Hastings Chess Congress (Dec 29) receives Kowitz Family Foundation Grant for Young Talent

Hello chess blog friends, the 90th edition of the Hastings Chess Congress (Dec 29 - Jan 6) has received £6,000 from the Kowitz Family Foundation in conjunction with Chess in Schools and Communities (CSC). This generous gesture is offered primarily to further the interests of junior chess. It is intended to inspire young players, to encourage new players and to provide opportunities for existing players to reach their chess potential. In addition the profile of both Hastings Congress and Hastings Borough will be enhanced.

A spokesperson for the Kowitz Family Foundation said “The Foundation is pleased to support the Hastings International Chess Congress and more specifically junior chess players in Hastings. The town has an astonishing historic legacy in the game of chess and we hope this donation will help revive interest in the Congress among local spectators and junior competitors alike and draw chess enthusiasts from far and wide.”

£500 will be given to Sussex Junior Chess Association who are holding their annual Junior Congress in Hastings on 4th January 2015. Additions to the Congress programme will appear as soon as confirmed. These are expected to include coaching sessions and additional funding for young players in the Masters. The funding will also help further involvement with local junior schools’ chess activities.

CSC is a registed charity whose mission is to give every primary schoolchild in the country the chance to learn how to play chess. The charity was formed in 2010 but has already taught over 40,000 children. This year CSC will deliver chess to 25,000 children in 250 schools across 56 boroughs in England and Wales. The charity provides schools with chess sets, a chess curriculum, teacher training and a weekly visit from a chess tutor.

Find out more details at the official website.

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Hastings Chess Congress from December 28

Chess blog for latest chess news and chess trivia (c) Alexandra Kosteniuk, 2012

Hi everyone,

The 88th Hastings International Chess Congress will take place at Horntye Park Sports Complex from December 28, 2012 to January 6, 2013 thanks to continuing support of Hastings Borough Council.

Despite severe budget cuts, Hastings Borough Council has generously agreed to sponsor the International Chess Congress once again. As well as being a traditional fixture in the Hastings calendar of events, the Congress is also a traditional part of the international chess calendar and this year favours a ten day event instead of nine days in recent years.

Events will include a ten-round Masters tournament, a five-round Christmas tournament over three days, five-round New Year Morning and Afternoon tournaments over five days and a five-round 30th Weekend Congress on 4th, 5th and 6th January.

As well as Hastings Borough Council sponsorship, the congress is generously supported by White Rock Hotel, the Lansdowne Hotel, the Pig in Paradise, Orion Energy, Deutsch and Horntye Park Sports Complex.

Hastings Masters: A ten-round accelerated Swiss Pairing tournament Friday 28th December 2012 to Sunday 6th January 2013. This event will provide opportunities to qualify for titles and for the FIDE Rating List.

Prizes: £2000, £1200, £750, £500, £350, £250, £200 plus Horntye Brilliancy Prize + trophy. The winner will hold the Golombek Trophy for one year. Access the official website for more details.

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GM Wang Yue wins Hastings Chess Congress 2012

Chess blog for latest chess news and chess trivia (c) Alexandra Kosteniuk, 2012


Hello everyone,


We have the news from the Hastings Chess Congress that Grandmaster Wang Yue has won the title! There is a nice review in The Guardian by Leonard Barden. You can check the official website here.

Winner of the Hastings Masters Wang Yue, centre, with Amber Rudd MP and Cllr. Maureen Charlesworth.

Barden writes: "Eight world champions have won first prize at Hastings in the world's longest running tournament, launched in 1895 and held annually since 1919. Nowadays most top grandmasters prefer to play in winter for big money at the London Classic, Wijk aan Zee, Moscow and Gibraltar, but Hastings holds its niche and is kept alive and well by Hastings borough council and volunteer organisers."

"The list of previous winners includes many names from Russia and Eastern Europe, and this week the fastest rising chess power also made its mark. The top-seeded Wang Yue, 24, is China's No. 2, is ranked in the world top 50, and was nearly 100 points ahead of his nearest Hastings rival in the ratings."

"The GM from Tianjin won the £2,000 first prize unbeaten. His play is replete with strategic subtleties, and he carried too much guile in his games with England's best hopes David Howell and Nick Pert."

"Significantly, Wang Yue's main challenge came from the young Indians who also took top honours at last year's Hastings. The world champion Vishy Anand has inspired a generation who often launch their international careers in UK events. Babu Lalith and Sundar Shyam, both 19, are little known but they were joint second on 7/9, half a point behind Wang Yue."

From Alexandra Kosteniuk's

www.chessblog.com

Also see her personal blog at

www.chessqueen.com