Magnus Carlsen wins Clutch Chess International
The Clutch Chess International tournament concluded with a gripping final match between World Champion Magnus Carlsen and World #2, Fabiano Caruana, with Carlsen claiming victory in the final round and taking home the grand prize of $50,000 and an additional $25,000 in clutch bonuses. This historical online tournament, hosted by the Saint Louis Chess Club and created by Grandmaster Maurice Ashley, featured electrifying knockout matches that had the audience glued to their seats after every move. Clutch Chess International offered the world’s best Grandmasters the opportunity to compete in the event, which boasted a $265,000 prize fund, the largest ever offered for an online chess event. Clutch Chess took place from June 6 – 14, 2020 with expert commentary by GMs Yasser Seirawan and Maurice Ashley, and WGM Jennifer Shahade throughout. This tournament proved to be the most-watched live event in the 12-year history of the Saint Louis Chess Club, with more than 28,000 fans watching Carlsen and Caruana battle it out on the final day of Clutch Chess International. “We thought the first Clutch Chess tournament would bring unexpected surprises and unmatched gameplay, but Clutch Chess International turned up the heat with even more aggressive matches, higher stakes, and nail-biting excitement throughout the tournament,” said Tony Rich, Executive Director of the Saint Louis Chess Club. “This was a golden moment of sportsmanship and fierce competition for fans during the quarantine.” The eight Grandmasters who competed in Clutch Chess International were Magnus Carlsen (reigning World Champion, Norway), Fabiano Caruana (World number 2, USA), Maxime Vachier-Lagrave (World # 5, France), Alexander Grischuk (World # 6, Russia), Levon Aronian (World # 7, Armenia), Wesley So (World # 8 and recent winner of Clutch Chess USA, USA), Leinier Dominguez (World # 6 in Rapid, USA), and Jeffery Xiong (USA # 5). Magnus Carlsen’s victory against Fabiano Caruana didn’t come easily. After a crucial win in round 10, the World Champion took a point lead going into the final two clutch games, where each win was worth three points. With a clutch victory in game 11, Caruana took a two-point lead and pocketed $13,000 as a clutch bonus. Going into the final game, Carlsen was in a must-win situation but nonetheless seemed relaxed and confident. In his post-game interview, the World Champion opined that neither of the players was defending difficult positions well, and revealed his strategy was to keep Caruana under pressure throughout the match. The final game was ultimately a one-sided affair after Carlsen’s powerful sacrifice on move 16 that allowed his pieces to converge on Caruana’s king, forcing resignation on move 31. “The tournament winner could have gone either way today, I won the first games and then the next few games Fabiano did better than I,” said World Champion Magnus Carlsen. “I knew that if I could put him under pressure then I would have a chance for the win. The way things went in the final game was a dream for me and I was ultimately able to go for the jugular at an early point and win the tournament,” said Clutch Chess International winner, Magnus Carlsen “Honestly Clutch Chess is a very interesting idea and I’ve enjoyed this unique format immensely. Fabiano is a force to be reckoned with and I look forward to competing against him again soon in the Magnus Carlsen Tour. He deserves credit for an excellent overall performance,” said Carlsen. The prize breakdown and scoring were similar to Clutch Chess USA, with $10,000 in bonuses awarded to players who delivered victories in the clutch games in each match, while drawn clutch games ultimately rolled the money into the final two clutch games of the event. The prize structure is such that if a competitor won the final two games, he could win as much as $70,000 in bonuses alone. Place Name Regular Earnings Clutch Bonus Total Prize Winnings 1 Magnus Carlsen $50,000 $25,000 $75,000 2 Fabiano Caruana $35,000 $21,000 $56,000 3-4 Wesley So $25,000 $12,000 $37,000 3-4 Levon Aronian $25,000 $6,000 $31,000 5-8 Alexander Grischuk $15,000 $4,000 $19,000 5-8 Jeffery Xiong $15,000 $2,000 $17,000 5-8 Leinier Dominguez $15,000 $0 $15,000 5-8 Maxime Vachier-Lagrave $15,000 $0 $15,000 This was the second installment of Clutch Chess, as Clutch Chess USA took place in May 2020 where Grandmaster Wesley So beat three other American Grandmasters and won $40,000 in prizes. For more information about the two recent Clutch Chess tournaments, to read daily recaps, and to re-watch the games with commentary, visit uschesschamps.com. About The Saint Louis Chess Club The Saint Louis Chess Club is a non-profit, 501(c)(3) organization committed to making chess an important part of our community. In addition to providing a forum for the community to play tournaments and casual games, the club also offers chess improvement classes, beginner lessons, and special lectures. Recognizing the cognitive and behavioral benefits of chess, the Saint Louis Chess Club is committed to supporting those chess programs that already exist in area schools while encouraging the development of new in-school and after-school programs. For more information, visit saintlouischessclub.org. For more information, please contact: Rebecca BuffingtonSaint Louis Chess Club(314) 277-3930rbuffington@saintlouischessclub.org
