Magnus Carlsen Tour Finals: Nakamura bombs out Dubov
Hikaru Nakamura outclassed Daniil Dubov with aplomb today to seal a place in the $140,000 Magnus Carlsen Chess Tour grand final. The world’s number 1 rated blitz chess player was in an incredible form yet again as he calmly dispatched his Russian opponent 2.5-1.5. Nakamura said afterward: “It was a pretty interesting match today and I was just a little fortunate to come out on top.” The American is likely to face his closest online chess rival Magnus Carlsen after the World Champion moved into pole position in his signature tournament semi-final. Carlsen, having lost the first set before leveling the match yesterday, beat China’s top player Ding Liren to go 2-1 ahead in their best-of-five semi. Having lost in game 2, Ding tried to launch an attack in the third but appeared to blunder and Carlsen capitalized to finish it off 2.5-0.5. Carlsen is now 2-1 up in sets against Ding in their best-of-five tie in the Magnus Carlsen Chess Tour Finals benefiting Kiva. Carlsen said: “We both decided to go for Open Sicilians today and that set the tone, right? It’s inevitably going to be pretty fighting, but both games could have gone either way and I am happy to prevail.” The event carries a total $300,000 prize pot and is the climax of Carlsen’s $1 million signature tour, the richest and most prestigious online chess event ever. Day 4 of the Tour Finals starts at 16:00 CEST tomorrow with Carlsen-Ding playing their fourth set. A win for Carlsen and it is all over. Supporting Kiva Broadcaster chess24 has pledged 50 percent of new Premium memberships bought during its Tour Final to Kiva’s Global COVID-19 Response fund that aims to raise at least $50 million for entrepreneurs and small businesses impacted by COVID‑19. During the event, chess24 and Kiva will highlight stories where chess has changed people’s lives under the official tournament social media hashtag #ImpactChess. Viewers are encouraged to engage with the Tour Final and support small businesses impacted by COVID-19 by signing up for a premium subscription here. More details on the Finals The Magnus Carlsen Chess Tour was devised by Norway’s World Champion and chess24 after traditional over the board chess was halted suddenly due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Tour Final kicks off on August 9 and runs until August 20. It is the culmination of four elite-level super-tournaments that began in March as a way of getting chess started again while other sports worldwide were prohibited. The first four stages of the first Magnus Carlsen Chess Tour were: The Magnus Carlsen Invitational The Lindores Abbey Rapid Challenge The Chessable Masters The chess24 Legends of Chess Four players have qualified for the final crescendo of chess after being the best performers during the preceding tour events. The winner of the Tour Final, which has a total prize pot of $300,000, will scoop a top prize of $140,000 and the title of Champion of the Magnus Carlsen Chess Tour. Tournament rules and schedule The Tour Final will be a 12-day event running from August 9 to August 20. Time control is a rapid 15m + 10s from move 1 played in the chess24 Playzone. The semi-finals of the Tour Final tournament will be a best of 5 four-game mini-matches. The final will be a best of 7 mini-matches. As usual, play will start at 16:00 CEST. Highlights English:https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1_QSmtZoiwL24EGuZSEmi1UR5j4hInR0u?usp=sharingNew files at around 23.00 CEST Rough edit highlights:https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/12mwKPkAfzeyfzd1Gay-FU5dJ8uU6OXMY?usp=sharingNew files ready around 02.00 CEST FOR MORE INFORMATION:Leon Watsonleon@chessable.com+447786 078770
Magnus Carlsen Tour Finals: Carlsen draws level with Ding
Magnus Carlsen got himself back on level terms in his signature Tour Finals semi today after a shock opening loss yesterday. The World Champion was in complete control as he raced into a 2-0 lead against Ding Liren and then got the draw he needed for a 2.5-0.5 win. It comes after a drama-filled match yesterday saw Carlsen suffer a technical glitch and go on to lose to Ding in a tense tiebreaker. Speaking about today’s quick result, Carlsen said: “I guess it’s good for our mental health!” Carlsen and Ding are now 1-1 in their best-of-five tie in the Magnus Carlsen Chess Tour Finals benefiting Kiva. The event carries a $140,000 top prize and is the climax of Carlsen’s $1 million signature tour, the richest and most prestigious online chess event ever. Asked if he had extra motivation today, Carlsen said afterward: “Obviously today was crucial in the sense that I couldn’t really afford to lose.” Carlsen, the winner of three of the four qualifying tournaments for