Wesley So and Carissa Yip clinch U.S. Championship titles
Wesley So and Carissa Yip are the new U.S. Champions. The 2021 U.S. Championship & U.S. Women’s Championship took place from October 6-19 in St-Louis, featuring 24 of the country’s top players contesting for two national titles. After a dramatic final round, the three leaders of the 2021 U.S. Championship (GM Fabiano Caruana, GM Wesley So, and GM Sam Sevian) battled for the title in a rapid playoff tiebreak on October 19. While Caruana was the only one with chances to secure the title outright (he failed to convert a decisive advantage in the game with Shankland), all three players drew their final round games to finish with 6½/11. So managed to defeat both Caruana and Sevian in the rapid round-robin, earning him the $50,000 first-place prize and his third national title. The first playoff game saw Caruana and So trade queens early on to reach a balanced endgame, where a mistake by Wesley gave Fabiano a chance to sacrifice a piece for a powerful initiative. Although So was forced to immediately give back the extra piece, he managed to keep the position playable, and as Caruana got down into time-trouble, the game quickly turned in Black’s favour. In an already winning endgame for So, Caruana ran out of time and lost the game. Having lost the first game, Caruana was in a must-win situation heading into the second round of the playoff. Playing Black against Sevian, Caruana gained a small edge on the board as he forced a queen trade to head into a pleasant endgame. After slowly building up the pressure, Caruana eventually found a winning tactical shot to decide the game. The third game saw Wesley just needing a draw to clinch the title, while Sevian was in a must-win situation. Essaying the King’s Indian, Sevian played in an offbeat style to create some imbalance in the position, but at the cost of weakening his own kingside. This allowed So to exploit Black’s weaknesses to seize the initiative and win an exchange, giving him a decisive edge. Sevian tried to put up resistance and keep the game complicated, but Wesley remained calm and slowly converted his advantage, winning the playoff. IM Carissa Yip clinched victory in the 2021 U.S. Women’s Championship with a round to spare after defeating IM Nazi Paikidze in the penultimate round. Yip scored 8½/11 and made history by becoming the first woman ever to defeat four former champions in a U.S. Women’s Championship. WGM Begim Tokhirjonova secured a clear second place with 7.0/11 after scoring three straight victories in the second part of the event and drawing her last-round game to jump ahead of GM Irina Krush, who finished in clear third. Text: IM Kostya Kavutskiy Photo: Courtesy of Saint Louis Chess Club, Lennart Ootes Livestream:USChessChamps.Com Web: uschesschamps.com | Twitter: @STLChessClubInstagram: @STLChessClub | Facebook: @STLChessClubYouTube: @STLChessClub | Twitch.tv: @STLChessClub#USChessChamps #STLChessClu Press Contact:Rebecca Buffingtonrbuffington@saintlouischessclub.org Photo Credits:Photos and appropriate credits available on Flickr Saint Louis Chess Club | Building Champions 4657 Maryland Avenue, Saint Louis, MO 63108 | (314) 361.CHESS (2437)
Harriet Hunt wins British Women’s Championship
WGM Harriet Hunt triumphally returned after a 2.5-year hiatus from competitive OTB chess to win the British Women’s championship for the fifth time in her career. Interestingly enough, she clinched her fourth title more than 20 years ago, back in 1999. The Women’s Championship, a 7-round Swiss tournament and the last event of the British OTB Championship, took place at the University of Hull from 14th to 17th of October. Harriet Hunt Photo: John Saunders The future champion was somewhat rusty at the start losing in Round 3 but picked up steam and took clear first after winning four straight games (including the critical encounter with her main rival GM Ketevavan Arakhamia-Grant in Round 4). The silver medalist Katarzyna Toma beat both Hunt and Arakhamia-Grant, but the Round 5 defeat at the hands of Zoe Varney cost her dearly as she finished a half-point behind the champion. There was a three-way tie for third place, but tiebreaks favoured Audrey Keuh, who found herself in the third position on the podium. Final standings: 1 Hunt, Harriet V ENG 2414 5½ 2 Toma, Katarzyna ENG 2254 5 3 Kueh, Audrey ENG 2080 4½ 4 Arakhamia-Grant, Ketevan SCO 2376 4½ 5 Varney Zoe, ENG 1937 4½ 6 Singha, Swati IND 1438 4 7 Subramanian, Anusha ENG 1623 3½ 8 Pyun, Lindsay ENG 1443 3 9 Hariharan, Shambavi ENG 1109 3 10 Bridgeman, Niamh ENG 1802 2 11 Arora, Prachi IND 1437 1 Official website: britishchesschampionships.co.uk/