Mamedyarov wins World Stars Sharjah Chess Championship
Shakhriyar Mamedyarov (Azerbaijan) became the winner of the World Stars Sharjah Online Chess Championship 2020, a double round-robin tournament with 10 min +3 sec time control organized by the Sharjah Cultural & Chess Club. The event was held online on a popular platform Internet Chess Club (ICC) on June 12-13t 2020. The prize fund of the competition amounted to 10.000$. The Azerbaijani GM turned in an excellent performance and scored 7.5 out of 10. The champion didn’t lose a single game and showed an impressive 2886 rating performance. It’s also the first online chess tournament Shakhriyar won in his life. Pentala Harikrishna (India) finished second with 6.5 out of 10, a full point behind the champion. After winning three games in a row on Day 2 the Indian GM became the real contestant for the title. Before the final round, Mamedyarov and Harikrishna were sharing the first place and it came down to the wire – in Round 10 Mamedyarov defeated Salem Saleh, while Pentala Harikrishna lost against Radoslaw Wojtaszek (Poland). Wojtaszek finished in third place with 6 points, Rustam Kasimdzanov (Uzbekistan) is fourth just half a point behind. Salem Saleh (UAE) had a good start but scored only half a point on the second day and finished in fifth place. It was a really tough event for the highest-rated African player Bassem Amin (Egypt), who ended up in the bottom of the standings. The official commentators of the event GM Efstratios Grivas and WGM Anastasia Karlovich provided coverage throughout the event. Photos: Anastasia Karlovich Day 1: https://youtu.be/wK0hr_VEk9E Day 2: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A8vzSjgfyiE&feature=youtu.be
Day 7: Carlsen and Caruana in neck-and-neck race
Day one of the Clutch Chess International finals was an absolute thriller from start to finish. The two highest-ranked players, World Champion Magnus Carlsen and Fabiano Caruana faced off in an echo of their 2018 World Championship match. This time around, both players left blood on the battlefield; the commentators were enthralled and fans were left on the edge of their seats during the back-and-forth affair. “How can you expect so many decisive games and trading blows?” Caruana reflected on the day in the postgame interview. “We certainly fought well,” Carlsen echoed his opponent’s sentiment. Tomorrow, one of these players will be crowned the Clutch Chess Champion and will take home the first-place bounty of $50,000, plus their share of $46,000 in clutch bonuses. The match started with two draws, but the final result belies the true story. Caruana himself later admitted that he was lucky to escape unscathed in the first game, as he found himself down a pawn in a rook and knight endgame. He was on the better side in the middlegame of their second encounter, but Carlsen neutralized with ease in the middlegame. Commentator Maurice Ashley praised the quality of the game and described it as a “high-class draw.” Carlsen drew first blood in game three with a stunning blow on move 25, tearing apart his opponent’s kingside and forcing a resignation 12 moves later. Caruana recovered quickly in the next game, as a blunder on move 43 cost Carlsen a crucial pawn and the game. The players weren’t done exchanging blows as the clutch games, worth two points each, were up next. Caruana put up a heroic defense in the middlegame with the black pieces, handling the position with absolute precision up to a certain point. However, his error came on move 44 and allowed Carlsen to pick up all his queenside pawns; Caruana resigned in a losing king and pawn endgame. With this win, the World Champion took a two-point lead in the match. The final game was another tough battle. Caruana found himself in another bad position but muddied the waters on move 24. Carlsen reacted poorly to the unexpected move, throwing away a winning advantage. Once Caruana was on the better side, he never let up, scoring a crucial win in a clutch game to even the score. In the postgame interview, Carlsen expressed his frustration about the result, as he thought he should have won the final game. Even so, the World Champion remained optimistic, as he feels that he has been playing better for most of the match. Tune in on Sunday, June 14 for the exciting finals of Clutch Chess, where World Champion Magnus Carlsen will square off against his familiar rival, World #2 Fabiano Caruana. GMs Maurice Ashley and Yasser Seirawan along with WGM Jennifer Shahade will call all the action starting at 12:50 PM CDT (19:50 CET) at uschesschamps.com. Text: WGM Tatev Abrahamyan You can watch the action LIVE at USChessChamps.com (official website) Press Contact: Rebecca Buffington rbuffington@saintlouischessclub.org
