023. This initiative is a part of the FIDE Commission for Women’s Chess project to help countries who have never sent a female team to an Olympiad field a team for the 2024 Chess Olympiad. Over 20 representatives from federations across the globe attended the seminar via Zoom. The project is headed by Tris-Ann Richards (St. Lucia), Councillor in FIDE Commission for Women’s Chess, and Anastasia Sorokina, Chair of the FIDE Commission for Women’s Chess, along with team members Yilmas Kartal, Paris Klerides, Akua Kosife Esse, Monalisha Khamboo and Herborg Hansen. Anastasia Sorokina stressed the significance of this project and pledged WOM support for the amazing initiative. “Despite the age or occupation, we will always work hard to provide the best possible opportunities and community for women,” she said. The initial stage of the initiative started in September by corresponding with the identified federations. It turned out the main reasons for not sending a female team to a Chess Olympiad were the need for more female players, adequate training and sufficient financing. As a result, the seminar sought to address these issues and provide solutions, opportunities and the necessary resources for the federations to solve the problems. The seminar agenda included discussing strategies for securing funding for female chess teams, identifying potential sponsors and partners, funding models and grant opportunities, as well as strategies for attracting female chess talent and case studies of successful recruitment initiatives. “FIDE aims to further and continuously increase women’s representation in management, projects, and professional sports events. One of the priorities is to support those federations where female chess is underrepresented or even non-existent but where leadership works hard to encourage female athletes. Having a female team from every country that takes part in a Chess Olympiad is an ambitious goal that we aim to reach in partnership with national federations,” said Dana Reizniece-Ozola, Deputy Chair of the management board, in her presentation at the seminar. The presentations were well received, and some federations confirmed that they are ready to work along with WOM to take their first-ever female team to the 2024 Chess Olympiad. The next stage of the project is to provide training, Olympiad preparation and support for the federations that join the initiative. The Women’s Chess Olympiad is an event held by FIDE since 1957 (every two years since 1972). In 1976, the Women’s Chess Olympiad was incorporated into the Chess Olympiad, with women’s and open tournaments running simultaneously ever since. A record-breaking 162 teams, representing 160 nations (799 players), participated in the women’s competition at the 44th Chess Olympiad in Chennai, India.
FIDE Director for Chess Development visits Eswatini
Former world-champion challenger and FIDE Director for Chess Development Nigel Short’s recent trip to the Kingdom of Eswatini (formerly Swaziland) has infused fresh momentum into the prospects of chess in this part of Africa. As a part of his African tour, Nigel Short visited the Kingdom of Eswatini from November 16 to November 20. In his capacity as FIDE Director for Chess Development, Short met government and chess officials to discuss how to better promote the game in the Kingdom. Upon arriving, Short attended a reception at the British High Commission, celebrating the birthday of King Charles III, where he met with the prime minister of Eswatini Russel Mmemo Dlamini, state officials and diplomats. Later that evening, he appeared on national television for a prime-time interview where he spoke about the game and the future of chess. On the second day of the visit, Short met with senior government sports officials. The discussion focused on the implementation of chess in education programs. It was agreed that the government would introduce a pilot program in 20 schools, mainly in rural areas, where chess will be taught as of next year as a part of a Chess in Schools initiative which FIDE has been promoting across the globe. In meetings with the officials of the Eswatini Chess Federation, Short heard about the challenges facing the chess community in the kingdom and discussed how FIDE can help promote the game. During his stay, Short also visited local chess clubs, played a simul, and gave a masterclass on chess at the Trojan Horse Club in Manzini. Nigel Short also met with the Chief Executive Officer of the Eswatini Sports & Recreational Council (ESRC). The FIDE Director for Chess Development finished his visit with a trip to the Matsapha maximum security prison, where the ECF has an ongoing pilot program, where he attended a tournament for inmates. “I believe that if more resources are invested in the country’s chess development, it could pave the way for greater success and competitiveness. I believe that with the right support and infrastructure, Eswatini could produce some of the best chess players in the region,” said Short in a brief media discussion with the local media. Eswatini Chess Federation (ECF) Secretary General Qiniso Matsebula said that as a federation, they are thrilled to welcome the renowned grandmaster from the UK. Short provided insightful knowledge and advice to chess enthusiasts of the country. “We are honoured to have Grandmaster Nigel Short joining us. His expertise and experience in the world of chess will undoubtedly provide valuable inspiration and knowledge to us,” he said.