Praggnanandhaa wins Julius Baer Challengers Chess Tour Finals
India’s teen prodigy Praggnanandhaa has won the Finals of the ground-breaking Julius Baer Challengers Chess Tour. The event was launched by Play Magnus Group back in April to give young chess stars a springboard to stardom during the pandemic and beyond. It has seen 24 of the brightest talents from around the world take part representing 13 countries. The Tour has also been nominated for a prestigious ESG Award for its work promoting gender equality. At stake was a total prize pot of $100,000 and, for the individual competition winner, a regular spot in next year’s elite Meltwater Champions Chess Tour. The winning team, headed by chess legend Judit Polgar, will also fly to Dubai for the World Chess Championship next month. Praggnanandhaa, who defeated the American defeated Christopher Yoo 3-0 in the final to pick up $12,500, said: “I’m just very excited to play in the Meltwater next season.” The Julius Baer Challengers Chess Tour is unique in that throughout the series, all the players have received support from teams of coaches headed by two captains, Polgar and the former World Champion Vladimir Kramnik. The line-ups have also been “gender-balanced” to counteract the under-representation of female players at the top level of chess. Currently, there is only one female player among the top 100 in the world. It is part of a conscious effort by Play Magnus Group and the Swiss private bank Julius Baer to develop young talent, advance gender equality in the sport and find the next big stars in the game. Larissa Alghisi, Chief Communications Officer at Bank Julius Baer, said: “We are really proud of the young chess stars. Not only have they shown exceptional ability, but also a thorough commitment to the hard work it takes to become a part of the world elite. “Showing this effort in public coaching sessions streamed on the easily accessible online platforms for all has allowed them to inspire future generations of girls and boys alike, which is one of the core values of our bank.” Polgar, the strongest female player in the history of chess, said: “It’s been a dream-come-true opportunity to spend time with and guide these amazing young talents. I’m proud of what the Challengers Chess Tour has accomplished in such a short amount of time and can’t wait to meet my team in person in Dubai. “In chess – and in talent management – you have to look beyond only the chess advice. Accordingly, I feel it is important and gratifying to have been able to give the talented girls and boy players guidance, to build them up and boost their confidence so that they dare to aim as high as possible. Next season we’ll aim even higher.” The Tour saw four online rapid chess “Challenge” tournaments held over seven months leading up to the Finals, which ended on Sunday. In the Finals, Praggnanandhaa conceded just one draw in nine games at the end of season Finals. Praggnanandhaa was immediately congratulated on Twitter by his inspiration, Indian legend Vishy Anand and World Champion Magnus Carlsen. Anand said: “Congrats! Was a very convincing performance. Really proud of your play.” The 16-year-old was one of five members of Team Kramnik to have made it to the Finals. Team Polgar had already secured the team battle against Kramnik’s Team Kramnik. The Challengers Chess Tour will be back in 2022. Stay tuned on ChallengersChessTour.com for more information. For further information, please contact: Leon Watson, PR for Play Magnus Group leon@chessable.com +44 7786 078 770 About the Tour Fronted by the strongest female player of all time, Judit Polgar, and former World Champion Vladimir Kramnik, the Julius Baer Challengers Chess Tour runs alongside the hugely-popular Meltwater Champions Chess Tour. The Tour is organised by the Play Magnus Group and is designed to tackle head-on the lack of female role models competing in top events and promote emerging talent. More information here.