FIDE condemns racism in the strongest terms
During the past few days, we have received a few inquires about what is FIDE’s policy regarding racial discrimination, and how we deal with such cases. FIDE condemns racism in the strongest terms, and we stand for non-discrimination as one of the founding pillars of the Olympic Movement, to which FIDE belongs. This is reflected in the Olympic Charter, Fundamental Principle 6: “The enjoyment of the rights and freedoms set forth in this Olympic Charter shall be secured without discrimination of any kind, such as race, color, sex, sexual orientation, language, religion, political or other opinions, national or social origin, property, birth or other status.” Chess players tend to travel a lot, and the more you travel the more you are exposed to racism and xenophobia. Sadly, that has been the case for our colleague Pontus Carlsson and many others: we have heard their testimonies, and we would like to offer them our support. But most incidents occur outside the chess competitions: at chess tournaments, we are proud to say that the incidents are minimal, and we will stay alert to prevent this from happening. In fact, no one has filed a complaint about racial discrimination at any of our official events at least since the current administration took office in 2018. The Chess Olympiad, where players of 180+ countries live together for two weeks, is a true celebration of the unity of humankind in all our diversity. We believe there is something truly beautiful about chess: it makes us focus on what we have in common as human beings, rather than in what makes us different. The reason why is that when you play a game of chess with someone, it is like if you could see his/her thoughts. You get into your opponent’s brain, and you establish some kind of communication, even if both players don’t have a language in common. At the chess board, differences in age, sex, religion, color, or economical status become irrelevant: they simply vanish. You immediately develop some respect for a person you are exchanging ideas with at such a deep level. We could even say that chess is the ultimate equalizer. It is for this reason that chess is gaining so much popularity as an educational tool. The educational benefits of chess are not limited to intellectual development: the game is also a formidable tool for social development in children. The best contribution FIDE can do to fight racism is to keep working to bring this game to schools, and to honor our motto: “gens una sumus”. ####### For more information, please contact the FIDE Media Relations Team:Tel: +34 623021120, email press@fide.com
Day 6: Carlsen, Caruana to square off in the final
Magnus Carlsen and Fabiano Caruana qualified for the Clutch Chess International finals after defeating Levon Aronian and Wesley So in their respective matches. Carlsen’s four-point lead at the beginning of the day allowed for his smooth sailing to the finals, whereas Caruana had the titanic task of overcoming a four-point deficit in his own match. The world’s number one and two will face off in a 12-game match, reminiscent of their 2018 World Championship match. Carlsen already has $10,000 in the pocket for his clutch victories in the quarterfinals and semifinals, while Caruana banked $6,000. The players will battle it out for an additional $115,000 in prizes, including $30,000 in clutch bonuses. Fabiano Caruana vs Wesley So 9.5 – 8.5 “Doesn’t matter if I lose by 1 point or 8 points”, was Fabiano Caruana’s do-or-die mentality entering day two of the semifinals. Caruana came out swinging right off the bat, winning the first two games in queen endings. Not only did this result narrow the gap to two points, but it also put more pressure on So, who could no longer rely on his results from day one to carry him to the finish line. So was victorious in game three but resigned quickly in game four after getting his bishop trapped. It was time for Caruana to show his mettle and score points in the clutch games, where each win was worth three points. The first clutch game was a tumultuous affair; as the commentators were ready to call it in favor of Caruana, the world number two started misplaying the position in the time scramble. So’s costly mistake occurred on move 73, as he lost an important passed pawn and resigned a few moves later. In a must-win situation, where either a draw or a loss would disqualify him from the finals the same, So decided to settle for a repetition, allowing his opponent to advance. In the postgame