Chess Club Black & White (CCBW)

Tuesday, October 1, 2024

Freestyle Chess Grand Slam 2025 US, Germany, South Africa Dates Announced

Hamburg, October 1, 2024 – The first dates for the new Freestyle Chess Grand Slam 2025 with Magnus Carlsen have been set: The elite of chess will initially meet from 7 to 14 February in Weissenhaus in northern Germany. The second event is planned for 17 to 24 July in the USA. In December 2025, the event will then move to South Africa, where it will be played from 1 to 8 December. The specific venues will be announced later.

"We are very pleased about these concrete steps towards the globalization of Freestyle Chess and are convinced that the Grand Slam will take chess as a spectator event into a new dimension,” said entrepreneur and investor Jan Henric Buettner, who launched the new series together with the world’s best chess player Magnus Carlsen.

Thomas Harsch, who was appointed Managing Director of Freestyle Chess Operations GmbH on 1 September, added: "The opening tournament this February in Weissenhaus, Germany, has already received an overwhelmingly positive response from players, fans and the media around the world. Chess interest in the USA is traditionally very good, and in Africa, there is huge untapped potential that we now want to realize.”

The newly founded Hamburg-based company Freestyle Chess Operations GmbH will organize six to eight Grand Slam tournaments a year on all continents. Magnus Carlsen, the greatest chess player of his era and co-founder of the new tour, will take part in all tournaments. The prize money to be shared between the players is 750,000 US dollars for each of the first three tournaments and 1 million US dollars for the subsequent tournaments. Freestyle Chess retains the core elements of traditional chess but offers a new twist: the pieces on the baseline are placed randomly. Also known as Fischer Random, this innovative setup brings new strategic options and greater unpredictability to the game, promoting a fresh, new way of competing.

French Pianist Jason Kouchak, Hungarian Singer Lilla Vincze Chess Song Premiere

French pianist and composer Jason Kouchak (whom we interviewed recently) will be performing with Lilla Vincze, Hgarian singer from the band Napoleon Boulevard at the opening ceremony of the 45th Chess Olympiad in Budapest on September 10, 2024. You can watch the event at the official Fide website.

Their chess-themed song will premiere at the opening ceremony of the 45th Chess Olympiad. The song Royal Game draws inspiration from chess games and speaks about human relationships and the games we play in those. Besides Royal Game, Lilla Vincze and Jason Kouchak will sing songs in three languages, in Hungarian, in English and in French to highlight the cultural diversity of the chess community. It’s no coincidence that they sing about chess: Jason Kouchak is an amateur chess player, and while he does not take part in competitions, chess plays a central role in his life.

Royal Game will not be the only premiere at the opening ceremony, the official song of the Chess Olympiad will also be performed live for the first time. The song Trojan War was created by Rose May and Raul in a songwriting camp organized by Artisjus and zeneszöveg.hu. This way the opening ceremony will be an event where various cultures and nations, and also various generations can come together.

The will be several other events alongside the main event.

Chess Olympiad, the largest global chess event, will be hosted this year by Budapest between 10 and 23 September. Legendary players and rising stars will come together to compete. Hosted by the BOK Sports and Conference Centre, the Olympiad will offer an array of satellite events. The Judit Polgár Chess Foundation will take you on a special adventure to its Chess Palace, the International Chess Federation (FIDE) will present its 100-year history in an exhibition, and you can participate in competitions, a chess quiz and more, organized by the Hungarian Chess Federation.

Chess enthusiasts and those who are just getting to know this sport can take part in the events of the 45th Chess Olympiad for free. The venue is the BOK Sports and Conference Centre, open on competition days, games are scheduled between 3 pm and 9 pm. Attendance is free, but there is limited audience capacity: visitors can watch the games of the Olympiad from the stands, but on-the-spot registration is required. In order not to disturb the games and the players, no electronic devices are allowed on the stands.

The EXPO in Hall C will offer free events and activities. You can watch the games live on a screen and listen to experts analysing the key games from the previous day. In addition to the events, there will be several exhibitors with chess-related stands, including Women in Chess and DGT. At DGT, you can check out the state-of-the-art chessboards with Bluetooth functionality that competitors also use. If you would like to buy some special merchandise as a keepsake from the 45th Chess Olympiad, you can do that, too.

The Judit Polgar Chess Foundation will invite children and adults to the magical world of the Chess Palace. This is a project of the greatest ever female chess player, Judit Polgár, where you can explore a fantasy chess world and its inhabitants. You can also get the autograph of the Polgár ladies, Zsuzsa, Zsófia and Judit.

The International Chess Federation (FIDE) is celebrating its 100th anniversary this year. An exhibition will mark this special occasion at the Chess Olympiad, with highlights from the past 100 years of the federation and the chess community. FIDE is also bringing an urban installation, Capture, with photos of people playing chess from around the world. You can visit the exhibition in Vigadó Square between September 17 and 22.

FIDE will have several conferences and seminars at the event. For further information, please visit: fide.com/news/3189

The Hungarian Chess Federation is also offering a number of events and activities at the Olympiad. You can take part in a walkabout chess quiz, enrol in competitions and watch the simultaneous displays at the event.