FIDE World Championship 2021: Safety measures for Expo 2020 visitors
As FIDE prepares for the forthcoming World Championship – the highlight of the world chess calendar – held at Expo 2020 Dubai between 24 November and 16 December 2021 – coronavirus safety measures are front and centre of planning. The health and safety of players, spectators and event crew with scrupulous safety measures is the highest priority of event organisers. The Expo 2020 Dubai has released an updated COVID-19 Guide to outline the measures implemented to manage the risks from coronavirus. Its fundamental principles apply to all operations and must be complied with at all times unless explicitly explained otherwise within the guide. VISITOR ENTRY PROTOCOLS All visitors aged 18 years old and above must present proof of at least one dose of any COVID-19 vaccine recognised by any Expo 2020 participating country or the World Health Organization (WHO) or a negative PRC taken within the previous 72 hours in order to enter the Expo site. The PCR test can be taken internationally, at the airport, at PCR testing facilities anywhere in the UAE, and at the Dubai Health Authority (DHA) Expo 2020 PCR Testing Facility. FACE COVERING All visitors must correctly wear a face covering or face mask at all times unless they have a medical exemption approved by DHA. SOCIAL DISTANCING Visitors must ensure that social distancing requirements are followed: 2 meters of social distancing maintained and venue capacity limits complied with. Visitor group sizes should not exceed a maximum of 15 people. HAND HYGIENE Visitors should use hand sanitisers or wash their hands frequently with soap and water. Read the complete EXPO 2020 Covid-19 Guide (pdf) before planning your visit to the FIDE World Championship 2021.
FIDE World Amateur Chess Championship kicks off in Rhodes
The COVID-19 pandemic dramatically affected many areas of life, including chess. Some tournaments were either cancelled or postponed; other ones were held in the online format. The 2021 Rhodes Chess Festival, featuring one of the first over-the-board World Championship in nearly two years, is a big step towards returning to joyful normal life after the pandemic. The Rhodes Chess Festival organized by IO Nikos Kalesis (GRE) includes several events: the 2021 FIDE World Amateur Championship, the 16th IBCA Olympiad, the 2021 IBCA Congress, the 44th World Chess Solving Competition, and the 63rd World Congress of Chess Composition. The festival was only made possible due to FIDE’s strategic vision and imitative, its affiliated member IBCA (the International Braille Chess Association), local organizers, and Greek regional and municipal authorities that made sure players could meet face-to-face adhering to the strictest health protocol. FIDE President Arkady Dvorkovich sent the letter to the FIDE World Amateur Championship participants and expressed his gratitude to the Greek authorities for their support and contribution. Moscow, October 15, 2021 To the Participants of the 2021 FIDE World Amateur Chess Championship Rhodes, Greece Dear chess friends! It is my pleasure and honour to send greetings on behalf of the International Chess Federation to all the participants and organizers of the 2021 FIDE World Amateur Chess Championship, which is going to take place in Rhodes, Greece, from October 16-26, 2021. We are delighted that this event stipulates the return of the official FIDE competitions to the over-the-board format after nearly two years of mostly online tournaments due to the Covid-19 pandemics and restrictions. I thank the city of Rhodes, its municipality and the hotel “Rodos Palace” for their support and contribution to the organization of this important FIDE event. This World Championship once again proves that chess is an excellent educational tool for everyone and can be played not only by professionals but by all those who love this wonderful sport. I am confident that all the participants and spectators will enjoy the exciting games and let the strongest player win! Best regards, Arkady Dvorkovich FIDE President The opening ceremony on October 16 featured Mr Nikos Nikolis, Vice Governor of the Region of South Aegean, responsible for sports; Mr Antonis Kambourakis, Mayor of the Rhodes municipality; Mr Manos Konsoulas and Mr Ioannis Papas, Members of the Parliament of Greece; Dr Charudatta Jadhav (IND), the IBCA President and Ms Natasha Dalle, the IBCA Treasurer. Declaring the festival open, Mayor Kambourakis welcomed the participants to the island of Rhodes and emphasized an excellent collaboration between FIDE, the organizers and local authorities that made it possible for over three hundred participants from more than fifty countries to meet in person and enjoy chess. FIDE representative Mr Ozgur Solakoglu (TUR) read the letter from FIDE President, Mr Arkady Dvorkovich, which was met by applause from the audience. Chief Arbiter Mr Vadim Tsypin (CAN) guided the dignitaries to make the first symbolic moves on the first boards in two top sections. Six separate championships titles are at stake in the categories Open U-2300, Open U-2000, Open U-1700, Women U-2300, Women U-2000, Women U-1700. The total prize fund of the championship, raised with the generous help of local sponsors, is €10,000. Every round, the games on top boards in each category are broadcast live on the official website of the organizer: http://rodos2021.com. All the results and pairings can be found there as well. Information and photos by the Rhodes 2021 Chess Festival press service
