Ghana’s inmates get ready for International Chess Championship for Prisoners
Inmates from the Senior Correctional Centre in Accra, Ghana prepare to participate in the 3rd Intercontinental Online Chess Championship for Prisoners. The event, scheduled for October 11-13, 2023, is a part of the Chess for Freedom Program, launched two years ago to promote chess as a tool for education and social inclusion in prisons worldwide. David Acheampong, founder of the Mentors Chess Academy, has been coaching some talented junior chess enthusiasts within the correctional facility, igniting their passion for the game. The boys will be representing Ghana in the youth section of the competition. Some months ago, David Acheampong provided chess sets donated by the Gifts of Chess, a US charity dedicated to promoting chess as an educational and rehabilitative tool, to the prison. These sets have become instrumental in the progress and empowerment of the inmates. Plans are also underway to begin the chess program at the Junior Girls Correctional Centre, extending the reach of this transformative endeavor. According to the prison authorities, participating in this championship is not just about competition; it’s about showcasing the resilience and potential of Ghana’s inmates on a global stage. Chess has become a source of pride, purpose, and rehabilitation for young inmates. Chess teaches them to be patient, think before they act, and help them to realize the consequences of their actions. Tournament regulations More info about the program can be found here: chessforfreedom.fide.com
Offerspill and Superchess are the European Club Cup champions
The 38th edition of the European Chess Club Cup and the 27th European Club Cup for Women has finished in Durres, Albania. The A 3½-2½ victory over Asnieres – Le Grand Echiquier allowed Offerspill to end the European Club Cup with 13 match points and win the open tournament. The team led by Magnus Carlsen showed an outstanding performance and a tremendous will to win. On their way to the victory, Offerspill didn’t lose a single match, conceding the opponents just a single match draw. Moreover, this has become the first victory for Magnus Carlsen in any European event. World #1 has also received another gold medal for the best performance on board 1. In this tournament Carlsen played in all but the first match and scored 5/6 points with 4 victories and 2 draws. Winner of the 2022 event, Novy Bor, finished second, one point behind the champions, while Gokturk Chess Sport Club won bronze medals. Final standings open Individual medal winners in the open section 1st board: 1 place – Magnus Carlsen (Offerspill)2 place – Maxime Vachier-Lagrave (Asnieres – Le Grand Echiquier)3 place – Iliya Smirin (Perfect) 2nd board: 1 place – Haik Martirosyan (Asnieres – Le Grand Echiquier)2 place – Tomas Laurusas (SK Javes Modra)3 board – Mustafa Yilmaz (Gokturk Chess Sport Club) 3rd board: 1 place – Jakov Sylvan (Skakklubben Nordkalotten)2 place – Anton Korobov (Schachclub Viernheim 1934 e.V.; pictured below)3 place – David Navara (Novy Bor) 4th board: 1 place – Tom Piceu (Koninklijke Brugse Schaakkring)2 place – Merab Gagunashvili (SK Zmaj)3 place – Ivan Saric (TAJFUN Ljubljana) 5th board: 1 place – David Anton Guijarro (Novy Bor)2 place – Eray Kilic (Gokturk Chess Sport Club)3 place – Ante Brkic (TAJFUN Ljubljana) 6th board (reserve): 1 place – Ediz Gurel (Turkish Airlines Sport Club)2 place – Imre Balog (Sentimento Ajka BSK)3 place – Endrit Uruci (Klubi I Shahut Ferizaj) There was no need to resort to tiebreak criteria to decide who gets gold in the women’s cup, either. Superchess scored outright victory after collecting six wins and one loss throughout the event. Garuda Ajka got silver, while Crvena Zvezda completed the podium taking bronze. Final standings women The individual medal winners in the women’s tournament: 1st board: 1 place – Bella Khotenashvili (Garuda Ajka)2 place – Nino Batsiashvili (Superchess)3 place – Jovanka Houska (Wood Green) 2nd board: 1 place – Anna Muzychuk (Monte Carlo)2 place – Lan Yao (Wood Green)3 place – Lela Javakhishvili (SP Gaz Ukraine) 3rd board: 1 place – Nataliya Buksa (TAJFUN Sk Ljubljana)2 place – Deimante Daulyte-Cornette (SP Gaz Ukraine)3 place – Sarasadat Khademalsharieh (Monte Carlo) 4th board: 1 place – Teja Vidic (Offerspill)2 place – Teodora Injac (Garuda Ajka; pictured below)3 place – Adela Velikic (Crvena Zvezda) Text: official website Official website: clubcup2023.com/ Photo: Niki Riga
Asian Games: Iran and China win team competitions
The chess part of the 19th Asian Games is in the books. After Wei Yi and Zhu Jiner won the individual competitions a ten days ago, Iran and China clinched the titles in men’s and women’s team events, respectively. The men’s team competition, a 9-round Swiss event with classical time control, turned into a very close race of the rating favourites Iran, India, Uzbekistan, China and Vietnam. The Iranian players put in an excellent performance, conceding their rivals just two match draws (with India and Vietnam) and winning seven matches, including a crucial battle with Uzbekistan. Coming into the final round one point ahead of India, team Iran whitewashed South Korea (4-0) and secured the title. India made three match draws and finished a point behind the champions. Despite losing to Iran, the winners of the 44th Chess Olympiad, Uzbekistan, made it to the podium, winning