Tromso Chess Olympiad on Schedule in Norway Aug 1-15
Hello chess blog friends, you will be happy to know that the Tromso Chess Olympiad 2014 is on schedule as the organisers have obtained adequate funding, reports the event official website.
NOK 12 million for Chess Olympiad in revised budget
"Naturally, we are grateful and happy," said Chair of the Board of the Tromsø 2014 Chess Olympiad Hans Olav Karde, after learning that the Norwegian government coalition partners the Conservatives and the Progress Party, and support parties the Christian Democrats and the Liberals, have allocated NOK 12 million to the Chess Olympiad in the revised budget for 2014.
The Chess Olympiad has received NOK 12 million of the NOK 15.1 million in additional funding it applied for. This additional funding is required to cover the additional costs related to hosting the World Cup event in 2013 and the record-breaking registration for the actual Chess Olympiad, which will take place from August 1-14, 2014.
There will now be a Chess Olympiad in Tromsø
Hans Olav Karde added: That means the Chess Olympiad in Tromsø will go ahead. We still have a considerable task ahead of us to find sponsors and other contributors to cover at least NOK 3 million. In light of the additional government funding we have to bank on the success continuing and that the remaining funding will also fall into place.
As you know Chess Queen™ Alexandra Kosteniuk is also one of the official ambassadors for the Chess Olympiad 2014 in Norway. Here's her message:
“From the start I’ve been supporting the 2014 Chess Olympiad in Tromsø, and I’m counting the days to come and participate in this great event, which promises to be a truly historic event, uniting the best chess players in the world with an increasingly knowledgeable base of chess fans in Norway. See you soon in Tromsø!"
Have you read these others Chess Blog posts?
- Tromso Chess Olympiad Aug 2014: Take a Cruise to Norway!
From Alexandra Kosteniuk's
Labels: norway chess olympiad 2014
Magnus Carlsen heads Norwegian Chess Olympiad Teams
Hello chess friends, the Norwegian Chess Federation has announced the four chess teams that will represent Norway at the 2014 Chess Olympiad in Tromsø, according to the official website update.
The top team, which features World Champion Magnus Carlsen on first board backed up by four more grandmasters, was described by the chairman of the selection committee as “the best Norwegian national team in history”.
Norway’s first team
The Norwegian first team in the Open Section will look as follows:
GM Magnus Carlsen (Stavanger Chess Club)
GM Simen Agdestein (Oslo Chess Club)
GM Jon Ludvig Hammer (Oslo Chess Club)
GM Kjetil Lie (Asker Chess Club)
GM Leif Erlend Johannesen (Oslo Chess Club)
Grandmasters Simen Agdestein, Jon Ludvig Hammer and Leif Erlend Johannesen
Thomas Robertsen, Chair of the Elite Committee of the Norwegian Chess Federation, commented:
This is the best Norwegian national team in history. The first team in the open section consists exclusively of grand masters. We have a world champion, and some very good players who if they are in form can be a match for anyone. Magnus leads the way, but has a wonderful collection of strong players behind him; a great blend of creativity, experience, solidarity and tremendous will. This bodes well!
The Norwegian Chess Federation has strong hopes of seeing the best ever performance by the Norwegian team at the Chess Olympiad, and is really looking forward to seeing this team playing at home in Tromsø in August. With live broadcasts on television and the internet, Norwegians can begin looking forward to a very exciting competition at the highest level.
The women’s first team consists of:
Sheila Barth Sahl (Black Knights)
Niina Koskela (SOSS (Selskapet for Osloemigrerte Sørlandssjakkspillere))
Olga Dolzhikova (Oslo Chess Club)
Ellen Hagesæther (Academic Chess Club Oslo)
Silje Bjerke (Chess Club of 1911)
Thomas Robertsen explained:
On the women’s side, we have also named an extremely experienced and strong team. These are the best players in the country, and they are committed to really performing at the Olympiad. This is a very solid squad.