Mongolia takes gold
Team Mongolia became the winner of the first Intercontinental Online Chess Championship for Prisoners after defeating Team Zimbabwe in the final of the biggest ever chess event among correctional facilities. The event was organized by FIDE and the Cook County (Chicago, IL, USA) Sheriff’s Office and coincided with the International Day of Education in Prison. Both matches of the day were tremendously close, showing that these two teams clearly deserved to be in the final. The first round of the final was won by team Zimbabwe 2.5 – 1.5, however, Mongolia bounced back and won the second set 3-1, winning the final on game points. In a short after-game interview IM and WGM Batchimeg Tuvshintugs told about the experience of Mongolia in teaching and playing chess in prisons: “I am a national team player and have a woman grandmaster title. And at the same time, I am working at the Court Decision Making Agency of Mongolia. We’ve been doing several projects in our country. First of all, we’ve been organizing different chess events in correctional units, and our staff plays chess too. Mongolian chess has a great history, especially in correctional units. Since 1956 we started organizing chess tournaments in all our correctional units, so it’s like a traditional tournament for us. The Mongolian amateur chess level is pretty high, I consider, so it’s no wonder our prisoners are doing quite well in this tournament.” Despite the loss on the final day of the event, team Zimbabwe was very excited about the performance of its players, already looking forward to playing in the next year tournament: “Chess in prisons program in Zimbabwe is ongoing for the past six years, ” said Thabo Elisha, Public Relations Director at Zimbabwe Chess Federation. “We are regularly having competitions, and this is the third time we are playing against people outside our continent. We are very satisfied with our performance and results we had against our opponents and touched by their stories. We want to thank organizers for hosting such an event. We will do our best and try to win the event next year. Our success this time will help us to develop chess in the prison program, attract more attention from companies, sponsors, and individuals. We hope to get more chess equipment for our team: chessboard and books, and to organize more chess events for prisoners. We will be looking forward to the next intercontinental event and our team will do its best to get on top!” FIDE President Arkady Dvorkovich attended the online closing ceremony of the 1st Intercontinental Online Chess Championship for Prisoners and congratulated the finalists: “I want to congratulate Mongolia on winning the event and Zimbabwe on finishing second. These are great achievements and great inspiration for many people who are joining the chess community. I was in Chicago with Cook County Sheriff Tom Dart a couple of days before, greeting the US team on site in the prison, and had a lovely conversation about chess and played a game with one of the inmates. For me personally and for FIDE, it is a great inspiration to continue and to expand this project to more and more countries. And I hope that you, as the best teams of this championship, will share your experience and will continue to learn chess and to play chess, passing this love to other people around you.” The three-day tournament aimed to popularize chess as an efficient tool for reintegrating incarcerated people ran from October 13-15, 2021. The event attracted 41 teams from 30 countries representing all continents providing an opportunity for inmates to play with their peers across the globe.
Mongolia vs. Zimbabwe in the final, Georgia dominates women’s tournament
The teams of Mongolia and Zimbabwe will battle it out tomorrow (CET 10:00) for the gold in the first Intercontinental Online Chess Championship for Prisoners – the biggest ever chess event among correctional facilities. Both teams topped their groups in the championship stage today. Mongolia advances to the final Mongolia was the first team to progress to the final by winning the Group 1 round-robin tournament with a perfect score. Team Russia became a runner-up with four victories (the Philippines, Georgia, Palestine and Germany) and one loss (to Mongolia). “I think we underestimated our opponent in the beginning, and when we realized how strong they are, it was too late to turn the match around,” said Vladimir Sarkisov, player of team Russia. “This event is very important for all of us. It is a big honour to represent our correctional facility, our city and even our country on the international level. Every Sunday, we gather, study and play chess, and I give lectures on chess to my inmates. Sometimes we feel there is a lack of practice; with tournaments like this, we can play against new opponents and practice better.” Vladimir Sarkisov, team Russia Zimbabwe came out on top in Group 2, beating all its opponents – the USA, England, Croatia, North Macedonia and Argentina. North