this event, added: “In general, I played a good match today and I felt I was in control.” On yesterday’s loss, Carlsen said: “I lost one game by not registering that my opponent had moved.” In the other semi, Daniil Dubov and Hikaru Nakamura were neck-and-neck after two games until the popular American pulled away 2-1 in Game 3. With Nakamura needing just a draw in Game 4, it was a must-win for Dubov and the young Russian was forced to push. But Dubov’s risky play didn’t pay off and Nakamura rode out the attack to take the game and win the match by a convincing 3-1 margin. Nakamura now has 2 sets to 0 lead in the tie with just one more needed to book a place in the grand final. Day 3 of the Tour Finals starts at 16:00 CEST tomorrow with Carlsen-Ding and Nakamura-Dubov playing their third sets. Supporting Kiva Broadcaster chess24 has pledged 50 percent of new Premium memberships bought during its Tour Final to Kiva’s Global COVID-19 Response fund that aims to raise at least $50 million for entrepreneurs and small businesses impacted by COVID‑19. During the event, chess24 and Kiva will highlight stories where chess has changed people’s lives under the official tournament social media hashtag #ImpactChess. Viewers are encouraged to engage with the Tour Final and support small businesses impacted by COVID-19 by signing up for a premium subscription here. More details on the Finals The Magnus Carlsen Chess Tour was devised by Norway’s World Champion and chess24 after traditional over the board chess was halted suddenly due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Tour Final kicks off on August 9 and runs until August 20. It is the culmination of four elite-level super-tournaments that began in March as a way of getting chess started again while other sports worldwide were prohibited. The first four stages of the first Magnus Carlsen Chess Tour were: The Magnus Carlsen Invitational The Lindores Abbey Rapid Challenge The Chessable Masters The chess24 Legends of Chess Four players have qualified for the final crescendo of chess after being the best performers during the preceding tour events. The winner of the Tour Final, which has a total prize pot of $300,000, will scoop a top prize of $140,000 and the title of Champion of the Magnus Carlsen Chess Tour. Tournament rules and schedule The Tour Final will be a 12-day event running from August 9 to August 20. Time control is a rapid 15m + 10s from move 1 played in the chess24 Playzone. The semi-finals of the Tour Final tournament will be a best of 5 four-game mini-matches. The final will be a best of 7 mini-matches. As usual, play will start at 16:00 CEST. Highlights English:https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1_QSmtZoiwL24EGuZSEmi1UR5j4hInR0u?usp=sharingNew files at around 23.00 CEST Rough edit highlights:https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/12mwKPkAfzeyfzd1Gay-FU5dJ8uU6OXMY?usp=sharingNew files ready around 02.00 CEST FOR MORE INFORMATION:Leon Watsonleon@chessable.com+447786 078770
Division 3: Day 3 Round-up
Intrigue remained till the last round in virtually all the pools of Division 3, but as it often happens, we saw the most unpredictable and breathtaking ending in the groups where things had been quiet over the first two days. Pool A The script in this pool seemed quite trivial – Singapore and Albania would advance, whereas the third spot would be on the stake in the match between Malaysia and Monaco that recovered after a disastrous start. However, Ireland had its own agenda – not only football players from this country are known for their obstinacy and determination. Ireland was on a fire on Sunday. First, the players from Emerald Island unexpectedly beat Albania 4:2 (both Albanian IMs were defeated), then routed two underdogs and punched the second ticket to Division 2 after the leader, team Singapore. On the contrary, Albania nearly missed its spot in Division 2 that seemed guaranteed. After losing to Ireland the team drew with Syria, but the competitors did not seize this opportunity – in Round 8 both Malaysia and Monaco suffered unexpected defeats. By winning the last-round match Albania secured the third place whereas Malaysia’s wiping out Monaco 5:1 did not help the Asian team. The biggest surprise in this pool is Monaco’s setback. The Monegasques lacked strong young players whereas leaders turned in a patchy performance. Pool B The surprises began from the very start of the final day in this pool. In Round 7 Sri Lanka prevailed over IPCA and took the lead. Unfortunately, the team stumbled in the match against Portugal. Isuru Alahakoon (White) playing for the island nation on second board lost the position below: Isuru Alahakoon – Jose Guilherme Santos As a result, Sri Lanka lost this decisive