bronze. Final standings men After drawing their first-round encounter vs Uzbekistan in the women’s tournament, Сhina steamrolled the competition, winning eight straight matches and deservedly taking gold. India gave the Chinese powerhouse a good run for their money, but after losing the crucial match to the main rival in Round 4, they could not catch up and had to settle for silver, scoring 15/18. Team Kazakhstan finished third on 13/18. Final standings women FIDE President Arkady Dvorkovich attended the award ceremony and presented the medals to the champions and top finishers. He stressed the importance of chess’ returning to a great multi-sport event. “It’s an immense honour to see chess take its place among the elite sports at the Asian Games, standing tall alongside other Olympic disciplines. As we approach FIDE’s centenary next year, we can’t help but marvel at chess’s incredible journey. From a niche pursuit to a global sensation, chess now captures the hearts and minds of millions worldwide. Notably, its resurgence is most pronounced in Asia,” he said. FIDE President also thanked the organizers of the 19th Asian Games and expressed hope that chess would join the Olympics family someday: “While chess has been recognized by the International Olympic Committee, it has yet to feature in the Olympic Games. However, it’s encouraging to see chess as an exhibition sport in various events, including the European Games and the African Games, as well as part of the official program in some Central American and Caribbean Games. Today, we celebrate chess’s return to a grand stage here at the Asian Games, one of the world’s largest sporting events, second only to the Olympics itself. Chess deserves its place among Olympic sports, and we are deeply grateful to Hangzhou for embracing us.” After a 13-year hiatus, chess came back to the program of the 19th Asian Games, which took part from September 23 to October 8, 2023, in Hangzhou, China. This return gave our game broad exposure to one of the world’s most dynamically developing parts. Photos: Xinhua News Agency and Konstantin Kiselyov Official website: hangzhou2022.cn/
Chess South Africa elections to be held in November 2023
Dear chess community of South Africa, Aware of its responsibility for promoting the development of chess in South Africa, as well as the disastrous consequences of further delays in determining the permanent management of the federation, FIDE decided to hold elections for the leadership of Chess SA under its auspices on the following conditions: 1. Elections will be held on November 25, 2023. The exact location of the elections and the time will be announced later. 2. To resolve all issues, the Election Commission is approved in the following composition: FIDE Vice President Mr. Olalekan Emmanuel Adeyemi (the Reverse Delegate for South Africa Chess Federation) – Chairman; FIDE Ethics and Disciplinary Commission Chairman Mr. Francois Strydom; FIDE Continental Advisor Mr. Benard Wanjala; FIDE Legal Director Mr. Aleksandr Martynov; SASCOC’s nominee (to be announced in due course). 3. All electoral matters including final decision about candidates and delegates admissibility will be subject of the Electoral Commission decision. All issues are resolved by the vote of a simple majority of the commission members, with equality, the chairman’s vote is decisive. 4. Delegates applying to represent a particular province in the elections must submit an application to the Electoral Commission no later than October 23, 2023. 5. Candidates submitting their candidacies must submit their applications no later than November 7, 2023. 6. The final decision on the approval of the submitted applications remains with the Election Commission. 7. Any delegate and candidate confirms in writing that they agree with the powers of the Election Commission, accepts any of its decisions as final and not subject to challenge in any courts or other jurisdictional bodies. 8. FIDE confirms that the duly elected officials will be officially recognized by FIDE as the legitimate representatives of Chess SA and that FIDE shall continue to recognise Chess SA as the national federation member of FIDE for South Africa. 9. FIDE calls on SASCOC to officially confirm that the duly elected officials will be recognized by SASCOC and that SASCOC’s suspension of Chess SA as SASCOC member will be lifted. 10. Any member of the chess family (as described in the FIDE Disciplinary and Ethics Code) who tries to obstruct the activities of the Electoral Commission on the organization and conduct of elections by applying to courts or other jurisdictional bodies other than the sports branch of the courts (applying to FIDE in accordance with the established procedure and further to CAS) or make him/herself guilty of a violation of the FIDE Disciplinary and Ethics Code and/or Articles 7 and 9 mutatis mutandis of the FIDE Electoral Rules) will be responsible according to the FIDE Disciplinary and Ethics Code of Ethics. A report against any such person will be filed with the FIDE Ethics and Disciplinary Commission immediately. 11. Further directives concerning the election will be issued by the Electoral Commission in due course, including making available the required nomination forms and furnishing the contact e-mail addresses of the Electoral Commission. 12. FIDE counts on the constructive co-operation of all role-players in South African chess.