Macedonia finished second after splitting the points with the USA 2-2, defeating England 3.5-0.5, Croatia 4-0, Argentina 3-1 and losing to Zimbabwe 1-3. According to Chief Sup Moses Gukurume, Officer in Charge at Cikurube Maximum Prison, Zimbabwe, playing chess is an important part of the rehabilitation of inmates: “We are very happy to advance to the final of the first Intercontinental Online Chess Championship for Prisoners. It takes our rehabilitation programs to another level. It was very exciting for our players to interact with people who are outside their prison, outside Zimbabwe. We are encouraging our inmates to participate in activities that keep them busy, that exercise their minds and their bodies”. Leo Matimbe, team Zimbabwe captain, added that chess does not only help him during his time behind bars but gives hope for new opportunities in life: “Chess is the opening to reorganize my life and to look forward to a better future.” Team Zimbabwe For the first time in the history of international chess tournaments held in prisons, winners were determined in the women’s section too. Here, the Georgian team won all three matches and came in clear first, Russia finished second with two victories, Trinidad and Tobago scored 4 team points each, and Ukraine netted just 1 point. FIDE President Arkady Dvorkovich congratulated the participants and winners of the women’s tournament: “My warm greetings and congratulations to the team of Georgia, who won the women’s tournament. You were really good! But also I would like to say to all the participants, please continue to play chess, and it will bring you more and more benefits in your life.” The final match of the first Intercontinental Online Chess Championship for Prisoners will start tomorrow, October 15, at 10:00 CET. The games can be followed live on the FIDE Youtube channel.
All India Chess Federation signs a historic agreement with MPL
The All India Chess Federation (AICF) signed a historic agreement with the MPL Sports Foundation for a sponsorship amount of Rs. 10,000,000 (approximately $132,860) for the Indian National Championships over the next five years, with a 20% increase every year. The agreement comes soon after Indian women’s first-ever silver medal in the World Women’s Team Championship, and the bronze medal at the Online Olympiad won by the national team. MPL Foundation, primarily associated with gaming, will hold the right to be the title sponsor for various National Championships across all formats starting from the U-7 age group. For the time ever, a corporate sponsor has entered into a long term agreement with the AICF. The credit primarily goes to the new team that has been getting a lot of praise for its efforts. The new team took over AICF in January this year and since then has compiled an impressive list of achievements, including: 1. Organization of Online Arbiter (Referee) refresher Courses and development of 500+ arbiters equipped to organize online and over the board events. 2. Training and certification of more than 1200 trainers for Chess in Schools program, conducted by Grandmasters and International Masters. 3. Organization of 28 national level championships online with participation of more than 15000 players. 4. AICF awarded prize money of Rs. 4,000,000 (roughly USD 53,200) in the national championships. 5. Creating a Covid-relief fund for chess fraternity involving such top Indian players like Anand, Koneru Humpy, D. Harika, Vidit Gujarati, etc. More than Rs. 1,300,000 (approximately USD 17,300) were distributed among 50+ beneficiaries. 6. Creating a welfare fund of Rs 5,000,000 (approximately USD 66,500) for players and arbiters for emergency assistance. 7. The Indian team participated in online Asian School championships & Western Asian Championships, winning 51 medals. 8. The Indian team participated in the Online World Youth Championships, winning four medals. 9. The Indian team captained by V. Anand took part in the Online Chess Olympiad and won bronze. 10. The Indian women’s team won the silver medal in the World Women’s Team Championship. “This is a new era for chess in India, and we are committed to keep working for the betterment of the game and also to make India the number one chess-playing nation in the world”, said Dr Sanjay Kapoor, President of AICF. AICF Secretary Bharat Singh Chauhan attributed this success to a selfless approach: “I am proud to say that we have people who are very committed to uplifting of the game; the game has grown many-folds in the last one year, and this is only the beginning.” About MPL Sports Foundation: MPL Sports Foundation(MPLSF), established in 2021, is the dedicated philanthropic arm of Mobile Premier League (MPL), India’s biggest esports platform, to steer all our community-based initiatives, going beyond mere corporate social responsibility. The Foundation supports meaningful activities and transformational change across various fields and works towards community service and nation-building.The foundation aims to democratise sports, make it more accessible, diverse, equitable and inclusive, and support and strengthen the development of sports, sports-related ecosystem and sporting culture in India, with a special focus on esports. Further information: Bharat Singh Chauhan, AICF Secretary E-mail: indianchessfed@gmail.com Mobile: 9810000007