interview, the 26-year-old admitted that he ran out of gas and praised Caruana’s play, stating “Fabiano today and yesterday were not comparable.” He graciously congratulated his countryman, wishing him the best of luck against the World Champion. Wesley So’s final earnings including clutch bonuses round up to $37,000. Magnus Carlsen vs Levon Aronian 12-6 To put it simply, nothing went right for Levon Aronian in this match. Just like yesterday, after achieving a superior position in game one, not only did Aronian let the advantage slip away, he actually lost the game. Later Carlsen noted that “when you win a position like that, not very much can go wrong.” The World Champion was already confident going into day two, but this game was certainly an additional boost, as it also gave him a five-point lead. The second game of the day was Carlsen’s favorite, as he demolished his opponent in a kingside attack. After peaceful results in the next two games, Aronian had to win the remaining two clutch games on demand. He had a promising start in the first clutch game, but by the time the players reached an endgame, it was he who was fighting to survive. With the draw, the World Champion clinched the spot with a round to spare; the final game was an effortless draw for both players. Aronian admitted that he’s returning to competitive chess after a two-month break and was in no shape to defeat the World Champion. He earned a total of $31,000 for his efforts, including $6,000 in clutch bonuses. Tune in Saturday and Sunday, June 13-14 for the exciting finals of Clutch Chess, where World Champion Magnus Carlsen will square off against his familiar rival, World #2 Fabiano Caruana. GMs Maurice Ashley and Yasser Seirawan along with WGM Jennifer Shahade will call all the action starting at 12:50 PM CDT (19:50 CET) at uschesschamps.com. Text: WGM Tatev Abrahamyan You can watch the action LIVE at USChessChamps.com (official website) Press Contact: Rebecca Buffington rbuffington@saintlouischessclub.org
Magnus Carlsen launches Chessable Masters
12 of the world’s best taking part Whole show aimed at teaching chess Fans get a chance to challenge stars Stage 3 of $1m Magnus Carlsen Chess Tour First Indian competitor on tour $150k prize fund + spot in tour final An innovative new chess tournament designed to help fans improve their game is the next event in World Champion Magnus Carlsen’s $1 million online tour, it was announced today. The first Chessable Masters will be broadcast on chess24.com from June 20 to July 5 and feature 12 of the world’s best competing for a prize fund of $150,000 and a spot in the prestigious tour final. Carlsen is set to resume his epic rivalry with Hikaru Nakamura, the hugely-popular American streamer who is also the world’s top blitz chess player, while the winner of the last tournament, Russia’s in-form Daniil Dubov, will try to crash the party. However, throughout the super-strong Chessable Masters tournament the emphasis of every broadcast will be on education, interacting with viewers, and helping everyday chess fans get better at the game. Chess fans will be treated to: Regular “Banter Blitz” events for fans to play their heroes; Interactive chess challenges on chessable.com with prizes to win; World’s best chess authors get a stage to highlight their work; Huge discounts on educational material on Chessable; Much, much more! Viewers will also be invited to share their chess education stories under the hashtag #studychess and the best will be featured on chess24’s broadcast. Carlsen said: “I am proud to announce the next stage in the Magnus Carlsen Chess Tour which I hope will bring something new for spectators and fans…The Chessable Masters will be an elite super-tournament but one in which you can get more involved, have fun, and improve your chess.” Photo: Lennart Ootes Magnus also evaluated his chances in the event: “As for me, I will be back determined to improve from the last event. My ambition is to win the Chessable Masters.” The event is named after Chessable.com, the world’s leading online chess training platform, and is the third leg of the inaugural Magnus Carlsen Chess Tour. Leg one was the most-watched online chess event in history with the coverage reaching 10 million people worldwide. It ended with Carlsen winning his signature Magnus Carlsen Invitational event, beating Nakamura in the final. Leg two, the Lindores Abbey Rapid Challenge, attracted even more viewers and saw the champion knocked out in the semis as Dubov overcame Nakamura in the final. That event was broadcast live in 10 languages and hit a peak of 125,000 viewers online during the final. Now Carlsen, Dubov, and Nakamura will face an even tougher challenge as they are joined by world number two Fabiano Caruana. Number one players from China (Ding Liren), Russia (Ian Nepomniachtchi), Netherlands (Anish Giri), Azerbaijan (Teimour Radjabov) and