match by a minimal margin, then feeling upset got beaten by Botswana and finished just fifth. As for Portugal, with this Round 8 victory, the team pretty much secured the first place in the final standings. Scotland scored three confident wins and came second. The third spot was at stake in the match Tajikistan – IPCA. The Tajik players badly needed a victory and they quickly pulled ahead 2:0, but failed to hold the lead – after IPCA won three games even a full point on the first board could not change anything for Tajikistan. Team IPCA will continue its quest in Division 2. Pool С The situation took a dramatic turn in this group with the third team advancing to Division 2 only thanks to better tiebreaks after the first two spots were booked by the rating-favorites Belgium and Jordan. Many thought that the third team to qualify had been determined in Round 8, when Thailand clobbered Kosovo 5.5:0.5. Prin Laohawirapap, a revelation of the event, carried out another brutal, although semi-correct attack. However, the team lacks experience and overall consistency. Indeed, in the last round match in which Thailand was OK with a draw, the Thai players started crumbling. It became clear soon enough, that Thailand would lose to Wales which meant that а victory over Lebanon would promote Zambia in Division 2. The Zambians quickly earned three points, but did not manage to pull it off – Chitumbo Mwali, who had won all the games before that, blundered in a slightly inferior but drawing endgame, whereas on the first board we saw a real tragedy: Richmond Phiri – Fadi Eid Black has compensation that is sufficient for a draw but hardly more. However, IM Fadi Eid pushed for a win and played 39…Nb2? Had the leader of team Zambia Richmond Phiri found a spectacular 40.с5! we would have seen this interesting African team in the next stage. Unfortunately, he opted for 40.Bf3?? and after 40…Nxc4 White found himself in a hopeless position. Zambia forfeited three points in the first two rounds and deserved better than fourth place, but it is really hard not to rejoice in Thailand’s success (the only team that managed to make all the way from Division 4 to Division 2). The upcoming encounters against grandmasters in Division 2 will be an invaluable experience for the Thai players. Pool D The only intrigue remaining in this pool was Denmark’s fighting for the third qualifying spot. It looked like the Danes would advance smoothly thanks to weaker opponents in last rounds, but in reality, it came down to the wire in the end. Denmark completed its mission by scoring three confident victories, but Venezuela’s win over an ex-leader Bolivia in Round 8, could have cast the Scandinavian team overboard. In order to take third place, Venezuela had to beat Uruguay in the last round match. In all fairness, Venezuela had no winning chances – the match ended 3:3 with one of the Uruguayan players losing on the clock in a winning position. As a result, Denmark caught up with Venezuela on match points but overtook it on board points. Chile and Bolivia took first and second places respectively. Pool E The situation in this pool seemed to be the most complicated but surprisingly enough the dust settled quickly. Mexico demolished the opponents in three matches and mounted to its “legit” first position. Costa-Rica also progressed into Division 2 although the team had to grind out points in all the final day matches. Guatemala also scored three match victories and took third place, but did it by the skin of its teeth. In the match with Nicaragua, the Guatemalans had hopeless positions on almost all the boards, but fortune favored them on Sunday. As a result, three highest-rated teams occupied three first places in this seemingly most unpredictable pool. In conclusion, let’s have a look at the full list of the teams to advance in Division 2, which gets underway on August 14: BelgiumChileSingaporeMexicoPortugalIPCACosta RicaBoliviaIrelandJordanScotlandAlbaniaDenmarkGuatemalaThailand
UPDATE: Chess ID game viewer, Call for offers
UPDATE: Lausanne, September 7, 2020 The Chess ID Game Viewer Call for Offers Procedure has been completed. We are thankful to those who showed their interest. However, FIDE didn’t receive any proposal which would satisfy in full its requirements, and, as per Art 12.3 and 12.5 of the Chess ID Game Viewer Call for Offers Procedure, FIDE has decided not to declare a winner. We are committed to protecting and promoting fair market competition, as well as encouraging new entrants and innovative solutions. FIDE explicitly seeks to prevent any company from establishing a monopoly in the marketplace. We will continue the dialogue with various parties in order to identify a suitable solution for introducing the Chess ID Game