U.S. Championships begin at Saint Louis Chess Club
The 2023 U.S. Championship and U.S. Women’s Championship kicked off on Thursday, October 5, at the Saint Louis Chess Club. The 11-round Round Robins offer a combined prize fund of over $400,000 and feature 24 of the country’s top players. To celebrate the accomplishments of the 2023 U.S. Chess Hall of Fame inductees at the 2023 US Hall of Fame a special Induction Ceremony was held at Saint Louis City SC, CITYPARK, Ultra Club together with opening ceremony for the 2023 U.S. Chess and U.S. Women’s Chess Championship. The ceremony honored former U.S. Women Chess Champion and a pioneer of women’s chess development in the country Lisa Lane (who was unfortunate not to be able to attend), one of the greatest problem composers in chess history William Shinkman, and the 2008 U.S. Champion GM Yury Shulman for their many contributions to chess. In his acceptance speech Yury Shulman recalled some wonderful moments from his long chess career | Photo courtesy of Saint Louis Chess Club, Lennart Ootes The U.S. Championship features ten players rated 2700 or higher, as well as the U.S. Junior champion GM Abhimanyu Mishra and the U.S. Open champion GM Andrew Tang. The U.S. Women’s Championship brought together five former champions: GM Irina Krush, IMs Anna Zatonskih, Carissa Yip, and Nazi Paikidze, and FM Jennifer Yu. Joining them are a number of familiar competitors — including FM Alice Lee and WGM Gulrukhbegim Tokhirjonova — and newcomers WGM Atousa Pourkashiyan and FM Ruiyang Yan. GM Sam Sevian and IM Nazi Paikidze were the sole winners on the first day of the 2023 U.S. Chess Championships, picking up the early lead as several players missed decisive opportunities in their games. 2023 U.S. Championship The tournament started off with all four top seeds facing off against each other, as Aronian was paired White against Caruana, and So against Dominguez. Both games were drawn without much drama, as was the game Xiong-Mishra. Missing an early chance was the 2018 U.S. Champion GM Sam Shankland, who didn’t notice that his opponent, GM Andrew Tang blundered with his move-order in the London System: Tang – Shankland: 5…Qxb2! would have been a real cold shower, as 6.Nb5 Ne4! wins a second pawn for Black. An early miss for Shankland, who jested that both players should be “kicked out of the tournament.” | Photo courtesy of Saint Louis Chess Club, Lennart Ootes After missing this chance Shankland managed to gain an extra pawn in a rook endgame, but Tang defended precisely to hold the draw. Meanwhile the game Niemann-Swiercz saw both players overlook opportunities, first Niemann who decided against a promising rook sacrifice, then Swiercz who could have reached a winning endgame with an extra exchange. Niemann – Swiercz: with less than a minute on his clock, Niemann couldn’t convince himself to play 32.Nxg5!, with a potent attack after 32…hxg5 33.Rf1 (heading to f5). A near-brilliancy for GM Hans Niemann | Photo courtesy of Saint Louis Chess Club, Lennart Ootes The only winner in the event was Sevian, who was in deep trouble against Robson out of the opening, as Robson had caught Sevian’s king in the center of the board. But a misstep allowed Sevian to untangle his position, and eventually overtake the initiative, scoring a decisive point. Robson – Sevian: 42…Kg8! was a cold-blooded shot, preparing Rf8 and intending Qg5+ in case of Rxe7. Although he was in real danger, the recent Chess9LX champion completely turned things around. | Photo courtesy of Saint Louis Chess Club, Lennart Ootes 2023 U.S. Women’s Championship A critical match-up to kick off the tournament took place between top seed and eight-time champion GM Irina Krush against 2021 winner IM Carissa Yip. Although Krush achieved a completely winning position against Yip’s King’s Indian, she failed to capitalize and was even losing at one point, with the game eventually drawn. Krush-Yip: 31.Ng4! would have made life very difficult for Black. GM Irina Krush had a golden opportunity today, but let a key rival off the hook. | Photo courtesy of Saint Louis Chess Club, Lennart Ootes The games Yu – Abrahamyan, Zatonskih – Pourkashiyan, Yan – Cervantes, and Lee – Tokhirjonova were also drawn, with reigning champion WGM Jennifer Yu spoiling a large advantage in a middlegame with opposite colored bishops. Tokhirjonova also had Lee on the ropes, who eventually escaped in a drawn endgame. The 2022 champion also built up a nice