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Press release by FIDE and the FFE

The Chess for Mental Health international event, a joint effort of FIDE and the French Chess Federation (Fdration Franaise des checs or FFE) with the support of Imagine Institute, Teladoc Health and AESIO Mutuelle, was held on 9 March 2022, in Paris.

Eloi Relange, the President of FFE, said:

Among its many assets, the game of chess brings many benefits in the service of mental health. Achievements and projects are multiplying at the international level. The French Chess Federation is proud to host this international conference organized by our Health Social Disability Commission and our International Commission.

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Franck Droin, President of the Health Social Disability Commission of the FFE, added:

We have set up Health Social Disability Commission of FFE to pilot a set of programs dedicated to issues related to health, well-being and social inclusion through the game of chess. The Infinite Chess Program is the first of a set of measures focused on research and mental health in order to make chess a new tool at the service of health professionals and citizens.

The list of other key participants of the conference included Ministry of Health and Solidarity Franck Belivier, FIDE Managing Director Dana Reizniece-Ozola, Prime Minister Services Interministerial Delegate Autism and Neurodevelopmental Disorders Claire Compagnon, World Health Organization Director, Mental Health and Substance Use, WHO Devora Kestel, President of the Psychiatric French Society and President of CNQSP FFEHealth Social Handicap Maurice Bensoussan, and others.

FIDE Managing Director Dana Reizniece-Ozola noted:

Professional sport is not the only mission of FIDE. Chess and sports, in general, have to be used for other goals as well to make society stronger. Chess is an excellent tool for doing that, and we are trying to use these opportunities. Especially lately, we have developed various social initiatives where chess is used not for the sake of teaching the game itself but for the sake of social cohesion, increasing mental skills, girls empowerment and other things. Last year we also adapted our social responsibility guidelines, which goes very well with those principles that have been already encoded in our charter and policies.

Introducing chess to children with Autistic Spectrum Disorder is one of the key social initiatives of FIDE. The Infinite Chess Project aims to enhance knowledge and awareness about chess for children with ASD, give practical advice for teachers and parents, study the benefits of introducing chess and develop teaching methods.

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In the second part of the conference, Anastasia Sorokina, FIDE Vice President and leader of the Infinite Chess project, opened the discussion on chess for children with Autistic Spectrum Disorder, which was followed by presentations made by specialists from different countries, who shared their practical experiences in teaching chess to children with ASD.

Speakers, including Natalia Popova, curricula author, leader of the two-year-long project teaching chess to children with ASD, Ala Mishchanka, special needs educational assistant with more than 15 years of experience, Luis Blasco De La Cruz of FIDEs Commission for Chess in Education, Mara Rodrigo Yanguas, WFM and a sports psychologist, Erick Takawira, Director of the KZN Chess Academy, and Kanthi Devi Sarjoo, speech/language pathologist/audiologist from the Browns' School, Emmanuel Nieman, Chess Trainer, Eric Desailly of Foundation Ellen Poidatz, Franois Lescure, President of Teladoc Health France, and Sophie Krief, CEO of AESIO Mutuelle, covered various topics related to mental health, including autism, DYS, concentration, hyperactivity. The results of their studies showed that chess could improve multiple aspects of mental health.

According to the speakers, many recent studies have already highlighted the benefits of playing chess to support the development of children with autism spectrum disorders, the DYS (dyslexia, dyspraxia, dyscalculia) or attention and hyperactivity disorders. But these results must be confirmed by new studies, more extensive and more followed over time.

Kanthi Devi Sarjoo, Browns School Speech-Language Pathologist/Audiologist, said:

Observational data compiled indicated that chess is a viable medium to improve children's social skills with an autistic spectrum disorder. The use of role-playing in the chess lessons elicited emotive language and developed their creativity and imagination.

Finally, Aurlie Renard-Vignelles, Edith Jebob Duvernet, Maxence Augier, and Dr Maurice Bensoussan discussed troubles of DYS, concentration, and hyperactivity.