Viewer. #### #### #### August 10, 2020 FIDE is pleased to announce the opening of a Call for Offers procedure to evaluate market conditions and to consider granting the right to develop a software application (Game Viewer) to broadcast online FIDE and not FIDE-organized chess events. The Game Viewer shall be a browser-run application enabling FIDE to display live and recorded chess games in PGN format, to be displayed in user-friendly and custom format to world chess audience taking into consideration existing solutions and aiming at top visual and technical performance. The Game Viewer will be the first module of the Chess ID platform, a digital ecosystem to be built on several modules with the objective to provide effective services and tools for the worldwide chess family (National Federations, players, tournament organizers, chess servers, commercial and business partners, chess fans, media, etc.). All technical requirements and detailed information regarding the Call for Offers procedure are available in the attached documents. All Offers shall be submitted to FIDE via e-mail at office@fide.com before 12:00 UTC on August 24, 2020. Documentation (pdf): 1 – Procedure 2 – Procedure Request for Proposals (Annex 1) 3 – Technical Data Sheet (Annex 2)
FIDE increases support to chess veterans
UPDATE: FIDE increases support to chess veterans to an unprecedented €56.000 On July 30, FIDE announced the continuation of our support program to chess veterans: a relief fund of €15,000 was added to the €35,000 that had already been distributed in April 2020. Today was the deadline for submissions and we have been overwhelmed by the number of requests we have received, totaling more than 30. It is obvious that this help is needed now more than ever. In view of that, the FIDE management considered options and found a possibility to increase this second round of financial aid from €15,000 to €21,000. It is our hope that even this modest increase will make a difference, allowing us to extend our support to three more distinguished seniors. With this further increase, the amount allocated for this purpose goes up to an unprecedented €56.000. The dedicated panel assigned by FIDE Council will now consider the applications we have received, and the list of awardees will be announced shortly. The International Chess Federation is pleased to announce the continuation of its support to chess veterans. As it was previously published, an amount of €35,000 has already been distributed in April 2020 among 17 illustrious chess veterans. Now, a dedicated panel assigned by FIDE Council to this task will consider applications to distribute an additional relief fund of €15,000, increasing the total to a record €50,000. We understand these are challenging times, especially for our seniors, and we will do our utmost to try and provide support to those who are in need. Eligible to receive these stipends are any distinguished players, trainers, authors, and promoters of chess aged 65+, who have contributed to the development of chess and who are in an unstable financial situation. We invite federations, clubs, and players themselves to send their applications, including a CV of the nominee, to the FIDE Secretariat: office@fide.com. The deadline for submissions is August 10, 2020.
ASTANA wins Four Cities Friendship Chess Championship 2020 – Junior Division
Four Cities Friendship Chess Championship 2020 – Junior Division an online competition that brought together youngsters from Nur-Sultan (Kazakhstan), Hong Kong, Singapore and Penang (Malaysia) ended in a convincing victory by team ASTANA from Nur-Sultan. This team event, organized by the chess federations of Kazakhstan, Hong Kong, Singapore, and Malaysia, was held from July 25th till August 08th, 2020 on a popular platform chess.com. The tournament attracted 72 young players from four cities, competing in U8, U10, and U12 categories. The tournament became possible thanks to the initiative and assistance of the General Consulate of the Republic of Kazakhstan in Hong Kong. Three rounds of online chess were played in a good and friendly atmosphere under the FIDE motto «Gens una sumus!» with team ASTANA winning all three matches by a huge margin. Final standings (number of points scored by each team): 1. Astana – 44 2. Singapore – 28 3. Hong Kong – 19 4. Penang – 16 Team “ASTANA” consisted of the champions and prize-winners of the Kazakhstan junior championships in their age categories: Ayat Abdullayev, Akhilbay Imangali, Daniyal Sapenov, Aldiyar Ansat, Alikhan Khazhatuly, Sauat Nurgaliyev, Nazar Talgatov, Edgar Mamedov, Alidar Aryn, Danis Kuandykuly, Nursultan Namazkeyev, Alisher Abdsattar, Kaliza Aizharyk, Zarina Nurgaliyeva, Malika Japarbekova, Elnaz Kaliakhmet, Daliye Diaskyzy, Khanzada Amanzhol.
