Asia Chess Academy, ACF and FIDE hold World Refugee Day Tournament
Asia Chess Academy (Jordan) held the World Refugee Day Online Chess Tournament 2021 under the supervision of the International Chess Federation (FIDE), and the Asian Chess Federation (ACF), and in cooperation with UNHCR, UNRWA and JOHUD. For the third year in a row, Asia Chess Academy has continued its training program for refugees. In 2019 the Academy launched the chess for refugees’ program with 20 participants in cooperation with the UNHCR. Then in 2020, in collaboration with UNRWA schools in Amman, it had around 50 trainees who have demonstrated extraordinary dedication and hard work to establish themselves in official tournaments. By maximising the efforts, the program was extended to 200 trainees this year in cooperation with UNHCR, UNRWA & JOHUD. On 20/6/2021, the day which coincides with World Refugee Day (A day that is designated as an international day by the United Nations to honour refugees around the world, and celebrates the strength and courage of people who have been forced to flee their home country to escape conflict or persecution), Asia Chess Academy organised an inclusive competition open for all the participants of the training program for refugees entitled: World Refugee Day Online Chess Tournament 2021. The tournament brought together 135 players out of 200 registered; the reduced number of participants was caused by many factors, including access to smart devices and/or internet connection. For instance, two or more brothers or sisters of the same family attended the training sessions using the only smartphone they had. Unfortunately, they were forced to abandon their playing chances in the tournament and choose only one person to participate, as each player must play from his own device. In addition, many participants have had almost no live attendance during online training sessions, and their participation in the tournament was hindered because of poor Internet access. Recorded lessons partially helped them acquire the knowledge when they get access to the internet, yet nothing could be done to enable them to participate in the tournament. The organisers faced many difficulties during the preparation and implementation of the training program due to the lack of skills needed to use distance-learning techniques. However, in response to those challenges, the academy team put in considerable effort to provide the required assistance, from creating an email address for people to explaining the intricacies of the Lichess platform. The opening of the tournament was honoured by the presence of the FIDE Managing Director Dana Reizniece-Ozola, and a number of officials from UNHCR, UNRWA, and JOHUD. Asia Chess Academy Director Sami Khader began the ceremony by welcoming all distinguished guests and thanking all trainees for their commitment and hard work during the preceding period. He emphasised that Asia Chess Academy, as a part of the Jordanian society, which hosts more than 3 million refugees forming the second largest percentage of refugees to citizens in the world, believes that all refugees have the right to not only survive but also thrive! He also assured that ACA believes that sport in general and chess can enrich the lives of people forced to flee their homes, as it can boost mental health, help refugees gain confidence, forge new friendships, and feel welcome. In line with the World Refugee Day theme 2021, “Together we heal, learn and shine”, Sami announced that the Academy intends to provide more advanced training courses for those wishing to enhance their competitiveness and performance, including not only the winners of the tournament but all trainees. He expressed profound gratitude to the International Chess Federation (FIDE), the Asian Chess Federation (ACF), UNHCR, UNRWA, and JOHUD, and thanked them all for the cooperation and support they have been providing for the program to succeed. He also expressed his hope of having more participants in the coming courses and fewer refugees worldwide. On behalf of FIDE, the FIDE Managing Director Dana Reizniece-Ozola warmly greeted and welcomed all guests and trainees and addressed a message full of hope and positivity on the occasion of the world refugee day: “We see that with the great help of Asia Chess Academy, we have tried to give the tools in the form of chess to you, so that you would not only have a wonderful way of spending your spare time and competing, but also using chess for your education because I am very much convinced that chess gives very important life skills, such as the understanding between the cause and the consequences, such as building up the self-esteem such as strengthening the team spirit such as strengthening respect not only to your friends, but the opponents and I could name there were positive impacts quite for a while, I am very much convinced that because you are playing chess, you will get the knowledge so in your real life you will be the real master of your life.” “The real chess players never become a piece in somebody else’s hands, so all my best wishes to you,” she added. She commended the Academy on the substantial progress it had made on the program year after year and thanked UNHCR, UNRWA and all who worked on this program, ensuring that FIDE will try to expand it to other countries. Likewise, all the representativeы of UNHCR, UNRWA and JOHUD, expressed their deepest thanks and admiration to Asia Chess Academy for this initiative and its positive impacts on all trainees’ skills. Lastly, some former participants shared their experiences and opinions of the program and expressed their gratitude for such initiatives because of the positive impact and improvement chess had in their lives.
