After a 4 hour trip by train, I arrived in Budapest. Smooth check-in at the apartment, a copious lunch, and lots of walking…

Being a first-time journalist at the Chess Olympiad has its perks, but also its growing pains. First of all, I went into the wrong building for obtaining my accreditation badge. Instead of writing about chess today, I could have told you everything about the draw Hungary 0-0 Bosnia-Herzegovina. How does one make such a rookie mistake? Well, the Ferenc Puskas stadium is next to the playing hall of the Chess Olympiad, and for someone who is running low on sleep, following arrows and signs is a task more difficult than remembering lines from a Lifetime Repertoire.

In any case, mission accomplished, got the badge. The grand Opening Ceremony was set to begin in a bit over an hour and a half, on the other side of Budapest. How to get there on time, while still returning to the apartment for an outfit change? Some of the organizational flaws have been well-documented across social media, with Ivan Sokolov (team captain of Romania) giving a particularly egregious example of being overcharged by the hotel. Relying on organizer-supplied logistics, such as buses departing from the official hotels at 5 pm seemed risky, so I decided to rely on Google Maps. Thankfully, this step was easy enough, especially since I was quite familiar with the area. Nearby Hotel Bara and the ALDI supermarket have been mainstays of my yearly Hungarian chess excursion between 2021 and 2023, where by my account a grand total of +160 Elo was “farmed” across 4 events.

See: Chess Olympiad board pairings round 1 / Women Chess Olympiad board pairings round 1

Many reunions

“Fake it till you make it”

“Act like you’ve been there before”

Except…I have not, and this a dream come true. ‘Many reunions’ is the motto of the Opening Ceremony through my eyes. Right off the bat, I cordially greet GM Gergely Szabo (team captain and coach of Romania women’s) and WIM Miruna Lehaci (board 4 player). Then I exchange some friendly remarks with several of the arbiters present at the Opening Ceremony, and move on to catch up with two members of team Moldova. Fiona Steil-Antoni sits in front of me and waves enthusiastically to David Howell, situated on the far side of the right bleachers. People who had not seen each other for a while enthusiastically bond together in an atmosphere of anticipation. The energy is palpable, and I am glad to be a part of it.

The MCs arrive on the stage, but quickly depart to leave room for the speeches. First, a local politician talks about the history of Hungary’s involvement with chess and is received with lukewarm applause. Then, a musical moment, where the combination of piano and voice transports chess players into a world where the stress of losing the decisive game for your team is not going to lead to the overnight appearance of yet another 100 gray hairs, seemingly out of nowhere.

Then, Arkady Dvorkovich comes to the podium and opens by challenging the MCs assessment that one has to be “born to play chess”, insisting on its social benefits and inclusion. Dvorkovich, if not dubiously associated to the current Russian regime, could even pass as a good ambassador for the game of chess. Sadly, his ties to the Skolkovo Foundation and Dmitry Medvedev will forever taint his legacy.

More alarmingly, after campaigning for a two-term maximum limit as the FIDE President, he has walked back on his pledge, losing a lot of credibility in the face of delegates who don’t depend on FIDE’s financial support. It will be intriguing to watch what happens with the current exclusion of the Russian and Belarusian federations from sending teams to the Olympiad. The Kyrgyz Chess Federation has put up a motion that seeks to reinstate the two federations. Its proponent and federation president, Babur Tolbaev, is running for the Chairman position of the FIDE Ethics and Discipline Commission. This is the same exact commission that has publicly reprimanded Dvorkovich in a landmark decision earlier this year. The entire situation seems ironic, funny, and straight out of a Kafka novel.

Another few musical moments follow, with some players lighting up their smartphone flashlights to accompany the artists. Then, Judit Polgar enters the arena and completes the FIDE torch relay. Her sisters, Susan and Sofia, are invited to the stage alongside Chief Arbiter Ivan Syrovy to conduct the drawing of lots. Both pick black, so team USA in the open and team India in the women’s section will both start with black on their board 1.