Presentations are available for download (pdf):

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FIDE and FFE host international conference Chess for Mental Health - ChessBase

Even though the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war has entered day 21, there are no signs of the conflict ending anytime soon as Moscow shows no signs of relenting in its pursuit of invading Kyiv. Amid the ongoing crisis that continues to inflict massive destruction across the streets of major Ukrainian cities such as Kyiv and Kharkiv, Indian Chess Grandmaster PentalaHarikrishna has announced that he would donate 10% of his prize money from the Charity Chess Cup to children in Ukraine.

In a video shared by him on his official social media handle, GM Pentala Harikrishna stated that he had been invited to the Charity Chess Cup, which was the second event of Magnus Carlsen's tour. He further added that the event also acts as a UNICEF fundraiser for children and their families of Ukraine. Harikrishna concluded the video by stating that he would donate 10% of his prize money from the Charity Chess Cup and that others should donate as much as they could as well.

In a previous Tweet, Harikrishna had also expressed his delight when it was revealed that the 44th Chess Olympiad would be moved from Russia to India. The major development had been confirmed by both the All India Chess Federation and FIDE, the International Chess Federation.

Meanwhile,Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin took to his official Twitter handle to explain the staggering milestone his state had achieved as a result of hosting the 44th Chess Olympiad. In a video released via his social media handle, Stalin said,

"Welcome, I am happy to announce an event that will be a milestone in the history of Tamil Nadu. The news is, Tamil Nadu has got an opportunity to host the 44thChess Olympiad. This is a proud moment for all the Tamils. Sports is all about one's potent - talent - beautyand much more.

Chess in particular is an amazing game that is about the steady focus of the participants and the nail-biting thrill enjoyed by the spectators. Tamil Nadu is deeply connected to this amazing game. Starting from world-renowned Grand MasterViswanathan Anand to the young prodigyPraggnanandhaa, Tamil Nadu has been continuously producing world-class chess players."

"This tournament will see participants from over 150 countries across the globe and will be one of the biggest sports events to have happened in India. I thank the FIDE and AICF for this historic opportunity. This event will take Tamil Nadu's hospitality and culture to the global arena. I resolve to conduct this Chess Olympiad in a great manner and welcome all the chess wizards from across the globe. Thank you!"

Shortly after announcing India as the nation which will host the 44th Chess Olympiad, FIDE had also revealed that they had suspended all Russian and Belarusian players from competing in events sanctioned by them with immediate effect. However, the players were given the opportunity to participate in the tournaments under the FIDE flag.

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GM Harikrishna pledges to donate part of prize money from Chess Cup to children in Ukraine - Republic World

While Magnus Carlsen is the number one chess player in the world, his streaming career is not as incredible as his chess career. To be the top chess streamer, you dont really have to be as good as Magnus Carlsen. All you need is great content and a lot of people who like your content. But if not Magnus Carlsen or Hikaru Nakamura who won the best chess streamer award?

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You must have seen the Grammys, Golden Globes, Oscars or something like Nobel prize events. Well, The Streamer Awards is perhaps like a little brother to all of them. Every year, they nominate the best content streamers from different platforms and felicitate them for their amazing content creation in different fields.

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The American-Canadian online chess sensations Alexandra and Andrea Botez won the best chess streamer award for the year 2021. With over 770k subscribers on YouTube and Twitch, Botezlive is one of the most popular chess streaming channel in the world right now. It was started by the elder sister Alexandra in April 2018 and was joined by her little sister Andrea in 2020.

Both the sisters are ace chess players and often indulge themselves in different chess challenges on YouTube and Twitch. The sisters have even played games against Magnus Carlsen, Hikaru Nakamura and other renowned Grand Masters.

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Alexandra and Andrea both started playing chess at a very young age. While the elder sister Alexandra (26) is currently amongst the top ten female players in Canada, the younger sister Andrea (19) is equally aggressive and talented chess player.

Their popularity as chess streamers is proliferating rapidly, and the duo is getting a lot of attention from media as well. Recently, CBS published an article about the elder sister Alexandra Botez on their website.

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The sisters also have a couple of sponsorship deals, including the deal with a Texas-based esports company. Although their content is pretty cool to watch, but whats more fascinating about Botezlive is that they are spreading the game to more and more people.

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They are setting the trend that chess players can be as cool as both the sisters.