Carlsen takes first blood as Artemiev runs riot
World Champ Magnus Carlsen took first blood against Tour nemesis Wesley So in a vicious first day of the Goldmoney Asian Rapid quarters. The Norwegian came out on top in a thrilling four-game match between the two biggest dogs on the $1.6 million Meltwater Champions Chess Tour. Carlsen now needs just a draw in tomorrow’s second match to go through to the semis of leg seven of the Tour. But having beaten Carlsen twice in finals already this season, two-time US champ So is sure to roar back. Carlsen vs So has been the blue-ribbon match so far in the year-long series of online events, and this one got off to a suitably dramatic start. First, Carlsen made a huge mistake then – inexplicably – the machine-like So blundered too to hand the champ an opening round win. The drama continued in game 2 as Tour leader Carlsen simply imploded to hand the initiative back to the American. Momentum then swung again as a wild game in the third gave Carlsen a 2-1 lead. With So now in a must-win situation, Carlsen shut up shop and steered the fourth to a draw which leaves him 1-0 up in matches overnight. Carlsen said: “It’s huge for me. It’s the first time, except a third-place match, that I’ve managed to win the first match so it’s massive.” Meanwhile, the QF between old-hand Levon Aronian and the event’s 17-year-old surprise package Arjun Erigaisi was exploding. The youngster, the lowest rated player in the tournament, had escaped with a draw in the first game against the unbeaten Aronian, who dominated the prelims. But in game 2, Erigaisi unleashed a vicious attack to inflict Aronian’s first defeat in 16 games and take seemingly control of the tie. It then turned around in game 3, as Aronian, who has been in stunning form in this tournament, used all his creative genius to hit straight back with a win. The match eventually fizzled out to a 2-2 draw after the final game ended peacefully with three-fold repetition. It was, however, a hugely impressive showing by Erigaisi against the world number 5. Erigaisi said afterward: “I’m pretty happy, but I hope to do better tomorrow.” Asked what it’s like playing the teenager, Aronian said: “He’s brave, so it’s good to play somebody who’s not just sitting back and trying to make a draw.” He added: “I’ll try to press in the openings, and see how it goes.” The clash between Vladislav Artemiev and Anish Giri was also on fire as the Russian ran riot to end the first mini-match early. Artemiev, the 2019 European Champion, scored three straight wins to blow Dutch number 1 Giri off the board. Artemiev said after: “I’m not such a bad player in rapid and blitz, so it’s not such a big surprise that I can make a score like this.” The speedster now just needs to draw the second match tomorrow to go through to the semis. Giri, who revealed he had a Covid-19 vaccination yesterday, said: “There’s one side-effect that they haven’t mentioned, that you play horrible chess!” By comparison, the final quarter-final match between China’s Ding Liren and Jan-Krzysztof Duda, was a tight affair. The pair played three draws in a row before Duda appeared to take control of the final game – and the match. But with less than a minute left on his clock, the Pole let the win slip and took a draw by repetition. It leaves the tie level and hanging on a one-day shootout tomorrow. The Goldmoney Asian Rapid is broadcast live on Norwegian TV station TV 2 and streamed with commentary in several languages on chess24’s YouTube and Twitch channels. Highlights will also be available in 60 countries on the Eurosport app. Play resumes tomorrow at 13:00 CEST. All games will be played on the chess24.com playzone. For further information, please contact: Leon Watson, PR for Play Magnus Groupleon@chessable.com+44 7786 078 770
Queens’ Festival goes big
Over 460 female players from 82 countries participated in the individual and team tournaments within the Queens’ festival global chess tournaments run from June 11 to June 27. The ambitious global project aiming at connecting women chess players from around the world of all ages and all rating groups was organized by FIDE Commission for Women’s Chess in cooperation with FIDE Events Commission and with the support of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), as well as Asian Chess Federation, African Chess Confederation, European Chess Union, and Confederation of Chess for Americas. After four continental qualifiers, the strongest players in their rating categories advanced to the Queens’ Online Individual and Team Finals. In the highest-rated category (> 2100), the individual tournament saw the triumph of IM/WGM Martha Fierro from Ecuador with IM/WGM Olga Zimina (Italy) finishing second and WGM Gong Qianyun (Singapore) coming in third. Argentina scored 29.5 points and emerged as the winner of the Team Blitz Tournament. Georgia with 29 points and Indonesia with 28 points finished second and third respectively. The event format allowed winning prizes in different rating categories and gave a chance to all to represent their countries in the finals. In addition, winners got multiple training sessions with leading chess coaches: Arthur Jussupow, Aleksey