Magnus Carlsen Tour Finals: Ding exacts revenge
A breathless first round full of intense drama opened the richest online chess tournament ever today. The Magnus Carlsen Chess Tour Finals benefiting Kiva is the World Champion’s signature event which features the four best-performing stars from four qualifying super-tournaments. And Magnus Carlsen, Daniil Dubov, Hikaru Nakamura and Ding Liren were all in explosive form straight away as the battle for the $140,000 top prize lit up on day 1. While both semi-final stage matches were close, yet again it was Carlsen who stole the limelight – this time for the wrong reasons – as the Norwegian’s 19-match winning streak came to an end. Carlsen, the winner of three of the four qualifying tournaments, had to overcome a shock opening game loss and a freak technical glitch to take China’s number 1 Ding Liren to a tense blitz play-off. The problem happened during game 3 when Carlsen didn’t receive a move from the chess24 server and timed out through no fault of his own. After the confusion was cleared up, the game resumed and Ding missed a winning chance to leave the match on a knife-edge. Game 4 was a swift draw that took the match to a two-game blitz play-off which, again, couldn’t separate the two and finished 1-1. The match then hung on an “Armageddon” tiebreaker which Ding played flawlessly. Carlsen shook his head in disbelief as the game ended in a draw and a match-loss for the champion. Ding was overjoyed afterward, saying Carlsen was the “big favourite” in the Armageddon. Dubov, the only other tour event winner, meanwhile got off to a scintillating start when he crushed Nakamura in 17 moves. But ultimately the young Russian missed a chance to beat the blitz king. Dubov continued his blistering start in the second but made enough of a mistake to let Nakamura back in and the American took full advantage to force a resignation. Nakamura, who commands an army of fans online, then gave Dubov no chance in the third to go 2-1 up, needing just a draw to win. Yet the see-saw match had yet another twist as Dubov hit back hard to level the set score at 2-2 and take the match into a two-game blitz play-off. The first was drawn but Nakamura overpowered Dubov in the second to take the tie. Nakamura said: “I got the win and so I’m pretty happy today.” Day 2 of the Tour Finals starts at 16:00 CEST tomorrow with Carlsen-Ding and Nakamura-Dubov playing their second set. Supporting Kiva Broadcaster chess24 has pledged 50 percent of new Premium memberships bought during its Tour Final to Kiva’s Global COVID-19 Response fund that aims to raise at least $50 million for entrepreneurs and small businesses impacted by COVID‑19. During the event, chess24 and Kiva will highlight stories where chess has changed people’s lives under the official tournament social media hashtag #ImpactChess. Viewers are encouraged to engage with the Tour Final and support small businesses impacted by COVID-19 by signing up for a premium subscription here. More details on the Finals The Magnus Carlsen Chess Tour was devised by Norway’s World Champion and chess24 after traditional over the board chess was halted suddenly due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Tour Final kicks off on August 9 and runs until August 20. It is the culmination of four elite-level super-tournaments that began in March as a way of getting chess started again while other sports worldwide were prohibited. The first four stages of the first Magnus Carlsen Chess Tour were: The Magnus Carlsen Invitational The Lindores Abbey Rapid Challenge The Chessable Masters The chess24 Legends of Chess Four players have qualified for the final crescendo of chess after being the best performers during the preceding tour events. The winner of the Tour Final, which has a total prize pot of $300,000, will scoop a top prize of $140,000 and the title of Champion of the Magnus Carlsen Chess Tour. Tournament rules and schedule The Tour Final will be a 12-day event running from August 9 to August 20. Time control is a rapid 15m + 10s from move 1 played in the chess24 Playzone. The semi-finals of the Tour Final tournament will be a best of 5 four-game mini-matches. The final will be a best of 7 mini-matches. As usual, play will start at 16:00 CEST. Highlights English:https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1_QSmtZoiwL24EGuZSEmi1UR5j4hInR0u?usp=sharingNew files at around 23.00 CEST Rough edit highlights:https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/12mwKPkAfzeyfzd1Gay-FU5dJ8uU6OXMY?usp=sharingNew files ready around 02.00 CEST FOR MORE INFORMATION:Leon Watsonleon@chessable.com+447786 078770
Division 3: Day 2 Round-up