WATCH THIS STORYNathan Chen, unsure about his future in figure skating opens up on Russian controversy at Beijing Winter Olympics 2022

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Queens of Chess Defeat Kings to Win the Best Streamer Award 2021 - EssentiallySports

Friday, 18 March 2022, 6:33 amPress Release: Sandra Roberts

CHESS MAKES ITS MOVE ON QUEENCITY!

Kiri Te Kanawa Theatre,Aotea Centre, Auckland16-19 June2022

TICKETS ON SALE VIA TICKETMASTER- FIVE SHOWS ONLY

Withmusic by Benny Andersson and Bjrn Ulvaeus (ABBA), book andlyrics by Sir Tim Rice, CHESS THE MUSICAL is arguably one ofthe most memorable scores ever heard. Featuring global smashhits I Know Him So Well and One Night inBangkok, this extraordinary semi-staged musical alsofeatures much-loved standards such as Anthem,Someone Elses Story, Heaven Help MyHeart and Pity The Child.

Thispowerful new production of CHESS THE MUSICAL features anall-New Zealand cast, the Auckland Philharmonia Orchestraand a 30-strong choir

Producers of CHESS THEMUSICAL are delighted to announce a stellar castfor the semi-staged series at Aucklands Kiri Te KanawaTheatre this June.

Playing the lead roles of Frederickand Anatoly fierce competitors on the chess board andfor the love of one woman are music chart-topping popartist Michael Murphy, and internationalopera star EdwardLaurenson.

Caught in their love triangleis Florence, played by Heather Wilcockwhose glorious soaring voice landed her the role of Elphabain Wicked in multiple New Zealand productions. Shehas also played Tracy in Hairspray and Eva Peron inEvita in both Auckland and Wellington.

Tryingto bring order and dignity to the game as Arbiter will beone of New Zealands favourite entertainers,Jackie Clarke MNZM. Jackies highlightsinclude performing in The Lady Killers with Tina Cross andSuzanne Lynch for 15 years, and starring in musical theatreshows such as Once, Mamma Mia!, Anything Goes, Joseph andthe Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat, Porgy and Bess, andSweet Charity.

Television and theatre starStephen Butterworth (Ngati Porou) will beplaying the smarmy and sly American television producerWalter. Stephen achieved a cult following for his roles atPop-up Globe and has appeared in The Lord of theRings and Shortland Street.

PlayingAnatolys sidekick-turned-manipulator for the state,Molokov, is Matthew Cutts, a Kiwi whosestar has shone brightly on the West End in London and acrossEurope, performing in some of the worlds biggestproductions including Andrew Lloyd Webbers StarlightExpress, Miss Saigon, Mamma Mia!, Grease, Cats, SaturdayNight Fever, Joseph and His Amazing TechnicolorDreamcoat, and Jersey Boys.

PlayingAnatolys ex-wife Svetlana is RebeccaWright, who has enjoyed an illustrious career inthe musical theatre industry, most recently performing therole of Fantine in Les Misrables at The Civic inAuckland, to critical acclaim.

The production willalso feature an outstanding ensemble and masschoir.Ensemble: Ben Wombwell, EstherDawson, Jamie Cottingham, Jeremy Downing, Melanie Davys,Nomi Cohen, Patricia Bell, Sean MacFarlane, and SkylerJed.

Choir: Alice Merrall, CathyBetty, Chantelle Gerrard, Charlotte Carroll, Chiara vanBaarle, Christina Davies, Christine Wrightson, Emily Briggs,Jocelyn Scott, Katherine Cornish, Kathryn Cross, LeahEscondo, Liz Reilly, Mikaela Stroud, Nicola Murphy, RebeccaHubbert, Vanessa Preston, Trudy Price, Joanna Wood, AminRoberts, Andy Woodd, Craig Rodgers, Dave Torres, DavidWallace, Dwayne Mallo, Flip Hirst, George Keenan, GregMilner-White, Jack Chen-Sinclair, Jesse Reynolds, JonathanBishop, Kristoff Beens, Matt Bruce, and MylesWhittaker.

CHESS THE MUSICAL isproduced by the Amici Trust and G & T Productions, inpartnership with Auckland Live and the Auckland PhilharmoniaOrchestra at the Kiri Te Kanawa Theatre at the Aotea Centrein Auckland from 16 19 June 2022, for five performancesonly.