Dreev, Rustam Kasimdzhanov and Ilaha Kadimova. “One of the important goals of the FIDE WOM Commission is to build a network and a database for women in chess so we can share and spread important information more easily and efficiently. The Queens’ Festival is a clear step forward to achieve this goal. We believe that education can bring lasting results to boost female participation in all aspects of chess life. Therefore we offer our winners multiple training sessions with leading chess trainers. Our commission is also constantly supporting women by arranging numerous educational seminars for them in recent years, free of charge,” said the Chair of FIDE WOM Commission Eva Repkova. Queens’ Festival side events also enjoyed considerable interest. Presentations by speakers of the project were watched by thousands of viewers on the FIDE YouTube Channel. Many important topics were covered, including gender equality, which is of utmost importance to the chess community and society in general. “We are so happy with the outcome of the seminars! Ten speakers, participants from 54 countries, many hours of very interesting discussions. It was an important part of our project,” said the FIDE Vice President Lukasz Turlej. All the seminars as well as broadcasts of individual and team blitz finals can be watched here. The Queens’ Festival was warmly acclaimed by many female chess players who participated in the tournaments or watched the online seminars. “Thank you so much for organizing this event. You have no idea how much this means to me. At my age, most of my female friends already gave up chess, and even I did… (until I got married to a chess player), but God has a way of bringing back the dreams we thought we lost forever.” – wrote Melody Lady G. Takayasu from Japan. The first edition of “The Queens’ Festival” was a success and the organizers hope that the project will grow in the coming years. The International Chess Federation (FIDE) is proud to contribute to this initiative and will continue to do so in the future. Especially as the year 2022 was declared to be “The Year of Woman in Chess” by FIDE.
Levon Aronian wins prelim stage
A nail-biting end to the Goldmoney Asian Rapid’s prelim stage saw old-hand Levon Aronian dominate as an almighty scramble for places unfolded below him. The 38-year-old rolled back the years as he dominated his younger opponents to finish on 10.5/15. It meant Aronian won a prelim stage on the $1.6 million Meltwater Champions Chess Tour for the first time. Below Aronian, however, it was musical chairs in the final moments as the top eight qualifying places were decided. First, 17-year-old Arjun Erigaisi – by far the lowest-rated player in the field – sprung an incredible surprise by making the knockouts for the first time of asking. Erigaisi drew a round 15 match with birthday boy Anish Giri that meant both sailed through. Then, in a blockbuster game with Indian wunderkind Gukesh D, the Pole Jan-Krzysztof Duda put in a late surge to secure his seat with a dramatic win. That result had enormous implications for the leaderboard and meant heartbreak for both Gukesh and 18-year-old Alireza Firouzja, who was looking on. Both crashed out by the narrowest of margins. Gukesh, the youngest in the field, had fought tooth and nail to win a place in the last eight, but it was not to be. Asked how the tournament has gone for him, Erigaisi said: “It has panned out quite well!” Giri, who turned 27, said after: “I managed to qualify and I helped a friend in need, so it’s all good!” While Erigaisi and Giri sneaked in, Aronian posted his best performance in the prelims of a Meltwater Champions Chess Tour event. Playing from Paris, Aronian said afterwards: “I was basically trying to stay safe and take my chances, and it worked. “I feel good and I feel I can even score more. But I was very relaxed.” In another surprise, the Russian Vladislav Artemiev continued his stunning form to finish clear second with 10/15 and set up a quarter-final clash with Giri. China’s Ding Liren also marked his return to form with a place in the quarters and will face Duda. One of the games of the day saw Gukesh pose serious questions for Carlsen in their Round 13 clash. The 15-year-old looked to have a decisive advantage but allowed the champ back into the game. Gukesh, seen as a potential future challenger for Carlsen’s crown, was left fighting to save a draw. He managed it but looked bitterly disappointed and aware he now faced an uphill task to go through. Gukesh did, however, show he belongs at this level. Carlsen, meanwhile, ended the day with a win that took him to fourth – but he was far from happy with his performance and the fact his position sets up a quarter-final against Wesley So. Asked why he seemed unhappy, Carlsen said: “Well, have you seen the pairings?” Carlsen added: “It’s not ideal, but that’s the way it is… In general, I’m extremely unhappy with the way I played today.” The Goldmoney Asian Rapid is broadcast live on Norwegian TV station TV 2 and streamed with commentary in several languages on chess24’s YouTube and Twitch channels. Highlights will also be available in 60 countries on the Eurosport app. Play resumes tomorrow at 13:00 CEST. All games will be played on the chess24.com playzone. For further information, please contact: Leon Watson, PR for Play Magnus Groupleon@chessable.com+44 7786 078 770