The second day in Division 3 divided all the pools into two big categories – in some pools the circle of potential candidates for the spots at the next stage shaped up, whereas in the others even six rounds down the road virtually all the teams still have a chance to qualify for Division 2. Everything will be decided today but in the meantime let’s looks back at the key Saturday events. Pool A Singapore finally showed its strength. The most balanced team in this pool went through the second day without a hitch – after whitewashing Hong Kong, Singapore beat Malaysia and Albania in the key matches with the same score 4:2. Singapore emerged on top and basically secured its spot in the next date. Despite losing to its main competitor Albania also should progress into Division 2. As for the third spot, it is still wide open. Most likely its fate will be decided in the last round match Malaysia – Monaco. Since Ireland lost to both main rivals, it has just a slim chance to qualify. The Monegasques unexpectedly lost two very important match points against South Korea, but late at night, the Fair Play Panel (FFP) disqualified one the South Korean players and Monaco got these two points back. Unfortunately, Syria lost the momentum it had picked up on the first day. One of the reasons might be the absence of one of its key players Manar Khalil. Pool B Unfortunately, this micro-tournament is marred by various non-chess problems. Team Nigeria withdrew from the event due to serious discrepancies between the players and the local federation. Another African team Angola is pestered by the internet disconnections. As a result, neither of Angolan players managed to finish his or her game in the match with Chinese Taipei. An unpleasant incident happened in the top-3. After six rounds Portugal had a commanding lead but one of its players got disqualified. After the FFP’s decision, the team lost three match points and fell back to the third position, whereas team IPCA moved atop the standings. Portugal (despite disqualification) and Scotland seem to be the main candidates for two remaining qualifying spots, although Sri Lanka and Tadjikistan are still capable of springing a surprise. Pool С It was crunch time for Belgium and the team mobilized its best players – GM Bart Michiels got into action on the second day. Overall, the plan worked out – the victories over Lebanon and Jordan and a draw with Thailand propelled Belgium to the top position and pretty much secured a spot in Division 2. When playing in the higher division the team will have to solve the problem of its second women’s board though. There are six (!) contenders for the other two spots with Jordan and Thailand being slightly ahead of the pack. The tournament situation is so complicated and unpredictable, that any of these six teams can advance to the next stage. The commentators of the official stream are rooting for the underdog, team Thailand, which could have settled all the issues if it wasn’t for an accident in the match with Jordan: Prin Laohawirapap – Malek Saif In this double-edged position 14-year old up and coming Thai Prin Laohawirapap ventured upon a breakthrough in the center 29.e5?!. Malek Saif erroneously reacted – 29…bxa4? (29…fxe5 was necessary) 30. Bxc6! bxc6 31. Rxc6+ Kd8 and White could have wrapped things up with 32.Rc8+! Rxc8 33.Qxa5+, but the Thai player went astray – 32. exd6?! Qd7 33. bxa4?? Rxa4 34. Qb6+ Ke8 35. Qe3+ Kf8 and Black’s king escaped; White resigned a few moves later. Pool D Even an overwhelming favorite of the entire Division 3, team Denmark might not survive in this “group of death”. On Saturday the Danes threw a rising star GM Jonas Bjerre into the fray on a junior board but failed to enlist their best women. Bjerre crushed his opponents, but the absence of the best women translated into four defeats in the key encounters with Venezuela and Bolivia and two lost matches. Bolivia doesn’t look invincible, but the team has won all the matches so far (there is no other team like that in Division 3) and is bound to qualify. Chile also should advance – this team has a very balanced lineup and a deep bench. Suffice it to say that twelve players Chilean players have already participated in the event. Venezuela occupies the third position, but it will be a major challenge for this team to hold its ground after a devastating defeat 1:5 in the match with Chile. Despite its Saturday’s collapse, Denmark should solve all its problems and advance to the next stage. Pool E If bets on Online Olympiad had been accepted, bookmakers would have earned huge money in this pool. Any given match looks like a thriller with an unpredictable outcome; there are neither favorites nor underdogs, only Suriname fell behind but this team was very unlucky on several occasions. Suffice it to say that in Round 4 the leader, Mexico lost to Honduras, the team that was lagging behind all the competitors after the first day. What is more, Honduras scored a well-deserved victory. Then Honduras drew with Costa-Rica and had a great chance to join the leaders but lost the final match of the day against the Dominican Republic. Christopher Guzman – Nahun Gavarrete FM Nahun Gavarrete could have won several times, but even in this position, it is hard to imagine that anything can go wrong for Black. After all, he has an extra pawn and good winning chances. However, a knee-jerk 34…Ba6?? sprang a trap – 35. Qd8+ Kh7 36. g5! Qg6 37. h4! and Black has no defense against Bh3-f5. Christopher Guzman prevailed and handed the victory to the Dominican Republic. Dominicana moved up to the fourth place, Honduras is just ninth again but both teams have a shot for a spot in the top-3. Costa-Rica and Mexico are out of reach, but climbing to the third place is a feasible task for both squads. On Sunday at 08:00 UTC, Division 3 enters the final stage. Let’s hope that all 15 teams advancing to a prestigious Division 2 will be determined over the chessboard, rather than by the FFP team which did a great job on Saturday.