position, but couldn’t convert against Abrahamyan. | Photo courtesy of Saint Louis Chess Club, Crystal Fuller The lone winner was two-time champion IM Nazi Paikidze, who found an incredible resource in order to convert a position with a full extra queen against FM Ashritha Eswaran: Paikidze – Eswaran: 41.Kh4!! was the only winning move, with idea 41…Qe2 42.Qxg7+!! Kxg7 43.Bc3+ and mate next move. The two-time champ (Paikidze) started off with a strong bid for her third national title. | Photo courtesy of Saint Louis Chess Club, Lennart Ootes The 2023 U.S. Chess Championships continue on October 6th, starting at 1:20 PM CDT. Catch all the action live with grandmaster commentators Yasser Seirawan, Cristian Chirila, and Katerina Nemcova on uschesschamps.com and on the Saint Louis Chess Club’s YouTube and Twitch.tv channels. Written by uschess.org and IM Kostya Kavutskiy
Teams from 50 countries to participate in 3rd Intercontinental Championship for Prisoners
Over 100 teams from 50 countries will take part in the 3rd Intercontinental Online Chess Championship for Prisoners, a three-day event that starts on October 11 The championship is a part of the Chess for Freedom Program, launched two years ago to promote chess as a tool for education and social inclusion in prisons worldwide. The record number of participating teams and countries is a result of the continuous work by FIDE, the Cook County Sheriff’s Office, national chess federations, prison authorities and volunteers involved in promoting chess in prisons. The Chess for Freedom Program has become an impetus for countries across the world to start including chess in educational programs and organize competitions within correctional facilities. In some of them, national qualifiers are being held to determine the strongest male, female and youth teams that will be competing in the forthcoming intercontinental event. A chess wave from Mexico to Malawi The First National Online Chess Championship for prisoners recently took place in Mexico. Altogether, 142 prisoners from 15 teams competed in the event, organized by the National Chess Federation of Mexico in coordination with the Decentralized Administrative Body for Prevention and Social Readaptation. The top two teams in the Open section from the Federal Centers for Social Readaptation (CEFERESO) of Veracruz and Sonora, as well as the women’s team from CEFERESO No. 16 of Morelos, will represent Mexico in the upcoming Intercontinental Online Championship. Portugal is another recent example, where the qualifying event was organized by the Lisbon Prison Establishment in partnership with the Portuguese Chess Federation and Nova Chess at the University of Nova Lisbon. The event was attended by the Minister of Justice Catarina Sarmento e Castro. Smaller countries are also joining the project. Jersey, whose overall population is just over 100,000, will debut in the Intercontinental Championship. “Our prison is divided into four wings, and three of them have taken interest in playing chess occasionally. For a small prison with approximately 150 prisoners, this is not bad, as the uptake for many other courses reflects small numbers. Playing chess in the wings has become more serious as the international competition neared. We are now at the stage of the final internal competitions to decide the best four prisoners to represent us. One of the prisoners who competed last year was crucial in organizing a team on his wing. The previous positive experience he shared with the rest of the team has been invaluable in persuading many to join. It has lifted up the spirits and revealed their competitive sides,”- says Sanja Koppen, Head of Education at the States of Jersey Prison Service. In Malawi, the lineup of the Maula Prison team is already formed, and the players are having their last preparations before the event. They are trained by Susan Namangale, founder of Dadaz Chess Academy and the Global Head of The Gift of Chess. Launched a year ago, the Chess in Prison Program at Maula Prison is very popular among prisoners. “We are ready for the tournament and feel very motivated. We have good players and trained hard for the intercontinental tournament. Chess teaches us to think about our next move, not only on the board but in life as well,” says Steve Maruwo, a prisoner at Malawi’s Malua Prison and a participant of the upcoming intercontinental tournament. The 3rd Intercontinental Online Chess Championship for Prisoners will be broadcast on the FIDE Youtube channel with live commentary by WGM Almira Skripchenko, IM Michael Rahal, and WGM Keti Tsatsalashvili. They will be joined by special guests – FIDE officials, government officers, members of the penitentiary administration and policymakers, who will share the best practices of introducing chess to inmates, as well as former convicts who will be talking about their own experiences and the positive impact of the game on prisoners. Tournament regulations More info about the program can be found here: chessforfreedom.fide.com