Global Chess Festival: Judit Polgar Method earns international recognition
This year’s hybrid – on – and offline – Global Chess Festival has been a roaring success, with over 3000 visitors attending the event. Held on the 9th of October, the chess universe created in the Hungarian National Gallery has been home to many interactive programs, a series of lectures about creativity and innovation, and – last but not least – the Educational Chess Summit. The summit welcomed professionally acclaimed lecturers from all around the globe, exploring the power of chess in schools, which examples how educational chess can improve the pupils’ different skills, logical and critical thinking, self-esteem, and gave international recognition to the Judit Polgar Method. On the 9th of October, the Hungarian National Gallery went through a great transformation: it has become a chess palace, home to the Judit Polgar’s Global Chess Festival of 2021, bringing exciting lectures and activities for everyone who wanted to discover the diversity of chess: its connection to education, arts and science. Many countries joined the global celebration of the game: among others Nepal, Uruguay, Israel and Mexico, joined with their own local festivals, amplifying the event’s cross-cultural voice. Those interested were able to follow the event from the comfort of their home as well: apart from the 3.000 visitors in the Hungarian National Gallery, more than 45.000 viewers joined online from all around the world. Throughout the day, creativity and innovation took the main role: spectacular lectures like Ashwin Subramanian’s presentation about biofeedback – investigating the player’s pulse and eye movements and how it influences their performance and decision making. The Indian software engineer also described how analysing the data harnessed through biofeedback can help during preparation. Furthermore, according to Ashwin: “Thanks to biofeedback, even outsiders can witness the stress the players feel”, as biofeedback can be visualized during broadcasts. Presenters of the Educational Chess Summit have also showcased the latest results of their work regarding the effectiveness of chess in individual skill development. According to Ernő Rubik, gamifying education is the way to effectively engage and develop children. Jerry Nash, National Chess Education Consultant also stated that gamification does indeed have positive effects, highlighting that – according to his experience – children playing chess possess a certain “can-do attitude” towards any challenge that comes their way. In his speech, he claimed that “chess does not only change classrooms, but the whole culture of entire institutions.” He stands by the positive effect chess has on children’s attitude towards learning. Patronate of the event, Mariya Gabriel, Commissioner for Innovation, Research, Culture, Education and Youth for the European Commission welcomed the visitors in a video message, where she praised the Judit Polgar Method. “I certainly hope that Erasmus+ teacher academies will engage with your Chess Palace approach.” Furthermore, the International Chess Federation, the European Chess Union and the Ministry of Human Capacities also endorses the exemplary nature of the Judit Polgar Method, by publishing a statement in order to popularize Judit Polgar’s chess-based educational programs throughout the world. In addition to thought-provoking presentations on the importance of chess in education, especially in STEM, many exciting games of chess were played the day leading up to and during the festival. Among them were the finals of the inter-office tournament of Morgan Stanley – which attracted more than 400+ entrants from across the investment bank’s global offices. During the festival, visitors were also invited to stop by the Morgan Stanley Chess Café, where they could challenge the firm’s chess masters for a game. Over the last few years, simuls have become a tradition of the festival. This year challengers could play in a simultaneous exhibition with Judit Polgar and grandmaster Zoltan Almasi. The lectures of the Global Chess Festival can be found on the following link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PIJqim4QR5A A summary video of the event can be found on the following link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=27IW64ogaSs Pictures: https://we.tl/t-W1NjvWVCBN Mission of the Judit Polgar’s Global Chess Festival Facebook Website Pictures Twitter The Global Chess Festival promotes the 1000 faces of chess all around the world. We aim to share the beauty of chess with 5 million people by 2025. Chess Connects Us! More Information: Csató Krisztina krisztina.csato@skyrocketgroup.hu About Morgan Stanley Morgan Stanley is a leading global financial services firm providing a wide range of investment banking, securities, wealth management and investment management services. With offices in more than 41 countries, the Firm’s employees serve clients worldwide including corporations, governments, institutions and individuals. For further information about Morgan Stanley, please visit www.morganstanley.com. For updates regarding our Budapest office, please visit www.morganstanley.hu.