Finally, the president of the Hungarian Chess Federation, Dr. Zoltan Polyanszky coins a quote that’s sure to stick. Wondering whether chess is art, sport, or science, he deftly quips:

“I went to the venue of the Olympiad and saw all those chess tables set there. I imagined that approximately 1,500 people would sit there in silence and full concentration, ready to give their all, and this was when I was convinced that chess is, in fact, a religion!”

The audience is clapping and tapping their feet on the rhythms of the premiere of Trojan War, the official song of the 45th Chess Olympiad performed by Rose May and Raul. The flag ceremony closes the book on the ceremony, with participants whistling and hollering when their flag is displayed on the big screen. This has been thoroughly enjoyable, but people are rushing to the exits to catch the bus that takes them back to their hotels. It’s dinner time, and then pairings for round 1.

Lots of teams remain unpaired, mostly due to visa refusals. In any case, round 1 is still under the guise of “many reunions” due to the lopsided affair that’s going to ease participants into the Olympic atmosphere. Games are on starting Sept 11th at 3 pm CEST. You can follow them right here on Chessdom!

More live (Open): Chess Olympiad 2024 live / Matches 1-26 live / Matches 26-50 live / Matches 51-75 live / Matches 75+ live / TCEC live / TCEC live 2

More live (Women): Matches 1-26 live / Matches 26-50 live / Matches 51-75 live / Matches 75+ live

More about Chess Olympaid 2024 : Participants open / Participants women / All news about Chess Olympiad 2024

This report from Budapest is brought to you by Vlad Ghita. Vlad is a chess player, coach, content creator, and chess promoter from Romania. Since 2020 he has been involved prominently in the chess world

Replay: Ding Liren in World Champion 2023

Currently India and China are 2nd and 3rd in the FIDE ratings list by federation, boasting average rating of top players 2710 and 2684 ELO respectively. USA is first with 2725 ELO, but part of that is due to influx of foreign players like Dominguez, Aronian, Oparin, Antipov, Bruzon, Akopian, Corrales Jimenez, Akobian, Moradiabadi, etc. With the rate of rise of India’s young generation, USA’s first position is certainly in danger.

First things first, Gukesh and Ding Liren will fulfill Judit Polgar’s prophecy and India and China will have a direct clash for the World Chess Championship 2024 title. In just a few days major coverage of the World Championship and events around it starts on Chessdom.com, tune in for the latest developments around the match.

The guest of the final episode is Judit Polgar, one of the most inspiring persons in chess, the strongest female chess player of all time, the only woman to have surpassed 2700 Elo and to be ranked in the top ten of all chess players. Nowadays, she is a commentator at some of the world’s top tournaments as well as an ambassador to have more females into chess and to use chess as a tool for education. 

In the podcast, Judit Polgar talked about her childhood and an educational experiment carried out by her father, Laszlo Polgar, proving that children could make exceptional achievements if trained in a specialist subject from a very early age. 

“We had many difficulties during our upbringing. Hungarian federation was absolutely not supportive of the idea that girls are able to reach the same level as boys and should be playing in the open section. And also, we have quite big challenges with the government because, at the time, it was absolutely uncommon that you decide to have your kids home-schooled. These two things gave so much opposition to my parents’ ideas that we were really for each other. We were extremely supportive.”

Polgar doesn’t think she would have reached the heights she did, had it not been for the environment her parents created. 

“I was raised completely differently from other female chess players. My parents never limited me; they were always encouraging me and my sisters that we should be as good as possible in chess. Meanwhile, most of the girls have a very classical approach from their coaches and parents. If you are a girl, you play in the girls’ section. We are looking for a girl champion. We want you to win a girls’ tournament. Basically, it means you’re limiting girls and putting the bar on the lower level for them. I would be very happy if this could change. I believe that having girls’ and women’s tournaments can be quite ok even these days, but I would prefer the approach when a coach would be saying: You’re talented, so why not become the best you can?” 

According to Judit, the approach that chess is a purely mental competition and that performance on the board is independent of gender was the key to her success in the future. 