World Chess Championship for the Blind starts on October 08 in Rhodes
The 2023 IBCA World Individual Chess Championship for the Blind and Visually Impaired will take place on the Island of Rhodes, Greece, from October 08-18. The event, organized by the International Braille Chess Association (IBCA), the Hellenic Sports Federation for Persons with Disabilities and the Chess Club “Ippotis”, will bring together 80 players from 31 countries. The competition is held as part of the World Chess Festival in Rhodes. The tournament will be held under the official IBCA and FIDE rules as a nine-round, Swiss system event, with one round played daily. Blind people use braille boards for playing chess. Such chess board has special modifications that help visually impaired players. All the black squares are elevated a few millimetres to be easily identified by touch, and each of the squares has a hole in the center in which pieces are sturdily fixed with the help of nails in their bases. The rating favourite of the tournament is GM Marсin Tazbir (2494, Poland), the winner of the FIDE World Championship for People with Disabilities 2023. “When people play with me, they don’t think about my disability, they may not notice it. But sometimes, playing with people with disabilities can be hard for healthy people due to the psychological fact that you are playing against a handicapped person. Even though you still want to win, sometimes you feel a little bit guilty for yourself that you are playing such a game. The tournaments where people with disabilities can meet together and compete are something special. For all of us, it is a great opportunity to overcome our limits.” Tazbir says. The tournament will take place in the Rodos Palace Hotel on the northern seaside of the island. Event Schedule 08/10 – Arrivals09/10 – Technical Meeting, Opening Ceremony, Round 110/10 – Round 211/10 – Round 312/10 – Round 413/10 – Free day13/10 – Round 514/10 – Round 615/10 – IBCA Congress, Round 716/10 – Round 817/10 – Round 9, Closing Ceremony18/10 – Departures IBCA is the supreme body responsible for chess for the blind and visually impaired. The IBCA is part of the International Blind Sports Federation and an Affiliated Member of FIDE. Founded in 1958, the IBCA regularly holds world championships for blind and visually impaired people. Starting list of players Regulations for the 2023 IBCA World Individual Chess Championship Photos: Mark Livshitz
Five years since the election of Arkady Dvorkovich as the President of FIDE
The past five years at FIDE have been marked by a significant shift in the way the organization is managed and how chess is promoted worldwide On October 3 2018 in Batumi, Georgia, at the 89th FIDE Congress, Arkady Dvorkovich was first elected as the President of the International Chess Federation. He won his second mandate in August 2022 at the Congress held in Chennai, India. Dvorkovich succeeded Kirsan Ilyumzhinov (who ran FIDE from 1995) as the head of the world’s governing chess body. In his final pitch to the delegates in Batumi five years ago, Dvorkovich spoke about restoring dignity and responsibility within FIDE. He promised accountability and cutting bureaucracy, reducing fees from national federations as well as boosting their capacity to develop chess. Since taking over FIDE, Dvorkovich has put together an international team from across the globe and set out to deliver on his ambitions to reform chess on a global scale. The achievements of the past five years can be encapsulated in key areas: Modernization and Transparency: Over the past five years one of the primary goals has been to modernize FIDE’s management structure and instill transparency. Reforms have been made to improve FIDE’s governance, including changes in the electoral process, the establishment of new committees to oversee various aspects of FIDE’s operations and independent auditing of the