Norway's second teams
The remaining teams are as follows:
Open second team:
IM Frode Elsness (Moss Chess Club)
IM Frode Urkedal (Chess Club of 1911)
IM Torbjørn Ringdal Hansen (Chess Club of 1911)
IM Aryan Tari (Vålerenga Chess Club)
Johan Salomon (Nordstrand Chess Club)
Reserves:
IM Espen Lie (Asker Chess Club)
GM Rune Djuurhus (Nordstrand Chess Club)
Women’s second team:
Monika Machlik (Tromsø Chess Club)
Ellisiv Reppen (Oslo Chess Club)
Line Jin Jørgensen (Stavanger Chess Club)
Edit Machlik (Tromsø Chess Club)
Anita Grønnestad (Bergen Chess Club)
Reserves:
Torill Skytte (Oslo Chess Club)
Yerazik Khachatourian (Oslo Chess Club)
Robertsen added:
Both second teams will also be exciting to follow. There is a good geographical spread on the women’s side with players from Oslo, Stavanger, Bergen and Tromsø. It’s unlikely Norway has been represented by twins before, and it is nice that the Machlik sisters also come from the host city of the Chess Olympiad.
Edit and Monika Machlik will both represent Norway at the 2014 Chess Olympiad in their home city | photo: Tromsø Sjakklubb
The Norwegian Chess Federation adds:
The board order will be determined closer to the start of the championship.
In the event one of the first team players withdraws, he or she will be replaced by a player from the second team.
Two of the players in each of the second teams are based on the commitment to talent in the national recruit teams. This applies to Aryan Tari, Johan Salomon, Monika and Edit Machlik. In the event that one of these players is forced to withdraw, they will be replaced by other young talents from the national recruit teams.
From Alexandra Kosteniuk's
Labels: Magnus Carlsen, norway chess, norway chess olympiad team
Tromso Chess Olympiad Aug 2014: Take a Cruise to Norway!
Hello chess friends, how about taking a cruise to the Chess Olympiad in Tromso this August? Here's a cool new offer via the official website for the Chess Olympiad. By the way, don't forget, Chess Queen Alexandra Kosteniuk is also the ambassador for the Chess Olympiad.
Vestland Classic has partnered with the Tromsø 2014 Chess Olympiad to offer both a unique cruise up the Norwegian coast from Trondheim to Tromsø and a floating hotel and tournament venue during the Olympiad itself.
Experience the high summer
along the Norwegian coast on board
MS Nordstjernen
TRONDHEIM – TROMSØ 28 JULY – 1 AUGUST 2014
Join us on a voyage to Tromsø and the Chess Olympiad
Day 1 (28 July) TRONDHEIM
Depart Trondheim at 17.00.We sail out of the Trondheimfjord and take a northerly course across Folda towards Helgeland and Vegaøyan.
Day 2 (29 July) VEGA
Morning arrival in Vega.
In 2004 Vegaøyan was inscribed on UNESCO’s List of World Heritage Sites. On Vega you may join a hike in this unique egg and down site and also visit the ‘E-house’, a museum and documentation centre for eider ducks.
Depart Vega at 15.00. We sail across the Vestfjord to the Lofoten Islands and Reine.
Day 3 (30 July) REINE – HENNINGSVÆR
Morning arrival in Reine.
Reine is a beautiful fishing village comprising 350 inhabitants in Moskenes municipality. You may join a guided coach tour from Reine to Henningsvær, an idyllic fishing village in Vågan municipality. The ship sails to Henningsvær in the afternoon. Overnight stay at the dockside in Henningsvær.
Day 4 (31 July) HENNINGSVÆR – TROLLFJORDEN
Depart Vega at 13.00. Before departure we would recommend a visit to Galleri Lofotens Hus, which houses the largest collection of paintings from North Norway.
