Winners crowned at ICCD World Deaf Chess Championship 2024
ICCD World Deaf Chess Championship 2024 recently concluded in Belgrade, Serbia. Founded in 1949 in Copenhagen, Denmark, the International Chess Committee of the Deaf (ICCD) sees its main goal in popularizing chess playing among deaf people of all nations, upgrading their cultural level and chess proficiency, and achieving close international cooperation between deaf chess players in their game pursuant to the chess rules and in any other sports events. The championship, which ran from June 25 to July 6, brought together hearing-impaired players representing 26 national federations. The program included six main competitions in open, women, junior, and senior categories, as well as several side events. The 18th ICCD World Individual Deaf Chess Championship, a nine-round Swiss tournament, was a fiercely competitive event. The rating favorites Yehuda Gruenfeld (Israel) and Pawel Piekielny (Poland) dominated the field, both scoring 7/9 and tying for first place. The Israeli GM secured the victory on a superior Buchholz tiebreak, with the 25th seed Sultan Kozhakhmetov of Kazakhstan taking bronze. 18th ICCD World Individual Deaf Championship final standings WIM Tatiana Baklanova and WCM Natalya Myronenko (both from Ukraine) were in a league of their own in the 8th ICCD World Individual Deaf Ladies Chess Championship. The Ukrainians netted an impressive 8/9 and shared the top position, with Tatiana capturing the title thanks to just a 0.5 Bucholz difference. Zuzanna Lukasik of Poland finished third. 8th ICCD World Individual Deaf Ladies Championship final standings The champions, Yehuda Gruenfeld and Tatiana Baklanova, confirmed their class, winning blitz events. Tatiana earned a triple crown, also taking the women’s rapid event, while Pawel Piekielny triumphed in the open rapid tournament. In the 4th ICCD World Deaf Individual Senior Championship, just 0.25 Sonneborn Berger points separated the champion, Sergej Salov (Germany), from the runner-up Berik Nurymov (Kazakhstan). Both scored 5/7 and tied for first place. Abdigappar Adilbaev (Uzbekistan) completed the podium thanks to a better tiebreaker over Jaroslav Schmid. The top seeds, Marsel Shayusupov (Uzbekistan) and Bruno Glas (Slovenia) reigned supreme in the junior event and tied for the top position with 8/9. Thanks to a slightly better Sonneborn Berger, the title goes to Marcel, while his countryman Sardor Turgunboev won bronze. ICCD official website: chessdeaf.org/
Swedish Championship 2024: Vitaly Sivuk retains title
GM Vitaly Sivuk won the Swedish Championship 2024 defending his national champion title. Like last year, the Swedish Chess Championship 2024 featured several categories, from a youth tournament to the Sverigemästarklassen, a round-robin tournament with classical time control for Sweden’s top chess players. in Växjö’s spacious Fortnox Arena from June 28 to July 7. From L-R: Östlund, Hector, Seo, Lokander, Pantzar, Hillarp, Blomqvist, Galperin, Sivuk The defending champion took an early lead with four straight victories. Surprisingly, Vitaly then drew all remaining games, but it was enough to secure the title with 6.5/9 points. The 2022 champion Jonny Hector finished a half point behind and took silver, while Erik Blomqvist captured bronze thanks in no small part to his spectacular penultimate-round victory over Tiger Hillarp. Final standings: 1 GM Vitaly Sivuk 2569 6½ 2 GM Jonny Hector 2410 6 3 GM Erik Blomqvist 2527 5½ 4 IM Martin Lokander 2474 5 5 GM Platon Galperin 2551 5 6 IM Jung Min Seo 2442 5 7 GM Tiger Hillarp 2455 4½ 8 IM Milton Pantzar 2480 3 9 GM Daniel Semcesen 2451 2½ 10 FM Joar Östlund 2334 2 Complete results in all categories Official website: schack.se/ Photos: Lars OA Hedlund
WSTCC 2024: Iceland and France lead after six rounds
The FIDE World Senior Team Chess Championship has crossed the half-way mark. After six rounds of exciting battles the players have a rest day on Monday. It is a great chance to go sightseeing in this beautiful city, which offers wonderful architecture and cultural monuments. FIDE President Arkady Dvorkovich attended Round 6 and made the first ceremonial move on board 1 in the match Canada vs Iceland in the 50+ section. “We are very happy that the World Senior Team Championship is here in Krakow, Poland this time. The organizers do everything to make it a high quality event and they succeeded,” he said. “It is very important to make our senior players happy. They made great chess careers, they made many good friends and they are happy to come back, playing over the board with each other, having join memories and also visiting new places. It is very important for FIDE the make chess accessible to all ages and World Senior Team Championship is a part of this great tradition,” FIDE President added. The standings in the tournament after Round 6 are as follows: In the 50+ competition, Iceland leads with 11 team points, closely followed by Italy, Israel, England 2, Canada, and the USA, all sitting on 8 points. The leaders scored five wins and drew their match with England 1, led by Michael Adams. Standings after six rounds 50+ In the 65+ section, France Cercle D’Echecs de Strasbourg seized the top position (11/12) after defeating Slovakia, while their main rivals England 1 and Israel drew their match. As a result, England 1 goes to the rest day in second place; Israel is third. Standings after six rounds 65+ The race for the titles is still very close in both sections, with three rounds remaining. In other news, FIDE “Capture” photo exhibition by Stev Bonhage was opened here in Krakow, following the one in Morocco just a week earlier. Official website: worldseniorteam2024.fide.com Photos: Mark Livshitz