Further information: chess.hu/tovabbi-esemenyek/

The 45th Chess Olympiad is organized by the National Event Management Agency, in cooperation with the Hungarian Chess Federation and the International Chess Federation.

Jan Matthies is an IT-consultant in his early fifties from Hamburg Germany. Just like the rest of us he's excited about the 45th Chess Olympiad in Budapest from September 10 to 23, 2024. Therefore, Jan listed some artificial intelligence and created a fan rap song video. He even got permission from the National Event Management Agency for use of the official logo. The agency is organising the Olympiad in co-operation with the Hungarian Chess Federation and the International Chess Federation (FIDE).

Here's Jan's AI fan video

Fusion of art and technology, this AI-generated masterpiece celebrates the upcoming Chess Olympiad. Leveraging the power of Suno for the music and lyrics creation, Midjourney for the visuals, and Videobolt for the music/photo visualisation, this video unveils a captivating world where music, visuals, and poetry intertwine to capture the essence of chess. Inspired by the strategic depth and competitive spirit of the game, this unique fan art project offers a fresh perspective on the world's most beloved board game. Join us on this extraordinary journey as AI brings chess to life.

Here's FIDE's official video:

But, we won't just stop here because Jan also has a special chess story. He's an adult improver — a very category in our chess community which is completely taken over by talented kids. He's back to the board.

Jan says, "My father taught me the rules when I was six. I beat him at nine and he never played against me again. Since then I'm always playing chess on and off, with like 3-5 years of breaks in between. I only played, but never learned."

Jan adds: "And I was happy with that until I joined the Chess Dojo last November. Back then I thought why not see where this can lead to and it is great to see myself improving now. I like the mental state I'm in when thinking for more than 5 minutes. The world around myself somehow vanishes."

Jan stumbled upon Chess Dojo while browsing the internet. "I never knew how to study chess and was in clear lack of a plan. Here was where I found learning easy as an adult improver and buddies to practice and train with."

"I wish I was a kid again. Because of the free time that I back then had and could have spent for chess and being 53 I start noticing that learning take just a little longer nowadays of course," says Jan. But he's on track.

In fact, Jan is also another example that chess and music go together. "I'm playing the piano since the age of 6. In my free time I have been the manager for Alan Broadbent, a two-time Grammy Award winning jazz pianist, composer, arranger and conductor. We stopped working in the middle of the pandemic. I guess that additional freetime now also made me look into chess again. As I like music and am interested in Artificial Intelligence it was only natural to see what AI can do for music creation. Then I went into research and this is the result!"

So, watchout all chess sharks! Here comes Jan with his moves!

— International Arbiter Naveen Karthikeyan

Here are the lyrics:

Checkmate Dreams

[Verse 1]
Pawn to e4, the game's on fire
Knights jumping round, got strategy to inspire
Bishops slicing diagonals, precision's attire
Queens rule the board, true chess empires

[Verse 2]
Castling kings, fortifying thrones
Rooks roaming straight, cracking bones
Every move's a poetry, hearts made of stones
Cerebral warriors, minds sharper than drones

[Chorus]
Cheering on, national team supreme
Chess Olympiad, they living the dream
Brains battling, on a 64 square scheme
Every move, so grand, stealing the scene

[Verse 3]
Clock ticking down, adrenaline rush
Spectators silent, you can hear a pin drop hush
Notes on the board, sweet mental crush
Strategies unfolding, no time to blush

[Verse 4]
Endgames tight, kings in a bind
Queen sacrifices, a mastermind
Fighting till the end, no peace to find
Their victory's a melody, precisely timed

[Chorus]
Cheering on, national team supreme
Chess Olympiad, they living the dream
Brains battling, on a 64 square scheme
Every move, so grand, stealing the scene

KK Khare wins the CCBW Rapid Open, Himmika Best Woman Chess Player

Chief guest Harsh Wadhwani and Daizy Sonal Mishra with the prize winners of the "CCBW Open Rapid" chess tournament at The Charans Plaza.

Senior Lucknow player KK Khare took down two generations of chess players to win the CCBW Rapid Open. Arif Ali was second on tiebreak. Khare is a huge inspiration for the state chess community, having obtained his first FIDE International chess rating at the age of 62 in a sport where teen prodigies abound. Along with his trophy, Khare received a standing ovation from more than 100 UP players in the tournament hall.

Tournament Champion KK Khare

Best Woman Category Winner Himmika Amarnani

Himmika Amarnani played her usual attacking chess to win the best women's ccategory prize.

Tournament hall at Charans Plaza in Hazratganj.

Prashant Dwivedi from Kanpur excelled in the junior section.

Nine-year-old Mohd Ismail Siddiqui of Prayagraj chose to play among the sharks in the open section and picked up the Best Family Team prize with his father, Rashid.

Hrothbertina Hilton and Ved took home the Best Mixed Doubles team prize.

Abhivadan Shukla fought well to win the Brave Beginner Prize.

Corporate leader Harsh Wadwani and fashion influencer Daizy Sonal Mishra gave away the prizes.

The tournament was organised to create awareness among youngsters about learning from their elders on the occasion of United Nations World Senior Citizens Day.