Organization’s finances. Emphasis was put on building a diverse team and upskilling their expertise, to better streamline the planning, organization and execution of major events and activities, ultimately boosting FIDE’s credibility and accountability. A Fivefold Budget Increase: FIDE’s budget has been increased fivefold, all the while reducing fees for national federations and players. A strategic outreach to partners and sponsors worldwide yielded seven-figure sums from broadcasting rights sales. As a result of these connected activities, FIDE’s financial position is more stable than ever before. Photo: Stev Bonhage Enhancing the FIDE World Chess Championships: Since 2018 FIDE has successfully secured sponsors and organized high-profile events. Prize funds for both the World Championship match and the Women’s World Championship match surged, doubling and increasing by 150%, respectively. Increased prize funds, better playing conditions and higher media visibility of top chess events have been one of FIDE’s priorities. Chess Promotion: With an international team, and thanks to more investment in chess, the International Chess Federation has worked diligently to promote chess worldwide. FIDE has launched and spearheaded initiatives to popularize the game, particularly in schools and among young people. Recognizing chess’s educational and social benefits, FIDE has actively participated in chess-in-education programs. Financial support was provided for developing federations, catering to their practical needs, from seminars to travel subsidies and chess equipment. Photo: Anna Shtourman Promoting Gender Equality: FIDE has introduced initiatives to encourage more female participation. This includes supporting female players, coaches, and arbiters, increasing the number of chess events for women and increasing the prize funds. FIDE has aimed to foster an open debate and address issues related to gender disparities. Focus on Inclusivity: FIDE has been providing more support for specific groups within the chess community. Special funds and awards for the elderly, programs like Chess for Children with ASD, increased funding for projects aiding people with disabilities, and initiatives like Chess for Freedom (aimed at people in prison) and Chess for Protection (aimed at refugees and the displaced) have demonstrated FIDE’s commitment to inclusivity and empowerment. Photo: Stev Bonhage Digital Transformation: Acknowledging the importance of technology, FIDE has been keen on cooperating with digital platforms. During the COVID-19 pandemic, FIDE joined the chess world in adapting to the new circumstances and organized events online, including two Online Chess Olympiads. FIDE is also working hard on connecting chess to the esports world, looking for new platforms for chess promotion. The development of online chess platforms, streaming of chess events, and engaging with chess enthusiasts through social media and other digital channels have become one of the priorities for any FIDE event. Hosting Major Chess Events Globally: Over the past five years FIDE has successfully organized major international chess events, such as the Chess Olympiad 2022 in Chennai, Grand Prix tournaments, world championship cycle competitions, and junior events. With a global outlook, FIDE aims to host more chess events in different regions, furthering global chess participation and diversity. Photo: Lennart Ootes New International Events: Innovative events such as the Grand Swiss, the World Rapid Team Championship, and global tournaments targeting corporations and businesses have significantly elevated the profile of the game, garnered considerable attention and heightened the visibility of chess, attracting more investment. Arkady Dvorkovich: “We made FIDE better, but the best is yet to come” Reflecting on the five years since taking office, Arkady Dvorkovich made the following remarks: “The past five years have been a challenging period, not just for chess but for the world as a whole. However, we have transformed FIDE into a chess powerhouse, a beacon for the game’s development and promotion worldwide. “With a fresh perspective centered on modernization, transparency, and global chess promotion, we have succeeded in making FIDE better, and the best is yet to come. We remain committed to promoting gender equality, addressing all disparities within the chess community, and leveraging new technologies to grow the game and attract more players.”