Fabiano Caruana wins Superbet Chess Classic Romania
Fabiano Caruana emerged victorious at the Superbet Chess Classic Romania in Bucharest after a dramatic final day. The first of two classical events, this tournament was a 10-player round robin with nine tour regulars and one wildcard, local Romanian favorite Bogdan-Daniel Deac. With double the prize fund of the rapid events, the players fought for a total purse of $350,000. Fabiano took the lead in Round 4 and maintained it until the last round. However, he suffered defeat at the hands of Anish Giri, which allowed Alireza Firouzja Gikesh D and Praggnanandhaa R to catch up and tie in first place. Alireza had every reason to be disappointed as he missed a golden opportunity to secure the title outright after misplaying a winning position against Praggnanandhaa. With all other games of the final round ending in draws, a total of four players tied for first place, leading to a round-robin rapid chess tiebreaker to determine the winner. Although 38 out of 45 classical games in the main event were drawn, all the tiebreaker games ended in victories. The unfazed Fabiano Caruana (deemed to be not as good at faster time controls) passed this rapid chess test with flying colours. The American GM won all three games and clinched the title and the $68,750 first prize. Alireza Firouzja lost to Fabiano but scored two wins to take second place, while Praggnanandhaa and Gukesh finished third and fourth, respectively. Photos: Grand Chess Tour/Lennart Ootes Official website: grandchesstour.org/
Ziaur Rahman (1974-2024)
FIDE is deeply saddened to hear of the passing of GM Ziaur Rahman after suffering a stroke while competing against fellow grandmaster Enamul Hossain Rajib in the 12th round of the National Chess Championship in Dhaka on July 05, 2024. He was 50. According to local media, at one stage, he fell to the ground at around 6 PM. Fellow chess players and officials then rushed Ziaur Rahman to the Ibrahim Cardiac Hospital in Shahbag, where the doctors soon declared him dead. Bangladesh’s most decorated chess player left behind his wife and a son. Graduated from the University of Dhaka, he earned the International Master (IM) title in 1993 and the GM title in 2002. Ziaur Rahman held the highest FIDE rating ever achieved by a Bangladeshi chess player (2,570 in October 2005). In 2021, he won the Mujib Borsho Invitational at Dhaka, scoring 7.5/9. Later that year he took part in the FIDE World Cup. In 2022, the 15-time national champion Ziaur Rahman made history by representing Bangladesh in the 44th Chess Olympiad with his son, Tahsin Tajwar Zia. They were the first father-son duo to be on a national chess team. FIDE extends its sincere condolences to Ziaur Rahman’s family, friends, and loved ones. Photo: FIDE/Madelene Belinki
FIDE Torch Arrives at the Triumphal Arch in Bucharest
The global celebration of FIDE’s centenary continues as the FIDE 100 Torch Relay arrives at the heart of the Romanian capital, Bucharest Hosted by the Romanian Chess Federation, the ceremony saw dignitaries, chess players, and fans gather in celebration. Romania, a formidable power in the chess world, will also mark the centenary of its own Chess Federation in 2025. The ceremonial lighting of the torch included children from local chess clubs, coaches, and players, symbolizing the unifying spirit of the FIDE100 chess flame. Attending the event on behalf of FIDE were Dana Reizniece-Ozola, Deputy Chair of the FIDE Management Board; Victor Bologan, FIDE Executive Director; Lukasz Turlej, Secretary General of the International Chess Federation; Michael Khodarkovsky, Vice President of FIDE’s Presidential Board; and Zurab Azmaiparashvili, President of the European Chess Union. The list of special guests also included Elisabeta Lipă, President of the Romanian National Agency for Sport; Andrei Novac, Secretary of State within the Ministry of Foreign Affairs; Cătălin Stegariu, General Director of the General Directorate of Gendarmes of Bucharest; Toma Laurențiu, Head of the Department of Military and Sports Activities; Cătălin Spirache, Chief Commissioner of Police and Deputy of the 1st District Police in Bucharest; Eugen Gligan of Special Telecommunications Service; Octavian Schen, General Director of the State Mint; Vlad Ardeleanu, President of the Romanian Chess Federation and George Tuță,Elected Mayor of the 1st District in Bucharest. Vlad Ardeleanu, President of the Romanian Chess Federation, expressed his gratitude to FIDE for including Bucharest in the centenary celebrations. He described the event as a “very touching and symbolic moment not only for chess but for sports in Romania.” “It is wonderful that we as a country can gather so many important people and have many symbolic [chess] events happening here, in Romania,” Ardeleanu remarked. He also praised the efforts of the Romanian Chess Federation in promoting chess, stating, “We at the Romanian Chess Federation are trying to make chess a national movement.” The FIDE Torch, a symbol of unity and celebration, has already travelled to Canada, Switzerland, India, Morocco, Ghana, and Colombia. Following Romania, the torch will proceed to Kazakhstan. Photos: Niki Riga