France (Maxime Vachier-Lagrave) are also included. Three-time world blitz chess champion Alexander Grischuk, reigning European champion Vladislav Artemiev and India’s number 1 Chessable author and former Asian Individual Champion Pentala Harikrishna make up the star-studded line-up. Photo: Andreas Kontokanis Harikrishna, the first Indian player invited onto the Tour, said: “I am excited to be invited to play in Chessable Masters which is also part of Magnus Carlsen Chess Tour. I am happy to play against the world’s best players in online events during the lockdown. I am looking forward to putting on a good show!” Chessable.com is a member of Magnus Carlsen’s Play Magnus Group of companies. It offers interactive chess courses by the most renowned chess authors in the world, based on the latest scientific insights on learning. Interested users can start for free at chessable.com. Magnus Carlsen Chess Tour explainer: https://drive.google.com/open?id=1c1oiEkPyb1ZBuYBmb9-DEkzmY3foYZzk Format and scheduleThe format of the event will be very similar to the Lindores Abbey Rapid Challenge, with two slight changes. The Preliminary phase will last 4 days instead of 3. The 12 players will be split into 2 groups of 6, which will play on alternating days, 5 rounds every day. Then follows the knock-out phase, which will have the same format as the current event, with one addition: if any match is tied 2-2, the players will play a 2-game blitz match and only then Armageddon. The schedule for this event: June 20-23 – Preliminaries June 24 – Rest dayJune 25-29 – Quarter-finals June 30-July 2 – SemifinalsJuly 3-5 – Final For more information on the Chessable Masters, visit the official tour and tournament website here: chess24.com/tour FOR MORE INFORMATION:Leon Watsonleon@chessable.com+447786 078770
Day 5: Carlsen and So on collision course
The semifinalists returned to action after the rest day ready to fight, as Magnus Carlsen and Wesley So took a commanding four-point lead over Levon Aronian and Fabiano Caruana respectively. The matches mirrored each other in results, as neither Caruana nor Aronian was able to find their footing and score a single win. Even with a big score discrepancy, neither match is in the bag as wins in games 11 and 12 will be worth three points each, leaving room for big comebacks. Tomorrow, the two Clutch Chess International finalists will be decided. Magnus Carlsen vs Levon Aronian 6-2 The World Champion was merciless yesterday, although the match could have taken a different turn had Aronian converted his big advantage with the black pieces in the first game. The Armenian Grandmaster collapsed in the time scramble, grabbing a poisoned pawn and resigning three moves later. In the second game, Carlsen opted for the Alekhine Defense, an unusual opening choice at the top level. Aronian was severely punished for leaving his king in the center for too long. After drawing a balanced game in round three, Aronian again missed chances in game four, the final encounter before the clutch games, letting his opponent escape unscathed. Carlsen extended his lead to 4 points with a kingside attack after his opponent failed to create active counter chances. Disaster could have really struck in the final game had the World Champion blundered in a completely winning position, allowing his opponent to get away with a perpetual. In the postgame interview, Carlsen expressed his satisfaction with both the result and the quality of the games, while Aronian shared his strategy for tomorrow of “going berserk” to keep his chances alive. Wesley So vs Fabiano Caruana 6-2 The two rivals met again a mere 12 days after the final battle in the inaugural Clutch Chess USA. In the first game, Caruana took a gamble with a risky opening that he described as a bluff but it still required precision from his opponent. So’s opening preparation was superb as was his play in the rest of the game. His win in the second game came as a result of Caruana’s mistake on move 66 when instead of equalizing the game with some tactics, the world number two went astray. The two games before the clutch portion were relatively quiet draws, with So being on the better side of it in game four. In the first clutch game, Caruana opted for another surprise in the opening, the Evans Gambit. He reached a winning position as his pieces moved to the kingside to attack his opponent’s exposed king. After letting the advantage slip, Caruana didn’t backtrack at the right moment, allowing his opponent to create a mating net himself. Caruana tried to squeeze water out of stone in the final clutch game but never had any realistic winning chances. In their postgame interviews, both players agreed that the match isn’t over with six points on the line in the final two games. So also observed that his opponent employed a different strategy in this match, surprising him in the opening. Text: WGM Tatev Abrahamyan You can watch the action LIVE at USChessChamps.com (official website) Press Contact: Rebecca Buffington rbuffington@saintlouischessclub.org