Other top results:
Under 10: 1-2. Abhigyan Katiyar, Abhiraj, 5 pt each, 3. Viyan Agarwal, 4.5 pt.
Under 13: 1-3. Adyansh Singh, Dibbayan Chakraborty, and Advik Tripathi, 5.5 pt each.
Under 16: 1. Rachi Yadav, 5.5 pt, 2. Ujjwal Raj Srivastava, 5 pt, 3. Kushagra Pandey, 4.5 pt.
Senior Citizen: 1. Kamlesh Kumar Kesharwani, 4 pt, 2-4 Kranti Kumar Gupta (Bareilly), Sharad Kumar Pandey, R P Gupta, 3 pt each.
Under-16 Rated: 1. Chinmay Vajpayee, 5pt, 2-3. Krishna Tejas T, Daksh Surana, 4 pt each.

More photos in Facebook album (including newspaper clippings): https://www.facebook.com/share/p/afhdS3odQRwudgU4/

Other News Links:

- https://theindianview.in/news_id/68271

- https://nationalnewsvision.com/kk-khare-is-champion-in-ccbw-rapid-open-himmika-is-the-best-female-player/

- https://telescopetoday.in/archives/48280

- https://www.jubileepost.in/kk-khare-is-champion-in-ccbw-rapid-open-himmika-is-the-best-female-player/

- https://www.morningpoint.in/kk-khare-is-the-champion-in-ccbw-rapid-open-himmika-is-the-best-female-player/

You Can Play Vishy Anand in Chesscom Match vs the World from Sept 30

www.chess.com is hosting the Vishy Anand vs The World online event from September 30 to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the Kasparov vs. the World match. At the time, then-world champion GM Garry Kasparov made headlines when he played more than 50,000 opponents online. Kasparov eventually won the game after four months and 62 moves.

Now, players worldwide will face another former world champion and one of the most prominent chess figures on the planet, Anand. Members willing to participate can vote for the next move at any point in the game, and the game will follow the move with the most votes.

Vishy vs. The World format

Expectations are that the Vishy vs. The World match will attract a massive amount of players, surpassing the 50,000 mark reached in Kasparov vs. The World. If this happens, you can be a part of the record-breaking game with the most participants in history!

To this day, Anand is one of the strongest players in India, one of the most potent countries in the chess scene. He is also among the few players over 50 who are still active and can compete on equal grounds with today's elite. Do you think you can take him down? How do you think this game is going to end? Let us know in the comment section at the www.chess.com website.

Chief guest Dr Akash Vikram with prize winners of the "CCBW Chess for Freedom" chess tournament.

Veteran player Sayeed Ahmad of the Lucknow Chess Centre won the CCBW Chess for freedom tournament with a perfect 7/7, two-points ahead of Anubhav Singh, Mohd Ismail Siddiqui (Prayagraj), and Udit Gupta (Varanasi). Hrothbertina Hilton won the Best Woman prize (4 points). She also took home the mixed doubles team first prize partnering with Ved (7.5 points). The highlight of the tournament was former state champion Sameer, the twenty-three-year-old Sameer partner with his super-senior octogenarian grandmother to win the mixed-doubles team second prize (6.5 points).

Tournament Champion Sayeed Ahmad

Junior Champion Yaqoob Husain

The best veterans (+60 age group) Sakiluddin (4.5 points), Rajinder Mahana (4 points), R P Gupta (3.5 points), Ajit Kumar Srivastava (3.5 points) and Sharad Kumar Pandey (2.5 points)

Nine-year-old Ismail along with father Rashid powered to top spot in the family section with (8 points), followed by father-son Ashish Kumar and son Ishaan with (6 points).

Ishu Srivastava fought well to win the Brave Beginner prize among all the sharks.

Teenager Yaqoob Husain (Prayagraj) played extremely attacking chess to win the junior section with (6.5 points). Ayush Goswami, with his strong middlegame, was runner-up with (5.5 points).

Author of Bhagavad Gita with chess, FIDE International Arbiter Naveen Karthikeyan, speaking at the tournament, discussed his book Zih-e-Lucknow, which traces Lucknow's history with chess and how the chess playing queen, Begum Hazrat Mahal, led India's first war of independence riding an elephant. "Chess is not about war, it is about creative freedom of the mind within a disciplined framework of rules and respect for everyone."

Dr Akash Vikram, professor at the Lucknow University, gave away the prizes.

Top results:

Under 10: 1. Shahab Murad Alam, 4.5 pt, 2-4. Amay Rajendra, Rajvansh Goel, Advik Singhal, 4 pts.

Under 13: 1-3. Ishaan Kumar, Arjun Garg, Saksham Srivastava 5 pt.

Under 16: 1. Om Pandey, 4.5 pt, 2-3. Shubh, Pratham Neogi, 3.5 pt.

Best Unrated: 1. Sanjeev Kumar, 4.5 pt, 2. Nikhar Saxena, 4 pt, 3. Ashish Kumar, 3 pt, 4. Kanak Kumar, 2.5 pt, 5. Aditya Gupta Johri, 2 pt.