We sail from Lofoten and Henningsvær through the Raft Sound, where the highlight of the day is the Trollfjord. This fjord is 2 km long and scarcely 100 metres wide. The Trollfjord is renowned throughout the world as one of the most beautiful fjords along the Norwegian coast. The voyage continues north towards Tromsø.
Day 5 (1 August) TROMSØ
We sail along the outer side of Senja, Norway’s second largest island, towards our destination, Tromsø, where we arrive at 07:00. In Tromsø, the MS Nordstjernen will function as a hotel ship during the Chess Olympiad from 1 – 17 August.
Rates
28 July – 1 August 2014
Trondheim – Tromsø from NOK 6,000
Prices include ticket, double occupancy cabin and full board. Excursions and beverages for meals are not included. Single cabin supplement NOK 400 per day
For further information and to make a booking, contact:
booking@vestlandclassic.com
Tel: +47 909 37 808
www.vestlandclassic.com
Floating hotel
During the Chess Olympiad we can be your hotel room. Book your hotel room in Tromsø at: https://viaregi.no/nordstjernen
MS Nordstjernen chess tournament
In partnership with the Chess Olympiad we are planning to hold one or more chess tournaments on board the ship. For further information on the tournaments, please visit www.tromso2014.no
MS Nordstjernen – a floating, national cultural monument
The ship has an intimate and historic atmosphere. Its saloons, restaurant and cafeteria have been preserved with their original artwork and style from the 1950s.
The MS Nordstjernen was given its beautiful name after the star the Vikings called the lodestar, the star that shines in the north
The ship was built in Hamburg in 1956 for Bergenske Dampskipselskap
The ship can carry 290 passengers
Number of beds: 150
Number of cabins: 72
Artwork: Paul René Gauguin
The ship was listed in 2012
From Alexandra Kosteniuk's
Labels: Alexandra Kosteniuk, chess cruise, ms nordstjernen, tromso chess olympiad
Chess Olympiad 2012 Logo and History
Hi everybody!
I just got back from Colombia and am preparing a post about it for you. Before that, I'd like to share the following with you, about the Chess Olympiads:
The organizers of the 40th Chess Olympiad which will take place in 2012 in Istanbul, invite you till the 31st of March to vote for your favorite logo of the event, here.
The Chess Olympiad is a very special event. A tournament where one can really feel the moto of the FIDE - Gens Una Sumus!
A little bit of history about the Chess Olympiads:
The first world team competition took place in Paris in 1924 and was reported as the 'Chess Olympic Games.' It is not, however, counted as one of the official 'Chess Olympiads'; on the one hand it was not organised by FIDE, while on the other the method of scoring was different from that worked out later.
The year 1924 is a milestone in chess history not so much because of this competition but because it saw the formation of the International Chess Federation (Federation Internationale des Echecs) by the players present in Paris. The first President of FIDE, Dr Rueb, of Holland, was also elected in Paris, and for a quarter of a century he fulfilled this important office with great skill and diplomacy.
In 1927, representatives from sixteen countries assembled in London to take part in the first of the series of international team competitions which have become known as Chess Olympiads. The naming of FIDE's team championship as the "Chess Olympiad" is of historical origin and implies no connection between this event and the Olympic Games, which means that, unfortunately, chess Olympiad medals are not Olympic medals, and a clear distinction should be made about it. Therefore it is misleading and untrue to call the medals earned in chess Olympiads as "Olympic".
In the first three Olympiads the board order of the players was not fixed and therefore was not necessarily identical with their strength. But since 1931 it has been the rule that the playing order submitted with the entry must be adhered to throughout the competition. If a player is rested, those below him have to play a board higher.
The first women's chess olympiad has been held in 1957, and from 1972 it takes place every two years together with the men's chess olympiad.