This semi-staged production, featuring ourincredible entertainers and the Auckland PhilharmoniaOrchestra, will be filled with sumptuous musicalarrangements set to a gripping story.

Written in 1984by ABBAs Benny Andersson and Bjrn Ulvaeus, and Sir TimRice (Jesus Christ Superstar, Evita)CHESS THE MUSICAL features hits includingIKnow Him So Well recognised in the GuinnessBook of Records as the biggest selling UK chart singleever by a female duo and the upbeat pop favourite OneNight In Bangkok.

CHESS THEMUSICAL tells the story of a complex love trianglecombined with dramatic political intrigue, set against thebackground of the Cold War in the early 1980s, where Sovietand American forces attempt to manipulate an internationalchess championship for political gains.

Two of theworlds greatest chess masters, one American, one Russian,are in danger of becoming the pawns of their governments astheir battle for the world chess title getsunderway.

Simultaneously, their lives are thrown intofurther confusion by a Hungarian refugee, a remarkable womanwho becomes the centre of their emotional triangle. Thismirrors the heightened passions of the political strugglesthat threaten to destroy lives and loves.

The musicaloriginally premiered in London's West End in 1986 (where itwas revived in 2018), starring the beloved Elaine Paige. Theseason ran for three years, resulting in a BBC listener pollranking CHESS THE MUSICAL seventh in a listof Number One Essential Musicals of alltime.

Chess the board game, however, is the worldsmost popular sport with 605 million fans and now enjoys evenmore popularity following the Netflix series TheQueens Gambit, which according to Netflix drew arecord audience of 62 million households. In the first threeweeks after the TV series debut, sales of chess sets inthe US jumped by 87% and sales of chess books leaped603%.

CHESS THE MUSICAL is producedby the makers of last years theatrical extravaganzaJERSEY BOYS and is directed by Jeremy Hinman(Jersey Boys, Priscilla, Queen of the Desert).Musical direction is by Penny Dodd (Chicago, Evita, Cats,Anything Goes, 42nd Street, and The Phantom of theOpera) and vocal direction is by Jane Horder (MaryPoppins, Miss Saigon, Jesus Christ Superstar - NZ /Australia tour, Chess NZ Tour, Into the Woods, Hair, HelloDolly)

Make your move quickly. Ticketsavailable from Ticketmaster.

Venue:Kiri Te Kanawa Theatre, Aotea Centre,Auckland.Dates: Performances from 16June 2022.Times: Thursday 7.30pm;Friday 7.30pm; Saturday 2pm & 7.30pm;Sunday2pm.Tickets: Tickets from $49.10. Aservice feeapplies.

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Chess The Musical: Stellar Cast Announced | Scoop News - Scoop

It was a routine question from an interviewer at the FIDE Grand Prix 2022 in Belgrade, Serbia: How long does it take you to unwind after a chess game? But Alexander Grischuk, a Russian grandmaster who is one of the highest-ranked chess players in the world, ignored the softball.

Instead, Mr. Grischuk condemned his countrys attack on Ukraine, calling it extremely painful for me. As he spoke, he made a point of not using the word war, saying it was banned in the Russian media and he wanted to be quoted back home.

I was, and would, support Russia in 99 percent of international conflicts, but this time I cannot manage to do this, Mr. Grischuk said. In my view, what we are doing is very wrong, from both moral view and practical view.

Mr. Grischuks comments were emblematic of a sudden and jarring shift in the international chess scene, which has been moving swiftly to cut ties with Russia, where the game remains a popular source of national pride on par with ballet and hockey.

Just as the arts, sports and business worlds have moved to rebuke Russia, so, too, has chess, which is confronting questions over how far it should go to distance itself from a country with deep cultural and historical connections to the game.

Over the last several days, the International Chess Federation, the games global governing body, has criticized the war, cut ties with Belarusian and Russian sanctioned or state-controlled companies, and canceled events in Russia and Belarus, including the 44th Chess Olympiad, which was scheduled to begin in Moscow in July.

The federation, known as FIDE, also forbade Russian and Belarusian players from flying their countries flags at events and referred two Russian grandmasters who have supported the war, Sergey Karjakin and Sergei Shipov, to an internal disciplinary commission that could disqualify them from tournaments.