FIDE Chessable Academy resumes in January 2024
The FIDE Trainers’ Commission proudly announces the FIDE Chessable Academy resumption on Saturday, January 13, 2024. The FIDE Chessable Academy program is essential to young talent development, providing every federation with equal access to top-level training by outstanding world-class trainers and further motivational activities for the most dedicated youngsters. World-renowned coaches will conduct sessions in four languages in twelve diverse groups over five months. The FIDE Chessable In-person Training Camp is scheduled to take place in Menorca from March 27 to April 2, followed by the third edition of the Menorca International Chess Open. The venue for the second camp will be announced by the end of February, with class attendance being the foremost consideration. For more information and updates, please follow the announcements on the FIDE Trainers’ Commission website. Invitations will be sent to all federations to nominate their players for further registration. FIDE extends its gratitude to Chessable for their generous sponsorship and continued investment of resources and time. Their contribution has played a significant role in our shared success in developing chess talent worldwide. About the FIDE Chessable Academy The FIDE Chessable Academy is a joint training initiative by FIDE and Chessable — the world’s leading chess e-learning platform. Its mission is to help up-and-comers become the best players they can be. In 2022, over 400 promising youngsters from over 80 national federations enjoyed free access to Chessable courses — plus exclusive lessons from the world’s top coaches. Among the academy’s instructors are 5-time World Champion Vishy Anand, 2021 FIDE World Cup Winner Jan-Krzysztof Duda and many other top players.
FIDE introduces ground-breaking Gender Equality in Chess Index (GECI) – 2023 Rankings unveiled
FIDE released the inaugural Gender Equality in Chess Index (GECI), an innovative instrument designed to measure and compare the level of gender equality in chess federations across the globe. This statistical index introduces a comprehensive scoring system ranging from 0 to 100, with 100 denoting perfect gender equality. The GECI incorporates three indicators of Participation, Performance, and Progress to offer an all-encompassing view of gender parity in chess. The Mongolian women’s team at the 2018 Olympiad in Batumi “The GECI is a step forward in our understanding and promotion of gender equality in chess. We’re moving beyond anecdotes to a more data-driven approach,” says GM David Smerdon (PhD Economics), the lead author of the report. “It’s our aim to provide federations with clear benchmarks to track progress and to set goals in different dimensions of women’s and girls’ chess.” The 2023 GECI report reveals that Mongolia leads the rankings, boasting nearly 40% female participation among active FIDE-listed players, a significant rise above the global average. Following Mongolia are Sri Lanka and Uganda (the hightest-rated African federation), which demonstrate high scores in participation and consistent progress in youth championships. The Ugandan teams at the 2022 Olympiad in Chennai FIDE interviewed a number of leading players and executives in countries that feature prominently in the rankings to better understand the factors behind their success. GM David Smerdon elaborates, “Mongolia’s triumph in the rankings is a testament to their strategies, which emphasize equal opportunity and active promotion of women and girls at every level. It’s an example of what can be achieved with dedication and clear policies.” Insights from the interviews are summarized in a section of the report entitled ‘Stories From The Rankings’, which profiles high-ranking nations and underlines key themes such as women in leadership roles, resource allocation, and the presence of strong female role models. The FIDE Gender Equality in Chess Index seeks to inspire international chess communities to reflect on their practices and policies to promote gender equality actively. The full report is published on the website of the FIDE Commission for Women’s Chess: wom.fide.com/geci/ It can also be downloaded in PDF format here: https://doi.org/10.14264/9bb291f Citation: Smerdon, D., Meyer, C.B., Reizniece-Ozola, D., Rodrigo Yanguas, M., & Sorokina, A. (2023). Report: 2023 FIDE Gender Equality in Chess Index (GECI). FIDE; The University of Queensland. doi:10.14264/9bb291f
Important changes in the bidding process for FIDE events
As of December 1, 2023, the FIDE Council has approved significant amendments to the General Regulations for FIDE Competitions (EVE), marking a pivotal shift in the bidding process for official chess events. The key modifications encompass a revamped approach to bidding deadlines, fees, and procedural timelines, aiming to streamline operations and enhance the efficiency of tournament organization. Noteworthy changes include: 1. Overhauled Bidding Procedures: Bid deadlines, fees, and minimum FIDE requirements by bidders have been completely restructured, ensuring a more transparent and streamlined bidding process. FIDE has introduced clear dates by which all stages of bidding must be completed for events up until 2028. The FIDE Council will take a key role in making decisions regarding the bidding process. 2. Timeline Adjustments: Organizers are now required to submit invitations for approval to EVE at least six months prior to an event (previously, it was five months), with final participant registrations due a minimum of 2 months before the competition commences. 3. Increased Registration Fee: The maximum limit for the Registration Fee has been raised to a maximum of 120 euros per person (previously, it was 100), inclusive of essential costs such as airport transfers and accreditation. 4. Revised Policies: Changes in withdrawal or no-show policies have been implemented, with refund coordination by FIDE in extraordinary circumstances affecting a substantial number of participants or a national federation. 5. Enhanced Oversight: The role of the Technical Delegate (FTD) has been elevated, mandating an IO title nomination by EVE and appointment by the FIDE President, serving as the overall observer in EVE competitions. 6. Standardized Communication: Official tournament websites will utilize URLs provided by the FIDE office, and all communication with federations will be conducted through official FIDE email addresses. These amendments are poised to create a more structured and efficient framework for organizing FIDE chess events worldwide, ensuring greater adherence to regulations and fostering a fairer competitive environment. For further details on the revised regulations, please refer to the updated General Regulations for FIDE Competitions (EVE) available on the FIDE website.