PDC: mission and current projects
The Planning and Development Commission, often shortened as PDC, is one of the most important bodies within FIDE. The crucial role played by PDC is perfectly acknowledged by the federations, but it is not so well known by the general public – at least, not to the extend we think it should. So it seemed sensible to devote a blog post to this commission and offer an update to the chess community about its most recent initiatives. The primary goal of the PDC is the institutional strengthening of the various arms of FIDE including federations, continental bodies, and member associations. FIDE comprises 195 members of which greater than 70% are under-developed as it relates to chess activity and management within their countries. To tackle this problem, the PDC was given the mandate in 2018 to manage the FIDE development fund, and in 2019 seventy-seven federations were approved for funding totaling just over US$1 million. However, the support provided by FIDE and the PDC to these federations is not limited to financial support. “After having reviewed a year of the funding programme, Team PDC felt that it was critical to better understand the environment in which federations operate in order to enhance the effectiveness of the PDC’s work and programmes”, explains Sonja Johnson, who currently serves as the Chairperson for PDC. The Planning and Development Commission has been recently restructured to have a complement of four designated councilors which allowed for more active management of the various continents. It is in this context that PDC’s latest project, the PDC Fed Forums, was conceptualized. PDC Fed Forums Over the past two years, the Planning and Development Commission has collected quite a bit of information on the operations of federations and therefore feels it’s best positioned to engage federations in talks surrounding their development. However, the PDC felt that in order to develop programs for the benefit of members, it is important to include the members so that they are part of this important process. This is where the PDC Fed Forums come into play. These forums are virtual meetings of about 60-90 minutes, which aim at engaging the federations in small groups, e.g. as a zone and/or by language, since even within zones there may have different languages spoken by the members. “Our feeling is that these sessions should be structured to facilitate active participation and therefore sessions will mostly be conducted in English and allow for translation in multiple languages: French, Spanish, Arabic and Russian: while also being held at more convenient times, such as on evenings or even weekends”, explains Sonja. This engagement seeks to: – Determine the specific needs of the federations in that group – Provide feedback on the performance of federations based on reports submitted as a result of prior funding – Identify areas where there may be common solutions to needs to optimize the use of the development fund. The PDC Chair, Councillors and PDC Secretary participate in these meetings, in which it is expected to have at least 2 members of each federation in the meeting, and not just the President. The following forums have already been held: Zone 3.6 Zone 3.3 Zones 2.3.1., 2.3.2. and 2.3.3 Zone 1.10 Here you can check the schedule of the upcoming PDC Fed Forums. “The initial feedback from federations has been extremely positive as federations have indicated this is the first time that they are being provided with an opportunity to directly share what matters to them. We are also committed to working with federations towards their sustained development”, concludes Sonja. The meetings are being recorded, and the outcomes shared via various means including the PDC website and a dedicated Youtube channel. Based on the discussions, the PDC will structure a series of knowledge-sharing activities which may include: Workshops, webinars, or Panel Discussions. PDC will mainly tap into internal resources, e.g. other commissions or experts within FIDE to assist in the delivery of these sessions. More info: Contact: planninganddevelopmentsecretary@fide.com Website of the Planning and Development Commission. PDC Fed Forums project.