FIDE launches the biggest chess event among prisoners
The first Intercontinental Online Chess Championship for Prisoners – the biggest ever chess event among correctional facilities – kicked off on October 13. 41 teams from 30 countries representing all continents participated in the tournament, which aimed to popularize chess as an efficient tool for reintegrating incarcerated people. The online opening ceremony featured FIDE President Arkady Dvorkovich and Cook County Sheriff Tom Dart. In his introductory speech, Tom Dart talked about the importance of the tournament for the inmates. “It is remarkable how chess transforms so many people’s lives. In our jail system, we have well over a hundred of inmates engaged in chess. This event is a culmination of it. I cannot tell you how many of our people in this facility looked forward to it for like a year. They couldn’t wait for this day to come, because this is where they can represent their country in a sport that they are very good at, they are passionate about. We have a really good team this year. And I want to say thank you to FIDE and its President Arkady Dvorkovich; without FIDE this couldn’t happen,” he said. Arkady Dvorkovich underlined that chess could work as an educational tool for many people: “It’s my pleasure and honour to sent greetings on behalf of the International Chess Federation to all the participants and organizers of the first Intercontinental Online Chess Championship for Prisoners! We wanted to do something good for people who made mistakes and who are going through a difficult period in their lives but have all chances to recover from that and live a better life in future. And chess helps! And the fact that we have so many participants today is proof of this. 30 countries, around 40 teams after just a few months on preparation, but also a 10-year experience of working together. I would like to thank Cook County Sheriff Tom Dart and the world champion Anatoly Karpov, who was very instrumental and very enthusiastic about bringing chess to prisons all around the world. We are doing this on the occasion of the International Day of Education in Prison, recognized by the United Nations. For us, one of the things that is really important is to send a signal that chess is an excellent educational tool for everyone – kids, people at risk, like refugees, and whose people who made wrong steps in their lives.” FIDE Managing Director Dana Reizniece-Ozola added that the Chess for Freedom program launched by FIDE in May 2021will not be limited to hosting chess events among prisoners: “We shall continue with tournaments and conferences, but also we are willing to prepare a new methodology that could be used by the countries that don’t have a training system yet and are willing to introduce chess in prisons. We are also planning to research how chess impacts the inmates and concentrate on preventive measures, promoting chess to children and youth at risk. Many special guests – experts, chess activists, and chess teachers in prisons – joined the event’s broadcast. Among them was WGM Padmini Roup, an ambassador of the “Parivartan – Prison to Pride” project, launched by IndianOil for training prison inmates in specific sports: “We had training camps in 17 different prisons,” – she said. – “It’s a unique and new initiative, and I am very happy to be a part of it. I hope playing chess will give participants motivation to become better people. Also, this tournament is a team event, so it can teach how to be a team player. They come from different backgrounds, and a lot of them are normal people who had unfortunate times, wrong decisions at certain moments and ended up behind bars.” Some former prisoners also told their stories about chess helping them to change their lives. Simosakhe Ngwane, an ex-convict from South Africa, was one of them. “I started playing chess in prison, and I fell in love with the game,” he confessed. “Learning chess made me develop a positive attitude. It taught me that life is built by the decisions we make every day. If I do what’s right, then I can enjoy the positive results and enjoy life. Chess is very important for those in prison and people who don’t want to go to prison because it makes you think about the future and worry more about the consequences of your decisions now. Chess brings discipline and calm; you must wait, think, prepare before you make a decision or a move. I hope the program expands into schools as well because that’s where our kids start making mistakes.” The two-day tournament started with a group stage where all the teams, made of 4 players each, were divided into 6 groups competing in round-robin chess tournaments. Two top teams from each group advanced to the Championship round that will be played tomorrow, October 14. Those teams are Philippines and Mongolia (Group 1), Argentina and USA (Group 2), England and Croatia (Group 3), Russia 1 and Germany (Group 4), Zimbabwe and North Macedonia (Group 5), Georgia 1 and Palestine (Group 6). The event will continue tomorrow, on October 14, with the Championship round, where 12 teams divided into two groups will play round-robin tournaments with the winners facing off in the championship match. Two best women’s teams will play a separate final match. The broadcast of the event starts at 10:00 CET: https://youtu.be/T0c5rOZsSh0 The Championship can also be followed on Chess.com: https://www.chess.com/events/2021-intercontinental-chess-championship-for-prisoners/results To learn more about the Chess for Freedom program, please visit chessforfreedom.fide.com.