East Africa Cup: Teaching chess and life skills
Held annually in the last week of June in Moshi, Kilimanjaro, Tanzania, the East Africa Cup is now in its 21st year (2024). This year’s event featured football, basketball, chess, and daily seminars on crucial topics such as leadership, conflict resolution, child protection, and more. Chess and Lifeskills On the first day (June 20th), a special session engaged over 75 teenagers and young adults from diverse East African organizations and schools. This session blended theoretical and practical elements, providing participants with lessons in chess and essential life skills. The aim was to foster mental stimulation, strategic thinking, and personal development through chess, with a focus on the practical application of the learned life skills. Chess Competition Organized by the East Africa Cup secretariat and managed by the Iyanna Foundation, the chess competition took place over the next two days (June 21st and 22nd). Divided into two age categories (under 14 and above 14), the competition began with preliminary rounds on the first day to identify the top four players in each category. These top players then competed in the semifinals and finals held on the second day. The competition concluded with recognition for the top two players in each category, who received trophies and medals. Additionally, a special medal was awarded to the best female player, highlighting the event’s commitment to inclusivity and recognizing talent across genders. This structure not only celebrated competitive excellence but also promoted the holistic development of the participants by integrating chess with life skills training. Written by Elly O Goro
Tbilisi to host inaugural leg of 2024-2025 Women’s Grand Prix
The first leg of the 2024-2025 edition of the Women’s Grand Prix is set to start in the Georgian capital, Tbilisi, this August Ten players will participate in the inaugural tournament, including former women’s world champions Alexandra Kosteniuk and Mariya Muzychuk. Full list of players competing in Tbilisi: Anna MuzychukMariya MuzychukNana DzagnidzeSarasadat KhademalshariehAlexandra KosteniukR VaishaliAlina KashlinskayaLela JavakhishviliBibisara AssaubayevaStavroula Tsolakidou The tournament, a nine-game round-robin, will be held from August 14 to 25 at the luxurious Biltmore Tbilisi hotel, the first glass skyscraper in Georgia and the highest hotel in the Caucasus. The time control will be 90 minutes for the first 40 moves, followed by 30 minutes for the rest of the game, with an increment of 30 seconds per move starting from move 1. “We are looking forward to the first tournament in the new season of the Women’s Grand Prix. We think that Georgia is a wonderful starting point given the impact Nona Gaprindashvili and Maia Chiburdanidze – two former women’s world champions who are Georgian natives – had on the chess world,” said Deputy Chair of the FIDE Management Board, Dana Reizniece-Ozola. “As we will have more tournaments and more players in the 2024-2025 season, this means more opportunities to increase the visibility of Women’s Chess and help get more women interested in the sport,” Reizniece-Ozola added. A new format, more tournaments, and an increased prize fund Since its launch in 2009, the Women’s Grand Prix series has grown to become one of the most popular and prestigious competitions in women’s chess. For this season, FIDE has made changes to the system – increasing the number of participants from 16 to 20, while the number of tournaments in the season has increased from four to six, with the overall prize fund also going up. Players in the 2024-2025 Women’s Grand Prix Season The list of players includes those who have qualified as well as wild cards. The list of qualifiers was announced at the end of April this year and includes: N Player Qualification Path 1 Lei Tingjie (China) FIDE Women’s World Championship Match 2023 participant 2 Kateryna Lagno (FIDE) FIDE Women’s Grand Prix Series 2022-23 3 Aleksandra Goryachkina (FIDE) FIDE Women’s World Cup 2023 4 Nurgyul Salimova (Bulgaria) 5 Anna Muzychuk (Ukraine) 6 Tan Zhongyi (China) 7 Vaishali R (India) FIDE Women’s Grand Swiss 2023 8 Batkhuyag Munguntuul (Mongolia) 9 Humpy Koneru (India) Standard Rating in the April 2024 FIDE Rating List 10 Mariya Muzychuk (Ukraine) 11 Nana Dzagnidze (Georgia) 12 Harika Dronavalli (India) 13 Alexandra Kosteniuk (Switzerland) Sarasadat Khademalsharieh replaced the reigning Women’s World Champion Ju Wenjun, who decided not to participate. Khademalsharieh was next in line to qualify by rating according to the April 2024 FIDE Rating List. Apart from the qualifiers, there are six wild-cards in the event, five of which have been named: Lela Javakhishvili (Tbilisi) Bibisara Assaubayeva (Shimkent) Elisabeth Paehtz (Monaco) Regina Pokorna (Austria) Stavroula Tsolakidou (Cyprus) The regulations for the 2024-2025 Women’s Grand Prix season can be found – here.