Division 3: Day 1 Round-up
With Division 3 getting underway, the first-ever Online Olympiad looks more and more like a real professional tournament now. True, the teams are not equal but there are virtually no novices in the lineups. On one hand, the competition might have lost a part of its charm, but on another hand, we saw the first encounters between GMs – eleven holders of this title got into a fight. Pool A Pool A saw the match of rating-favorites Singapore – Monaco in the very first round. Although the Singaporeans squared up against the main competitor without its leader GM Kevin Goh Wei Ming, the team scored a confident victory 4.5:1.5. After that result, many thought that the matter was settled and nothing would stop Singapore from taking first place in the group, but it was not to be – the team drew two next matches (3:3 with Ireland and Syria) and currently occupies the fourth position in the standings. Singapore needs a scorer; if IM Liu Xiangyi, who masterfully outplayed Igor Efimov with Black in the first round, play more, things will pick up. Monaco found itself in a worse situation – after losing to Singapore, the team suffered a defeat in the match with Albania, which made its advancing to the next stage a daunting challenge. On the contrary, Albania won all its matches and appears to be a clear favorite in Pool A. 14-year old Klean Shuqja, playing on the sixth board contributed 3 points to her team. Team Syria also made a strong case for progressing into the next stage – after the victories over Japan and South Korea, the team did take a very important match point against Singapore. Three pillars Syria lean on are Talal Hilwani (who is formally just a second substitute player), Malek Koniahli, and Manar Khalil dominating junior boards. Pool B The tournament in Pool B was marred by internal conflict in team Nigeria. The players of this country did not play a single game on the first day, although there is a chance that this team, considered to be one of the favorites will get into action. In the absence of one of the strongest African teams the three other favorites – Portugal, IPCA, and Scotland – will most likely qualify. Scotland seems like a weak link in this trio but the team won tough matches against Angola and Sri Lanka and then miraculously escaped vs. IPCA. Ilia Lipilin – Murad Abdulla On 121st (!) move, Ilia Lipilin relaxed his vigilance and played 121.h7?? (121.Ke2 was winning easily) and after 121…d1Q+! 122.Rxd1 Kxg7 123.Rd7+ Kh8 lost all his pawns ½:½. Speaking of the teams that can potentially stir the pot, Tadjikistan is the first squad, that comes to mind. This tenacious team is capable of throwing a curveball. Pool С This arguably the most mysterious pool pleased those who like unpredictable storylines. If suffices to say that Thailand, the lowest-rated team in the group is leading after the first day. Actually, back in Division 4, it became clear that FM Thanadon Kulpruethanon, Prin Laohawirapap, and Sarocha Chuemsakul played much stronger than their ratings suggest – these three won all their games. The key matches are yet to come for the Thai players, but it sounds like this squad can hold its position in the top-3. The main favorite of this pool, Belgium has not brought together its best lineup yet but the team did not lose a single match point. As we already mentioned in the preview Belgium has some problems with women’s boards, but it should not prevent this team from advancing to Division 2. The match of another favorite, Jordan against Zambia became an epitome of the unpredictability of this pool. The Zambians, who had lost the first-round match against Thailand due to disconnect in the decisive game, managed to field just four players, but all four won and locked up a victory in the match. If the internet connection does not let Zambia down, this team, which already played all the key matches, can step into the fight for a spot in the top-3. Malta and Lebanon are still to demonstrate what they are capable of. Pool D The Dutch commentators of the official stream GM Roeland Pruijssers and Wouter Bik rightly called this pool a “group of death”. Five teams stand out in terms of average ratings and lineups, but they lost points not only facing each other. The first key match between “big five” teams Bolivia – Uruguay was played in the first round. With 2.5:1.5 on the scoreboard we saw a dramatic turn of events. After WFM Jessica Molina simply blundered her knight in an endgame with an extra pawn (apparently it was some sort of hallucination) Bolivia found itself on the brink of defeat. Indeed, the leader of Bolivia GM Oswaldo Zambrana had a hopeless position on the first board. Nevertheless, Bolivia managed not just to escape but to win the match. Both Molina and Zambrana got off the hook – naturally with “great help” from their opponents. This victory became a real confidence boost for the Bolivians, as they won two more matches and finished the Friday session on the top of the leaderboard, ahead of the main favorite of the entire Division 3 team Denmark. The Scandinavian squad conceded one match point in the encounter with another “grandmaster” team – Chile. Team Jamaica took two points in matches with Chile and Venezuela and somewhat unexpectedly wrestled a spot in the top-5 from Uruguay, which drew its match with Tunisia. The chess leader the country where Reggae music originated, 18-year old Rushawn White (1784) played a brilliant game vs. GM Salinas Herrera (Chile). Rushawn White – Pablo Salinas Herrera Here White dealt a crushing 25.Nf5! and then was more precise in the ensuing complications. Predictably, the heroes of Division 4, teams Mauritania and Mozambique are having a hard time among more experienced teams. Mauritania showed its mettle in the match with Venezuela by scoring three points. Mozambique has been dogged with all sorts of organizational problems – the lineup is far from optimal; the team already lost four games by forfeit. Pool E Virtually all the matches came down to the wire in this very balanced pool. Indeed, only one match out of 15 ended 4.5:1.5. All the teams lost points on the first day; whitewashing in any match is simply out of