And FIDE moved to strip one of the worlds most famous chess players, the Russian grandmaster and former world champion Anatoly Karpov, of his title of FIDE Ambassador for Life.

As a member of the Duma, or Russian Parliament, Mr. Karpov supported President Vladimir V. Putins decision to recognize the independence of two separatist regions in Ukraine, which set the stage for Russias assault, FIDE officials said.

The moves surprised many because FIDEs president, Arkady Dvorkovich, is a former Russian deputy prime minister believed to have close ties to the Kremlin.

But Emil Sutovsky, FIDEs director general, said the organization had a responsibility to protect chess as a global game.

The message is very clear: Russia and Belarus as states have to bear consequences, but their citizens should be allowed to play under the FIDE flag as long as long as they refrain from making pro-war statements, said Mr. Sutovsky, an Israeli grandmaster who was born in Azerbaijan when it was part of the Soviet Union.

Many Russian players have forcefully denounced their countrys invasion, despite Russias crackdown on dissent.

March 4, 2022, 6:12 a.m. ET

On Thursday, more than 30 prominent Russian chess masters signed an open letter on a Russian sports website calling on Mr. Putin to end the war and reminding him that they have played dozens of matches and hundreds of games with the Ukrainian chess team, the reigning European champions.

Chess teaches responsibility for ones actions; every step counts, and a mistake can lead to a fatal point of no return, the letter states. And if this has always been about sports, now peoples lives, basic rights and freedoms, human dignity and the present and future of our countries are at stake.

Chess has a long and storied history in Russia and the Soviet Union, where the game was not just a national pastime but a strategic, state-sponsored endeavor embraced as a source of national prestige, said Maxim D. Shrayer, a professor of Russian, English and Jewish studies at Boston College.

Lenin and Trotsky were serious players, as was Nikolai Krylenko, Lenins supreme commander of the Soviet Army, who saw chess as a scientific weapon in the battle on the cultural front, according to The Immortal Game: A History of Chess, by David Shenk.

Between 1948, when the first FIDE world chess championship was held, and 1991, when the Soviet Union collapsed, Soviet players won every world chess championship save for one, in 1972, when the American chess prodigy Bobby Fischer took the title.

In the 1984-1985 competition, no winner was declared following the fight between the defending champion, Mr. Karpov, and the contender Garry Kasparov, who would win the next FIDE world chess championship and later emerge as a fierce Putin critic, Professor Shrayer said.

A Ukrainian city falls. Russian troops gained control of Kherson,the first city to be overcome during the war. The overtaking of Kherson is significant as it allows the Russians to control more of Ukraines southern coastline and to push west toward the city of Odessa.

He noted that Soviet players ruled during a period when Soviet troops brutally crushed an uprising in Hungary in 1956 and invaded Czechoslovakia in 1968 during a season of political and cultural rebirth known as the Prague Spring.

Throughout some of the worst periods of the Cold War, the Soviet Union remains victorious at chess, and you dont see this kind of movement that we see now, Professor Shrayer said.

This is a new development in how the international chess community is reacting to the national origins of the chess players from the Russian Federation and Belarus, and linking them with the Russian leader, Putin, and the whole military machine, he said.

He suggested that the decisions were a delayed reaction to the status of Soviet chess during the Cold War.

Its a story that is riddled with political tensions with Cold War politics, he said. I think part of it is the ghosts of the Cold War are now fighting their final duel.

Its not only grandmasters that have been drawn into the conflict. Millions of everyday players who compete online have flooded chess sites with comments opposing the war and have debated whether Russian players themselves should be shunned.

Chess.com, one of the most popular sites, denounced the invasion, although it said it would not restrict Russian or Belarusian players from tournaments or forbid them from using their countries flags, calling it a personal and complex choice.

Andrii Baryshpolets, 31, a Ukrainian-born grandmaster who lives in Los Angeles, said he does not believe Russian chess players should be rejected because many do not support the war and others may not be able to freely express their views.

But he said FIDEs president, Mr. Dvorkovich, should resign to protect chess from financial and reputational ruin and to fully separate it from the Russian military assault.

Chess is not related to war, he said. Lets stop the war and lets play chess.

Alan Yuhas contributed reporting.

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Ukraine War Disrupts the Quiet World of Chess - The New York Times