FIDE October 2023 rating list published
Since September 2023 was a calm month, both the top 10 open and top 10 women saw no changes, which is a very rare case. Biggest giants in top 10 open and women Velpula Sarayu IND 2444 (+57) Bartel, Mateusz GM POL 2651 (+30) Divya Deshmukh WGM IND 2408 (+23) Arabidze, Meri IM GEO 2456 (+16) Stefanova, Antoaneta GM BUL 2424 (+14) Praggnanandhaa R GM IND 2738 (+11) Tsolakidou, Stavroula IM GRE 2385 (+10) Bacrot, Etienne GM FRA 2669 (+9) Buksa, Nataliya IM UKR 2361 (+9) Van Foreest, Jorden GM NED 2707 (+8) Still untitled, Indian prodigy Velpula Sarayu won this nomination for the second straight month. Following her strong performance in the Malaysian Open 2023 she gained “mere” 57 points in September (comparing her 300+ rating increase a month earlier) and made it to the top 30 with 2444. Photo: Cristian Arcas/ Pontevedra Masters The most important chess events in September in terms of top GMs’ participation were two team competitions: the Spanish Team Championship (Club Division de Honor 2023) and Druzynowe Mistrzostwa Polski – Ekstraliga 2023, which brought together many top players. Subsequently, those who fared well in these events earned some valuable rating points. 18-year-old Praggnanandhaa picked up 11 points in the Spanish Team Championship and climbed to #16 with 2738. The list of overperforming players in this event also includes Meri Arabidze (+16), Antoaneta Stefanova (+14), and Jorden Van Foreest (+8). Photo: Stev Bonhage Mateusz Bartel (+30! pictured above), Divya Deshmukh (+23), Etienne Bacrot (+9), and Nataliya Buksa did an excellent job in the Ekstraliga 2023 and substantially increased their rating. There were some shifts in the rapid open rating list caused by two major rapid events, Tata Steel Chess India Rapid and Levitov Chess Week. Maxime Vachier-Lagrave (+16) and Praggnanandhaa R (+11) became the main rating beneficiaries of the former, both moving three positions up. The winner of Tata Steel Chess India Rapid Maxime Vachier-Lagrave (Photo: Vivek Sohani) The winner of the Levitov Chess Week Ian Nepomniachtchi gained 23 points and entered the top 3 Open Rapid, while the third-place finisher Peter Svidler picked up 15 points.
European Chess Club Cup 2023 starts in Durres, Albania
The 38th edition of the European Chess Club Cup and the 27th Women’s European Club Cup kicked off in Durres, Albania. The event boasting a record number of participants – 110 teams from 34 European federations – started with an opening ceremony at Grand Blue Fafa Resport, the playing venue of the tournament. Both competitions are 7-round Swiss tournaments with classical time control. Players, guests, and officials were welcomed by the President of the European Chess Union Zurab Azmaparaishvili, the President of the Albanian Chess Federation and Chief Executive Officer of the European Chess Union Erald Dervishi, Honorary President of the Albanian Chess Federation Eduard Shalsi, and the President of the Albanian National Olympic Committee (KOKSH) Fidel Ylli. Erald Dervishi greeted all the guests and expressed gratitude to ECU for giving the Albanian Chess Federation an opportunity to host this prestigious event. “We will do our best to organize it in the best possible way. I hope all of you will enjoy Albanian hospitality, culture, nature, and cuisine!” Fidel Ylli talked about the importance and prestige for the country to host such a major chess tournament: “This event is very important for us because sport is not just a competition. Sport is economy, sport is image, sport is everything for the country. I want to thank ECU for choosing Albania to host this event!” Zurab Azmaparaishvili expressed his hope that participants of the European Chess Club Cup will enjoy their stay in Albania. “European Club Cup is growing up and reaching the new heights. Now we have 110 clubs playing and we could have even more! Great job was done by the Albanian Chess Federation. Every time I visit Albania, I am discovering country, its culture and nature, but I also see how chess develops. This is the country you want to return to.” After two rounds of play, as many as 18 teams are tied for the top position in the open section. In Round 3 the top-seed Superchess is taking on Vugar Gashimov, while Offerspill Sjakklubb, headed by Magnus Carlsen is facing SK Zmaj. In the women’s event, four teams are sharing first place, but the rating favorite Monte Carlo is not one of them. Lead by the Muzychuk sisters, the squad was held to a draw in Round 2 by the seventh-seed MSK Centar Asseco See. Full results: Open Women Photo: Niki Riga Detailed information can be found on the official website of the event. Photo gallery by Niki Riga can be found on the Facebook page of the event. Live broadcast of games together with live commentaries by WIM Fiona Steil-Antoni and GM David Howell can be followed through the ECU YouTube channel.