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hosted by Chess Queen™ & 12th Women's World Chess Champion Alexandra Kosteniuk
Saturday, December 27, 2014
Friends help Talented Chess Kid before he Loses Vision - You can Help
Hello chess blog friends, talented chess kid gets help from the community as doctors say he would lose his vision - Seventh-grader Jonathen Speelman looks like any normal 12-year-old and is a wizard at chess. He even has the trophies to prove it. Three years ago doctors found an incurable eye disorder, retinitis pigmentosa, that will eventually lead to blindness that could happen at any time.
Jon's mother says it is painful for her to think about her son going blind. Jon has already learned to read braille and teaches it to other children at a nearby elementary school.
But for now, Jon just wants to be a normal kid.
“I don't want to be treated like I’m someone special or need special treatment or anything,” Jonathen said. I just want to be known as the boy who's normal.”
A friend is trying to help Jon see some sites he hasn't gotten to yet at his young age and has set up a website so anyone can contribute. To donate, click here. (This report is via wgal.com where you can also watch a video.)
Chess Charity Project for Disabled Kids: World GMs for Children
Hello chess blog friends,
On November 9, within the framework of the International TASHIR Chess Tournament in memory of Tigran Petrosian a special session of simultaneous game “World Grandmasters for the children” will be held. The young chess players with physical disabilities will have a unique opportunity to play with the greatest grandmasters of the world. The event is organised by the Tashir Group of Companies, the Russian Chess Federation and the charity Fund "The country of talents" with the program of the all-Russian charity evenings for disabled children "Melody of the game".
Eight children from the Moscow Metropolitan Area correctional schools will contend with the participants of the International TASHIR Chess Tournament in memory of Tigran Petrosian held from November 3 till 11 at Novotel Moscow City. A team of grandmasters will compete with the children: the World Cup holder, three-time Olympic Chess Champion Levon Aronian (Armenian), the ex-world champion Vladimir Kramnik (Russia), the two-time World Blitz Chess Champion Alexander Grischuk (Russia), the Vice World Chess Champion Boris Gelfand (Israel), the Vice World Champion Peter Leko (Hungary), the China’s leading grandmaster Din LiZhen, the two-time Chess Champion of Russia Alexander Morozevich and the winner of the Russian Championship Higher Leagues Ernesto Inarkiev (Russia).
The judge of the "World Grandmasters for the children” simultaneous game will be Boris Postovsky – the chief judge of the International TASHIR Chess Tournament in memory of Tigran Petrosian. The grandmaster Rafael Vaganian will reward the participating children of the session.
Zara Agemian, head of communications and marketing of the Tashir group of companies: "Disabled children have unlimited mental capacity, a great will-power to overcome all difficulties on the way to the victory. Any actions today are shaping the tomorrow, and our task is to create the conditions contributing to the intellectual development of the younger generation. We are happy to be able to hold a special tournament for children within the framework of the main tournament and to give children the chance to play and socialize with the greatest grandmasters of modernity".
Rafael Vaganian, the grandmaster, the Chairman of the appellation committee of the International TASHIR Chess Tournament in memory of Tigran Petrosian:
"For the improvement of the young players, live communications with the leading grandmasters of the world play a great role and computers can’t replace it. I remember many years ago all boys and I used to look at Tigran Petrosian, how greedily we were devouring every word of the great champion! This game for disabled children will surely give them plenty of bright emotions and inspire for a deeper study of chess. Our game brings people together and stays with us for life!"
The main aim of the evening is to attract the attention of the public and the media to the possibility of self-realisation and socialisation of disabled children through studying chess.
Young Chess Players Set to Compete in Honor of Defeating Breast Cancer
Hello everyone,
Charity and chess do go together. Here is a press release for such an event. We wish everyone the joy of chess and salute everyone promoting chess for a cause.
Fremont, CA (PRWEB) April 19, 2014 Nearly every family has been touched by the disease known broadly as cancer. Every May, we set aside a date to honor our Mothers but this year, rather than just honoring Mothers, we can come together to help defend them against Breast Cancer at a chess tournament in Fremont, California. Chris Torres, the President of the Torres Chess and Music Academy feels that, "Chess is about making good choices. If you value your child's chess education and hate cancer, the choice is easy. Come to our tournament in Fremont on May third."
The Torres Chess and Music Academy is a nonprofit organization whose chess programs regularly produce top best scholastic chess players in the country. In 2013, Mission San Jose Elementary School, again, became the National Elementary Chess Champions. On May 3, 2014 the Torres Chess and Music Academy will be hosting a chess tournament in the fight against cancer at Mission San Jose Elementary School. All students who attend will receive awards and help raise money to fight breast cancer in honor of Mother's Day.