Winners crowned at World Cup Under 8-12
The inaugural World Cup Under 8, 10, and 12, held in Batumi, Georgia, has concluded. Despite the participants’ young age, it was an intense and exciting competition, with chess prodigies battling it out until the very last moments to secure their positions in the final standings. Hosted by Georgia’s premier seaside resort, Batumi, this unique-format tournament brought together 288 players hailing from 37 countries. The champions and top finishers were awarded trophies, medals, and diplomas and received Apple gadgets as special prizes. After ten days of exciting competition, the winners have been crowned! The final standings in each category are the following: Open U8 1 Ulan, Rizat KAZ 2 Li Aiden Linyuan USA 3 Sattwik Swain IND Open U10 1 Bolashakov, Nurali KAZ 2 Ling Chenxuan USA 3 Chakrabarty, Reyaansh AUS Open U12 1 Obidov, Biloliddin UZB 2 Qu Haoming CHN 3 Bulgak, Damir FID Girls U8 1 Kinzyabulatova, Reana FID 2 Xin, Stella USA 3 Chen Zhihan CHN Girls U10 1 Filippov, Milana KAZ 2 Yunker, Alisa Genrietta FID 3 Khusnitdinova, Husnorakhon UZB Girls U12 1 Xue Tianhao CHN 2 Pratitee, Bordoloi IND 3 Gunawardhana, Devindya Oshini SRI Official website: wcc2024.fide.com Photos: Sophie Nikoladze and Tornike Tavadze
FIDE World Senior Team Championship 2024 kicks off in Krakow, Poland
A record-breaking 32 Grandmasters gather in Krakow, Poland, as the FIDE World Senior Team Chess Championship 2024 kicks off in this beautiful European city, with its iconic Market Square, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The championship opening ceremony took place at the renowned Słowacki Theatre, one of Poland’s distinguished playhouses operating since 1893. The event brought together 65 teams and 307 players from all over the world, boasting the highest number of Grandmasters playing in a chess competition on Polish soil this year. The ceremony attracted prominent chess figures, local officials, and celebrities, including Gunnar Björnsson (FIDE delegate), Radoslaw Jedynak (President of the Polish Chess Federation), Kamila Kałużna-Turcza (chair of the organizing committee), and Hanna Ereńska-Barlo (the first Polish WGM). City officials expressed their pride in hosting the event during FIDE’s centenary year. “We are very proud and pleased that Krakow was chosen to host this tournament during the FIDE 100 anniversary year,” said Janusz Kozioł, plenipotentiary of the Mayor of Krakow. Lukasz Turlej, FIDE Secretary General, said a few beautiful words about Krakow: “Krakow is known as a City of Kings. We are proud to see the World Team Senior Chess Championship coming here in this special year of FIDE’s 100th anniversary.” The ceremony continued with the Polish national anthem followed by the FIDE anthem. Guests were treated to a performance by a Historical Krakowian Dancing Group and a special FIDE 100th Anniversary Movie. Lukasz Turlej closed the ceremony by presenting FIDE 100 medals to Kamila Kałużna-Turcza and Janusz Kozioł. After the official part, everyone went for refreshments in the Juliusz Słowacki Theatre. A few words should be said about the tournament’s investors and partners. The event is played with the honorable support of the Ministry of Sport and several partners: the City of Krakow, Mokate, Chess Grow, Sunrise, Galaxy Hotel, and the Polish Chess Federation. Photos: Michal Walusza and Mark Livshitz