Lei Tingjie reaches semifinals
Lei Tingjie (China) became the last semifinalist of the FIDE Chess.com Speed Chess Championship after defeating Antoaneta Stefanova (Bulgaria) 11:9 in a very close and tense match. It was all Stefanova in the 5+1 segment, taking the lead 5-2. Lei Tingjie fought back in the second 3+1 section and narrowed the gap. It all came down to the last 1+1 portion, in which the Chinese GM was a tad quicker and more collected to squeak out the victory in the match. “I think I just got very tired very quickly, so I became a bit slow and I made too many mistakes,” explained Antoaneta, who was up three points after the first blitz portion. “I was quite confident at the beginning but later started to blunder too many things.” “I was quite disappointed after 5+1 and then I just tried to tell myself that 3+1 is the new beginning. I got an advantage in that portion, and then I think I really had an advantage in bullet because I play very fast,” commented the winner. Lei Tingjie will face Hou Yifan in the semifinals that are scheduled for the end of this week. The FIDE Chess.com 2021 Women’s Speed Chess Championship is an online competition for titled female players. The qualifiers for the event took place from May 28-June 6, while the main event runs from June 10 to July 3. Players are battling for their share of a total prize fund of $66,000. Fans can follow the FIDE Chess.com Women’s Speed Chess Championship by watching the live broadcast with expert commentary on Chess.com/TV and Chess.com’s Twitch channel. They will also be able to enjoy the event through Chess.com’s Events page (https://www.chess.com/events). More info and a full schedule of the FIDE Chess.com Women’s Speed Chess Championship can be found here.
QCA and Northwestern University in Qatar hold joint course “Chess and Strategic Thinking”
“Truly innovative and groundbreaking initiative” was the way Arkady Dvorkovich, the current President of the International Chess Federation (FIDE), Chairman of the Organizing Committee of 2018 Football World Cup in Russia and former deputy Prime Minister of Russia, described a new course “Chess and Strategic Thinking” offered jointly by the Qatar Chess Association and Northwestern University in Qatar, a university partner of Qatar Foundation. Dvorkovich pointed out that FIDE is looking closely to this experience in Qatar to replicate it across other universities worldwide. The first course that combines strategic and critical thinking with chess was delivered as part of a full credited program in Liberal Arts. In his speech, which was attended in a hybrid format by all 20 students participating in the course, FIDE President promised to visit Doha in the nearest future to give further support to the development of chess in Qatar. The course “Chess and Strategic Thinking” was developed by Grandmaster and Head Coach of the Qatar National Team, Victor Bologan and Jairo Lugo-Ocando, who is a professor in residence at Northwestern University in Qatar as part of the Liberal Arts program. The course was open to all students in Education City. In addition, there were guest lecturers such as President of the Qatar Chess Association Mohamed Al-Mudahka considered the best Arabic chess player of the 20th Century and Miss Zhu Chen, former Women World Champion. Besides the credits counting towards their degree, the participating students also received a certificate from the Qatar Chess Association. “It is the first time in Qatar that a chess course is offered as part of an accredited program in a university. It is also a novelty in the Middle East region despite its long history of engagement with that game. It allows students to develop strategic and critical thinking by exploring key notions and concepts around strategy while playing chess”, said Victor Bologan. “The fact that it combines strategic and critical thinking with our game is truly wonderful. It is a great idea that will help students to apply a particular perspective to life”, he added. “Study after study shows that young people playing chess see significant improvements in their learning ability and enhance their employability. Many companies and organizations often like candidates that can think critically and strategically”, said Lugo-Ocando. “Of course, this is not only about playing chess but rather a way of exploring strategic and critical thinking, studying different aspects of Game and Complexity Theories, while learning about Conflict Resolution and Confrontational Strategy in real life. All this why students also learn by playing”, added Professor Lugo-Ocando. The course was held intensively for five weeks (May-June 2021) in a row with 3-hours daily lessons, lots of homework, chess tournaments, individual training and consultations. The final grade will be composed of attendance (which was excellent!), a chess tournament and a test, and the final essay, which should describe a political, economic, social or historical situation using chess terms and strategic thinking taught during the course.