“I think there were two points in my life clearly when the whole world was taking up this news. The first one was when I broke Bobby Fischer’s record, becoming the youngest grandmaster at the age of 15. And then later on, when I won against Garry Kasparov. It was special for the world, I guess. Suddenly, it was clear it is possible for a woman to beat the world champion.”

Talking about the Year of the Woman in Chess, Judit Polgar said that there are a lot of ways to support it.

“Of course, it’s great when there is a bigger prize fund for women’s competitions. I also think there could be some seminars for teachers and parents for mindset questions, appreciating women in chess, not only as professional players but also being around in other roles. We need to have more events which are inspiring for girls to become a chess player. To create a safe environment where girls can feel comfortable among boys and men. Also, it’s important to acknowledge the results of girls and women. I was happy that FIDE created the awards for women because it means a lot for ladies and is very encouraging for them to be recognized.” she said.

You can listen to the December episode of the FIDE podcast on the following platforms: Podbean, Amazon Music, Google Podcasts, Youtube.

■ Grandmaster Judit Polgár: The Importance of Chess in Education 
■ Welcome speech by Dr. Mikheil Chkhenkeli, Minister of Education and Science of Georgia, patron of the Educational Chess Summit 2022
■ Why is Chess Beneficial for Early Age? Demo lesson by Happy Kids International Kindergarten

■ Adriana Salazar: More Than 25 Years of Pre-school Chess
■ Rita Atkins: Teaching Problem-solving Skills through Chess with LogiqBoard

 
■ Marta Amigó:  How Chess Works Transversally in Education
■ Philippe Vukojevic: Chess as a Tool for Foreign Language Initiation 
■ ChessPE – Physical Education on the Giant Chessboard

■ Stefan Kindermann: The King’s Plan – Strategy and Decision Making for Kids 
■ Ashwin Subramanian: Play Chess – Become a Leader!
■ Girls in Chess – a short film by Jenny Schweitzer
■ Jerry Nash: What Kind of PERSON Do We Want Our Daughters to Become?
■ Anastasia Sorokina: Infinite Chess for Kids with ASD

■ Malcolm Pein: How can Chess Build Community and Raise Social Awareness?
■ Nicolás González García: Commercial of Neusus Upcycling
■ Jesper Bergmark Hall: How to Develop a Good Chess Project for Kids
■ Chess in Education: The Next Move – Dana Reizniece-Ozola, Judit Polgar, Zurab Azmaiparahsvili, Leontxo García

More information on official webpage

Educational Chess Summit 2022 – Complete program with short biographies of the speakers

FIDE Managing Director, Dana Reizniece-Ozola, opened the ceremony with an inspiring speech. “We must ensure that when a girl or a woman thinks of what she wants to become, she keeps in mind that chess is also a career path. It is our duty to create an environment where they can become the greatest players in the world, the greatest arbiters, managers, leaders of the chess world.”

Dana is a women-in-chess movement enthusiast who works tirelessly to encourage more women to participate in every aspect of chess life, from playing to administrative roles. She received a special Spirit of FIDE prize for her contribution and passion. 

FIDE President Arkady Dvorkovich welcomed guests of the ceremony and praised the awardees: “Ladies who will be awarded today did a great job already for a long period of time, including this year. They are examples and role models for everyone who loves chess and who wants to contribute every day, every month, every year. 2022 was announced the Year of the Woman in Chess, but it should not be just one year; it should be the whole life.” 

Hungarian legend Judit Polgar, the strongest female chess player of all time, received the Fide ICON award.

“It is a great honour to receive the FIDE ICON Award. This award is a recognition of my decades-long career as a chess player and my work promoting chess and encouraging women’s orientation towards chess. We must continue to work to ensure that more girls experience this ancient game’s beauty, knowledge, and benefits. I take every opportunity to convey the message to girls and people around them: strive to make the most of their talents. Because if we do not limit girls, if we encourage and inspire them to persevere and build their confidence, they will succeed in any field of life,” said Judit Polgar after receiving the award.