Day 4: Aronian and Caruana make it to semifinals
Congratulations to Levon Aronian and Fabiano Caruana on defeating Alexander Grischuk and Leinier Dominguez respectively and qualifying for the semifinals. Both matches were highly contentious and were decided in the final clutch game. Dominguez and Grischuk are eliminated from the event, earning $15,000 each, with Grischuk picking up an extra $4,000 for his clutch game victories. Two very exciting semifinal matches are ahead as Aronian takes World Champion Carlsen, while Caruana and So show a rematch of Clutch Chess USA finals. The action will resume on Thursday as players take a rest day today. Levon Aronian vs Alexander Grischuk 10-8 It comes as no surprise that the match between these two entertaining and creative players was a nail-biter. Even though Aronian entered the day with a two-point lead, the match could have gone either way at any moment. After a draw in the first game, Grischuk punished his opponent’s adventurous pawn grab, narrowing the gap. Although Grischuk is a three-time World Blitz Champion, he is notorious for time trouble in longer games and was severely punished for it in game three. Game 10 ended in a draw after Grischuk missed several opportunities to score the victory. However, the game was irrelevant for the standings, as the Russian Grandmaster needed to score a win and a draw in the final two clutch games to advance to the semifinals. He accomplished the first part of this task in the penultimate game with an aggressive attack right out of the opening, leapfrogging his opponent and only needing a draw in the final game. The dramatic final game was the perfect culmination to the match. The evaluation of the position changed several times throughout the encounter, but it was Grischuk who made the decisive mistake, allowing a beautiful tactical sequence that sealed the deal for his opponent. With this true clutch win, the Armenian Grandmaster earned an extra $4,000 and a spot in the semifinals. Fabiano Caruana vs Leinier Dominguez 10.5 – 7.5 This back and forth match was a fierce battle, which resulted in four decisive games. Surprisingly, the tumultuous pre-clutch games all ended in Black’s favor. Since the disaster in the first game, Caruana’s Caro Kann has held up quite nicely, yielding him two points on the second day of the match. Dominguez’s wins were in the Nimzo-Indian after long technical battles. His second win of the day came as Caruana blundered on move 81, finding himself in a zugzwang. Dominguez entered the clutch games with a three-point deficit but could still advance to the semifinals with a win and a draw. Caruana mishandled the winning rook endgame in a time scramble in game 11, allowing his opponent to escape with a draw and keep his hopes alive. In the final game, the world number two’s new pet line, the Caro Kann Defense, proved to be unbreakable as Caruana earned a draw to qualify for the semifinals. Text: WGM Tatev Abrahamyan You can watch the action LIVE at USChessChamps.com (official website) Press Contact: Rebecca Buffington rbuffington@saintlouischessclub.org
FIDE Online Junior Cup for Players U20 with Disabilities: Regulations published
FIDE Commission for the Disabled (DIS) published the regulations for the First FIDE Online Junior Cup for the Players U20 with Disabilities and sent this document out to national federations. The five-round Swiss tournament with time control 10 + 5 will take place on June 21, 2020. The competition is open to junior chess players belonging to any of the three disability categories (visually impaired, hearing impaired, and physically disabled). FIDE invites all registered junior players from all FIDE member federations whose birth dates fall between December 31, 2000, and December 31, 2011, to participate in the First Junior Online FIDE Cup for Players with Disabilities. Regulations for the First FIDE Junior Online Cup for Players U20 with Disabilities (pdf)
Anniversary chess match Space – Earth ends in a draw
On June 9, the second chess match between Space and Earth took place in the main hall of the Moscow Museum of Cosmonautics. The event has been co-organized by the Moscow Museum of Cosmonautics, the Roscosmos State Corporation, the Chess Federation of Russia, and the social network VKontakte. The match featured pilot-cosmonaut Anatoly Ivanishin, Hero of the Russian Federation, and test-cosmonaut Ivan Vagner, who played from aboard the International Space Station. Representing team Earth was Sergey Karjakin – a former Rapid and Blitz World Champion, and two-time winner of the world team championships as part of the Russian team. He was making his moves in the Moscow Museum of Cosmonautics. The match was timed with the half-century anniversary of