Ding and Aronian take the lead after Day 2
Armenian star Levon Aronian and China’s Ding Liren share the lead in the Goldmoney Asian Rapid before the cut is made tomorrow. Aronian started like a train on the second day and led right until the end having gone five unbeaten on day one. That run stretched to 10 as Aronian scored back-to-back wins in his first two games to move top of the $100,000 event’s leaderboard early on. But draws in the next three games allowed Ding, who won a key final game against Peter Svidler, to catch him up. First, Aronian toppled World Champion Magnus Carlsen, who lost his first game for the second day in a row. The 38-year-old then crushed the India teen star Arjun Erigaisi before securing a draw against the in-form Dutchman Anish Giri. Meanwhile, Carlsen again struggled to get into gear in the early stages of a Meltwater Champions Chess Tour event and ended the day fifth on 6/10. Having lost to Aronian in the opener, Carlsen found himself in big trouble again in a blockbuster round 7 against Giri. Giri’s had two knights rampaging into Carlsen’s position and the game looked lost. But the champ woke up from his “knightmare” and managed to escape with a draw after finding a last-gasp resource to force a three-fold repetition. Giri, who revealed he has just become a father for the second time, must have been kicking himself. He had started the day with a level score against the Tour leader – that stays the same, for now. Vladislav Artemiev also put in a phenomenal performance to go joint-third with Wesley So on 6.5/10, half a point ahead of Carlsen. And 17-year-old Arjun Erigaisi also impressed, ending the day out of the drop zone. But the real battle is tomorrow when the 16 scramble for places in the top eight, while the bottom eight bow out. Salem Saleh, Daniil Dubov, Peter Svidler, Jan-Krzyzsztof Duda and Erigaisi are all on the edge, with the youngster Alireza Firouzja half a point behind. With five rounds to go before the knockouts start, any one of them could lift themselves into contention or drop out of sight. The Goldmoney Asian Rapid is broadcast live on Norwegian TV station TV 2 and streamed with commentary in several languages on chess24’s YouTube and Twitch channels. Highlights will also be available in 60 countries on the Eurosport app. Play resumes tomorrow at 13:00 CEST. All games will be played on the chess24.com playzone. For further information, please contact: Leon Watson, PR for Play Magnus Groupleon@chessable.com+44 7786 078 770
Five-way split for the lead after Day 1
The $100,000 Goldmoney Asian Rapid got off to a fast start today – but not for World Champion Magnus Carlsen. The Norwegian suffered a disappointing first-game loss after the exciting teen star Alireza Firouzja threw caution to the wind in the opener and won. Carlsen always recovers, however, and scored his first win in the very next round with a trademark endgame powerplay against Hou Yifan, the world’s top female player. After another draw and a win, the champ scored a win against Salem Saleh, the first UAE player to compete on the Tour. Carlsen ended the day on 3.5/5 and in a five-way tie for the lead. Carlsen is going for a hat-trick of wins in the Meltwater Champions Chess Tour as the online chess season’s seventh leg begins. He said after that he’s aiming for a “better way” into the knockout stage than he managed in the last event, the FTX Crypto Cup, when he nearly crashed out early. Carlsen added: “This was a very decent start. I’m never really hard on myself in these first days because I’m never really in top gear.” Joining Carlsen on 3.5/5 is China’s Ding Liren, who made the early running, Levon Aronian, and the two Russians Vladislav Artemiev and Daniil Dubov. Ding, nicknamed the “Chinese Wall”, is benefitting from this tournament’s earlier start time after having previously had to play into the early hours of the morning because of his timezone. Of the four Indians taking part, the youngster Arjun Erigaisi and Vidit Gujrathi lead on 2.5/5 with Gukesh D and B Adhiban both struggling – despite displaying some fiery chess – on 1/5. Today’s performance puts the leaders in a solid position to make the cut on day three when the field is halved and eight of the 16 players drop off. The Goldmoney Asian Rapid is broadcast live on Norwegian TV station TV 2 and streamed with commentary in several languages on chess24’s YouTube and Twitch channels. Highlights will also be available in 60 countries on the Eurosport app. Play begins tomorrow at 13:00 