This year's tournament should raise even more money for breast cancer research thanks to a sponsorship by Steve and Kate's Camp. Steve and Kate have been running the best summer activity camps for children since 1980. Steve and Kate’s Camp lets campers choose activities such as stop motion animation, soccer in an inflatable stadium, rock climbing on a 30 foot wall, bread making, knitting with bamboo needles, music recording in custom vocal booths, and pie throwing. A Steve and Kate representative will be on hand at the chess tournament to answer any questions about their awesome summer programs.
The Torres Chess and Music Academy will also be well represented at the May 3 chess tournament. Many of the TCAMA’s top coaches will be on hand to provide chess analysis and to otherwise assist in making the tournament an educational experience for all attendees. In addition, the Torres Chess and Music Academy will be providing live music and will have plenty of information available about summer chess activities in the area.
Don't miss out on a great opportunity to participate in a fantastic chess event while celebrating our Mothers. For round times, and registration please visit the Torres Chess and Music Academy online.
Kuala Lumpur Chess Tournament helps Raise funds for Haiyan Typhoon Victims
Chess Blog for Daily Chess News and Trivia (c) Alexandra Kosteniuk, 2013
Hello everyone,
Kuala Lumpur (Dec 8, 2013): The Cheras Chess Academy raised RM5,770 to help typhoon Haiyan victims by organising a one-day chess tournament among its members today.
"Kids For Chess" founder Collin Madhavan who initiated the effort, pulled together parents and children to help raise funds for theSun Typhoon Haiyan Relief Fund.
"I wanted to involve the children in this fund-raising effort to create awareness of what is happening outside the comfort of their homes," said Madhavan, an avid chess tutor for children and adults.
Raja (centre) presenting the donation to Gurunathan (right). Also in the picture is KER1M member Jeya Krishnan. SUNPIX by CAROL LEONG WAI SUM
At the fundraiser today, many of his friends and the chess community came together for a simultaneous chess match at the International Youth Centre in Bandat Tun Razak, here.
Meanwhile, the Persatuan Kesejahteraan Rakyat 1Malaysia (KER1M) which was touched by the plight of the victims has donated RM3,000 to the fund. Ceros Raja, private secretary to KER1M president Datuk Ranjith Raja, presented a cheque for the amount to theSun distribution channels senior manager G. Gurunathan. Raja expressed his sadness over the disaster which hit the Philippines and which left many of its citizens without a home.
"As Malaysians, we should be more concerned about those facing hardship on a daily basis, including those abroad," he said. With the two latest donations, the Sun Typhoon Haiyan Relief Fund breached the RM400,000 mark today. On Nov 8, 2013, Typhoon Haiyan had torn through the central Philippines, leaving a trail of devastation.
In thanking donors, theSun managing editor Freddie Ng hoped more Malaysians would donate generously towards the worthy cause. "Thousands of people were killed, but millions more are at risk of death from hunger and disease," he said.
Funds collected through the Sun will be chanelled solely to Mercy Malaysia for immediate on-site health and medical relief operations. (The Sun Daily, Kuala Lumpur)
Chess players compete in Germany to help street children in Istanbul
Chess Blog for Daily Chess News and Trivia (c) Alexandra Kosteniuk, 2013
Hello everyone,
The intercultural Chess Club “Satranç Club 2000“organized the 7th Intercultural Rapid Chess Tournament in Cologne, Germany. Half of the proceeds have been donated to the Children of Hope Association, which helps impoverished children on the street in Istanbul, in cooperation with the Sister Cities Association of Cologne and Istanbul. Turkey’s Ambassador to Cologne Hüseyin Emre Engin attended the opening of the tournament, expressing his support for such events.
The Satranç Club was founded in the year 2000 by members of Turkish origin and now, many other nations are part of the club, thus realizing the World Chess Federation (FIDE) motto “Gens una Sumus” (We are one family). Istanbul and Cologne have been sister cities since 1997. (Hurriyet Daily News)
Chess for a Cause by Ashley Tapp: Because.I.Am.A.Girl
Chess blog for latest chess news and chess trivia (c) Alexandra Kosteniuk, 2012 Hi Everyone,
We've just received this nice video and news about Canadian chess talent Ashley holding a charity chess event on Feb 2. She played chess at Chapters Book Store/Granville St-Broadway, Vancouver for the charity 'Because I am a girl'. This charity supports girls around the world whose inequalities start from poverty, lack of schooling, health care and opportunities.
All previous Chess Blog posts on Ashley Tapp are here. We wish this Vancouver chess talent all the best with her chess adventures. "Well done" to Ashley for her fundraiser and we are all for her Valentine's Day message : Share the Love! :)
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12th Women's World Chess Champion
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