The awards have been provided by Dr Alwahshi Abdullah Salem of the Saudi Arabian Chess Federation, which fielded a women’s team at the Olympiad for the first time. 

Some of the recipients of the Awards, like Anastasiya Karlovich, the overall winner of Outstanding photographer, came to Chennai for the occasion. Others, like Sonja Johnson (Outstanding chess administrator) or Anastasia Sorokina (Outstanding chess arbiter), were already at the Chess Olympiad performing other duties. Some winners, like Alexandra Kosteniuk (Outstanding chess player of 2021), could not be present but recorded a touching speech. 

Here is the complete list of winners. Our congratulations to all!

Outstanding ‘game changer’ (social project leader, role model, etc.)
Jennifer Shahade
Susan Namangale (Africa)
Tris-Ann Richards (Americas)
G.S.Wijesuriya Mrs. (Asia)
Nona Gaprindashvili (Europe)

Outstanding chess administrator
Sonja Johnson
Christiana Ashley (Africa)
Alejandra Beatriz Zavala Galindo (Americas)
Medina Zhumashova (Asia)
Gulkiz Tulay (Europe)

Outstanding chess arbiter
Anastasia Sorokina
Tshepiso Lopang (Africa)
Sabrina de San Vicente (Americas)
Kaussar Bauyrzhan (Asia)
Shohreh Bayat (Europe)

Outstanding chess educator  
Alshaeby Razan
Magret Ngugama (Africa)
Sandra Torres Braiz (Americas)
Rozaliya Vendrova (Asia)
Nilufer Cinar Corlulu (Europe)

Outstanding chess organiser  
Cristina Pernici Rigo  
Judith Kiragu (Africa)
Beatriz Marinello (Americas)
Gulmira Dauletova (Asia)
Yana Sidorchuk (Europe) 

Outstanding chess player of 2021  
Alexandra Kosteniuk  
Amanda Ngwinondebe (Africa)  
Maria Esther Granados Diaz (Americas)
Bibisara Assaubayeva (Asia)  

Outstanding chess trainer  
Shadi Paridar  
Anzel Laubscher (Africa)  
Regina Ribeiro (Americas)
Baktygul Tilebaeva (Asia)
Natalia Popova (Europe) 

Outstanding influencer/commentator/social media star  
Tania Sachdev  
Jovita Nwansi (Africa)
Alexandra Botez (Americas) 
Dilayla Sadvakasova (Asia) 
Ellen Fredericia Nilssen (Europe)

Outstanding photographer
Anastasiya Karlovich
Patricia Claros Aguilar (Americas) 
Shakhnazi Musaeva (Asia)  
Eteri Kublashvili (Europe) 

Outstanding politician  
Viktorija Cmilyte-Nielsen
Damaris Abarca (Americas)
Zhansaya Abdumalik (Asia)  

Peter-Heine Nielsen received award for his wife Viktorija Cmilyte-Nielsen from the hands of Vishy Anand

Outstanding representation of ‘He-For-She’
Jean Michael Rapaire
Erick Takawira (Africa)
Carlos Rivero Gonzalez (Americas)
Ye Jiangchuan (Asia)
Wojciech Zawadzka (Europe)

Woman with disability for outstanding fighting spirit
Svetlana Gerasimova     
Valeska Rozas Lazcano (Americas)
Dariia Kudainazarova (Asia)
Handenur Sahin (Europe)

Federation with the highest % of female rated players
Vietnam – 37%
Mozambique (Africa) – 34%
Ecuador (Americas) – 24%
Mongolia (Asia) – 35%
Georgia (Europe) – 27%

Replay the Award ceremony below:

Judit’s Best Endgames – Masterclass

Judit’s Best Endgames is a two-hour masterclass by living legend Grandmaster Judit Polgar (peak 2735 FIDE), which shows you how to excel in endgames through energetic piece and pawn play. The course includes a ticket to GM Judit Polgar’s Chessable-exclusive masterclass, the opportunity to ask your most pressing endgame questions to Judit directly, and  MoveTrainer exercises and a video recording of the masterclass. Join the masterclass here