The full table of the men's and women's olympiads you can find on the olimpbase.org
The 2008 Olympiad was held in Dresden, Germany. The 2010 Olympiad is going to be held in Khanty-Mansiysk, Russia in September this year. The 2012 Olympiad is going to be held in Istanbul, Turkey. There is already a bid for the 2014 Olympiad by Tromso, Norway. The host for the 2014 Olympiad will be decided during the General Assembly of FIDE in Khanty-Mansiysk this year.
I already took part in 5 Olympiads. In 1998 I took part in my first ever Olympiad which took place in Elista, Russia. I played for the Russia-3 team which was also called the team of Kalmykia. Our team was seeded 33rd at the beginning of the event but we managed to do very well and at the end shared 6-9th places. I scored 10 out of 13 and took the silver medal on my board. In 2002 I played in my second Olympiad but it was my first Olympiad for the national team of Russia. Our team took silver medals, behind the Chinese women. In 2004 in my third Olympiad, I played for the first time on the first board. I met over the board against 3 former (Xie Jun, Maia Chiburdanidze, Susan Polgar) and one reigning (at that time) World Champions (Antoaneta Stefanova) and lead my team to the bronze medals. In 2006 in Turin I played once again on the first board for Russia and this time we took silver medals behind the team of Ukraine. In 2008 in Dresden I played on the first board for Russia once again. For the first time since the Olympiad in Moscow in 1994 our women's Russian team didn't take medals. We shared the third place but was fourth on tie-breaks. So this year we will try to do our best in Khanty-Mansiysk and I'm sure it will be a great event.
Posted by: Alexandra Kosteniuk Women's World Chess Champion Labels: Chess Olympiad
Chris Reddy – Official Chess Olympiad 2014 Artist at work Video!
Hello chess blog friends, this is a lovely chess video featuring official artist of the Tromso Chess Olympiad 2014 - Chris Reddy. The 2014 Chess Olympiad art cooperation has received 250,000 NOK (30,000 EUR) from one of the main partners, SpareBank 1 Nord-Norge.
Chris Reddy during the making of the artwork “Chess World”
Chess and art in playful fusionProducer Kjersti Vikør commented:
We are extremely proud to have Chris Reddy on board as the official artist of the Chess Olympiad! He is an exciting artist who will have an influence on the Chess Olympiad and the city – before, during and after the 2014 Chess Olympiad. This will strengthen the Olympiad’s identity and reputation, and turn the players’ and visitors’ stay in Tromsø into a special experience.
The cooperation is between the 2014 Chess Olympiad, Reddy and KIIL Arts Facilitator, his management. KIIL Arts Facilitator recently received the 250,000 NOK from SpareBank 1 Nord-Norges’ cultural business foundation – to highlight the Chess Olympiad through Reddy’s art.
The artist is from Tromsø and is now based in Norway’s capital Oslo. He draws on various surfaces and composes music, all called ‘Reddymades’. Reddy has an impulsive approach and a lively expression – which corresponds extremely well with the Olympiad’s values: smart, playful and warm.
Reddy himself says:
I want to bomb Tromsø with a visual expression, which those who are there during the Chess Olympiad can either love or hate. Chess is art and art is chess. Art and chess have a closer connection than chess and sport. You need input of all types in order to achieve a good output.
Watch Reddy in action in the Olympiad Arena:
From Alexandra Kosteniuk's
Labels: chris reddy, sparebank1 nord-norge, tromso chess olympiad 2014
Tromso Chess Olympiad 2014 Volunteers Invited: Have you Registered?
Chess Blog for Daily Chess News and Trivia (c) Alexandra Kosteniuk, 2014
Hello everyone,
Just 155 days are left for the sure-to-be exciting Chess Olympiad in Tromso, Norway from August 1-14, 2014.
The organisers are still accepting volunteer registrations for the Chess Olympiad 2014 in Norway via the official website. The volunteers will be a fundamental part of the organization of the games. All people off all ages are welcome to register.
At this point, the registration form only requires name, email and telephone number. You can also leave some comments when you register. Please send us comments along with information about any specific skills you believe would be relevant – like language skills, catering, experience from similar events etc.