the first Space – Earth chess game played on June 9, 1970. Just like 50 years ago, the first move advantage belonged to the space crew. The game ended in a draw after a sharp tactical battle in the Ruy Lopez. The VKontakte platform attracted more than 800,000 people watching the match broadcast. A cosmonaut Anatoly Ivanishin noted that it was a great honor for cosmonauts to hold their ground against a grandmaster. Sergey Karjakin also shared his impressions of the game: “In this game, my emotions ran higher than in any game I played in the world championship match. This is because when you play against team Space, you have no idea what to expect. The game was very interesting and sharp, and, at the same time, quite a correct one in terms of chess content. I do not think the opponents have made any mistakes; therefore, a draw is a natural outcome. A human brain seems to function extremely well in space. Space brings people together, they say. As we have seen today, chess can indeed help people of various professions reach each other even across space. With this in mind, let us organize such matches more frequently than on a once-per-50-year basis. The anniversary match became the culmination of celebrations dedicated to the legendary chess game. A well-known TV presenter and sports commentator Dmitry Guberniev and the head of the Museum’s press service Daria Chudnaya hosted the show. The Minister of Sports of the Russian Federation Oleg Matytsin, Director General of the Roscosmos State Corporation Dmitry Rogozin, and the Museum of Cosmonautics Director Natalya Artyukhina sent greetings to the participants of this match. During the stream, the audience had a chance to watch a video telling a story behind the legendary space chess set used in the first Space – Earth match and an interview with the multiple World Champion Anatoly Karpov. You can watch the match with commentary in English on the YouTube channels of Roscosmos and FIDE. Photos: Eteri Kublashvili About the organizers: The Museum of Cosmonautics is one of the largest scientific and technical museums in Russia. The history of the museum starts in 1964 when the Monument to the Conquerors of Space first appeared on the map of Moscow. Today, the Museum of Cosmonautics is one of the top three most visited museums in Moscow’s Department of Culture. The modern museum exposition is composed of eight exhibition halls. The museum’s collection includes more than 99,000 items: samples of rocket and aerospace technology, authentic relics, documents, philately, numismatics, decorative and applied works of art, and collections of paintings and graphics. The museum tells the stories of the conquerors of space. Among them: the famous Belka and Strelka, authentic descent vehicles from Soyuz spacecraft, a model of the first artificial satellite “Sputnik,” the original Lunokhod control panel, a full-scale model of the base module of the “Mir” space station, and other space artifacts. Official website of the museum: https://kosmo-museum.ru/ ROSCOSMOS is a State Corporation established in August 2015 to oversee and implement a comprehensive reform of the Russian space industry. State Space Corporation ROSCOSMOS ensures the implementation of the Russian government’s space program and its legal regulation. ROSCOSMOS also places orders for the development, manufacture, and supply of space equipment and space infrastructure objects. The state corporation is also responsible for international space cooperation and tasked with setting the stage for the future application of space activities findings for Russia’s social and economic development. Official website of SC ROSCOSMOS: https://www.roscosmos.ru Chess Federation of Russia (CFR) (from 1992 till 2019 known as the Russian Chess Federation) is an All-Russian non-governmental organization uniting regional chess federations as well as being a member of the International Chess Federation (FIDE). The Federation was founded in 1992 as a successor to the USSR Chess Federation. The CFR charter recognizes the Federation congress as the supreme governing body to be convened at least once every four years. Besides, the collegiate governing body is the Federation’s Supervisory Board, which consists of five vice presidents and 26 representatives of regional federations. Since 2014, the sole executive authority has been vested with President of the Russian Chess Federation (since 2019, the Russian Federation of Chess). Andrey Filatov is the CFR’s current President. The CFR is a direct organizer of many national and international tournaments, including the Russian Championship Higher League, Russian Team Championship, and the international tournament Belaya Ladya. The CFR also hosts the Russian Rapid and Blitz Championships, the Russian Cup, the Grand Prix Rapid, and the Children’s Russian Cup. Official website of the Russian Chess Federation is: http://ruchess.ru