CEST. All games will be played on the chess24.com playzone. The full line-up: Magnus Carlsen – #1 Tour Standings Wesley So – #2 Tour Standings Anish Giri – #4 Tour Standings Levon Aronian – #7 Tour Standings Alireza Firouzja – Wildcard / #12 Tour Standings Vidit Gujrathi – Wildcard Ding Liren – Wildcard Jan-Krzysztof Duda – Wildcard Vladislav Artemiev – New Invite / Wildcard Saleh Salem – New Invite / Wildcard Hou Yifan – New Invite / Wildcard Arjun Erigaisi – Indian Qualifier Adhiban Baskaran – Indian Qualifier Gukesh D – Gelfand Challenge Daniil Dubov – Premium Vote Peter Svidler – Premium Vote For further information, please contact: Leon Watson, PR for Play Magnus Groupleon@chessable.com+44 7786 078 770
Hou Yifan and Harika Dronavalli progress into semis
Two quarterfinals of the FIDE Chess.com Women’s Speed Chess Championship were played on Friday, June 25. In the first one, Hou Yifan beat Bibisara Assaubayeva 13½:9½ and became the second semifinalist of the FIDE Chess.com Women’s Speed Chess Championship. The youngster from Kazakhstan put up a good fight, but in the end, it was not enough against the women’s top-rated player who convincingly won two out of three segments of the match. Bibisara only managed to prevail in the 3+1 section by a minimal margin. In the semis, Hou Yifan takes on the winner of Lei Tingjie vs. Antoaneta Stefanova duel, scheduled for Monday. In the second quarterfinal match of the day, Harika Dronavalli overpowered Anna Muzychuk 13½:8½ and clinched the third spot in the semifinals of the FIDE Chess.com Women’s Speed Chess Championship. It was a tightly contested battle, but Harika had an edge in all three segments of the match. “Somewhere in between 5+1, I lost two games out of my blunders and felt that something was going wrong and I had to fight back. I think that was the crucial moment of the match,” said the winner after the games. Later she added: “All I tried was to have an interesting match for people to enjoy, that was my whole point, and I think we succeeded.” Anna Muzychuk gave full credit to her opponent: “Today Harika played better so she deserved to win the match and I congratulate her on this achievement.” Harika’s next opponent is Kateryna Lagno. The semifinal matches are scheduled for July 1-2. The FIDE Chess.com 2021 Women’s Speed Chess Championship is an online competition for titled female players. The qualifiers for the event took place from May 28-June 6, while the main event runs from June 10 to July 3. Players are battling for their share of a total prize fund of $66,000. Fans can follow the FIDE Chess.com Women’s Speed Chess Championship by watching the live broadcast with expert commentary on Chess.com/TV and Chess.com’s Twitch channel. They will also be able to enjoy the event through Chess.com’s Events page (https://www.chess.com/events). More info and a full schedule of the FIDE Chess.com Women’s Speed Chess Championship can be found here.
Lagno beats Dzagnidze to advance into semis
GM Kateryna Lagno (Russia) becomes the first semifinalist of the FIDE Chess.com Women’s Speed Chess Championship 2021 after defeating Nana Dzagnidze (Georgia) in today’s quarterfinal match 14:8. Katerina got off to a flying start and although Nana closed in a couple of times, Lagno proved herself to be a better player, particularly under mutual time pressure. “It was a tough match. Nana was winning in several games that she could not convert, so I started to win game after game and it gave me some confidence,” commented the winner. “I am not very experienced [in bullet]. Overall, online chess is not really my cup of tea, but I am trying to improve – recently I have started playing online regularly,” said Nana Dzagnidze. Lagno’s semifinal opponent will be the winner of Harika Dronavalli vs. Anna Muzychuk quarterfinal match, to be played on Friday, June 25 at 16:00 CEST. The FIDE Chess.com 2021 Women’s Speed Chess Championship is an online competition for titled female players. The qualifiers for the event took place from May 28-June 6, while the main event runs from June 10 to July 3. Players are battling for their share of a total prize fund of $66,000. Fans can follow the FIDE Chess.com Women’s Speed Chess Championship by watching the live broadcast with expert commentary on Chess.com/TV and Chess.com’s Twitch channel. They will also be able to enjoy the event through Chess.com’s Events page (https://www.chess.com/events). More info and a full schedule of the FIDE Chess.com Women’s Speed Chess Championship can be found here.