Please register here
In due time the organisers will open the application for the Chess Olympiad. The application will also contain the different working areas and some bullet points of what they imply. All who register now, will be given first priority in the application process in terms of their priority list.
If you have any question please contact the organizer on:Kjersti.vikor@tromso2014.no.
As you know, Chess Queen Alexandra Kosteniuk is also an ambassador for the Chess Olympiad 2014 in Norway. Here's her message:
“From the start I’ve been supporting the 2014 Chess Olympiad in Tromsø, and I’m counting the days to come and participate in this great event, which promises to be a truly historic event, uniting the best chess players in the world with an increasingly knowledgeable base of chess fans in Norway. See you soon in Tromsø!"
Labels: Alexandra Kosteniuk, tromso chess olympiad 2014
NRK to broadcast Tromsø Chess Olympiad 2014
Hello everyone,
Norwegian state television channel NRK has won the rights to broadcast the Chess Olympiad from Tromsø this August. They plan to build on the success of their coverage of the Anand-Carlsen World Championship match last November.
NRK’s executive producer in Tromsø, Beate Hårstad Jensen, commented:
We look forward to taking chess forward on TV and other media after the success we had with the World Chess Championship in November, and are really excited about how we're going to develop this.
Chess Olympiad CEO Børge Robertsen and NRK executive producer Beate Hårstad Jensen | photo: Pia Thoehaug / NRKFrom August 1-14 this year 1500 chess players from around the world will converge on Tromsø and the former premises of the Mack Brewery.
Several media companies battled for the rights to broadcast the event on TV. On Tuesday an agreement was confirmed between Norway’s state broadcaster NRK and the organising committee of the Chess Olympiad.
Cracking the chess code
NRK promises broad coverage on TV as well as radio and online. Børge Robertsen, Managing Director of the Chess Olympiad 2014, explains that the job that NRK did during the World Chess Championship in India in November was one of the deciding factors in the decision:
After NRK cracked the code for how to make chess exciting on TV during the World Chess Championship last year, we have high expectations. They are also the largest player, have wide reach and have shown great interest in covering this event.
Planning is already underway between the organisers of the Chess Olympiad and NRK, and Jensen says that NRK employees have spent time familiarising themselves with the sport, the history of chess and the great personalities:
We will draw upon the experiences we had during the World Chess Championship, but with 1500 players this will be something new.
Visit to the Olympiad in Istanbul
As part of the preparations NRK attended the Chess Olympiad in Istanbul in 2012. Jensen commented:
The opening of the Chess Olympiad was a fantastic sight. You are in a huge hall with players from all over the world, from Iran, Brazil and countries I haven’t even heard of. They sit down, the bell sounds and then it’s as quiet as a mouse. That’s something I’ll never forget.
But won’t it be difficult to broadcast such a silence on TV?
It will be fun and challenging. We won’t have time to broadcast every game and will need to select the most interesting ones on the basis of both ranking and who will be of most interest to the audience. (www.chess24.com)
Labels: nrk, tromso chess olympiad 2014
Tromsø, Norway to host 41st Chess Olympiad
Alexandra Kosteniuk's Chess News & Trivia (c) 2010
 Norway beckons
Hello Everyone,
The announcement has been officially made. The 41st World Chess Olympiad will be hosted by Norway in the beautiful city of Tromsø. That will be in the year 2014.
Norway was selected over Bulgaria who had bid to hold the 2014 Olympiad in the city of Albena. The bidding process for choosing the venue was conducted over the last several days on the sidelines of the ongoing 39th Chess Olympiad. Norway was chosen on the basis of a majority vote.
Tromsø city is the ninth largest urban area in Norway by population. The area has been inhabited since the end of the ice age, and the Sámi culture is the first known culture of the region. Speakers of Norse, the ancestor of Norwegian brought their culture to the area during the migrations of the Vikings before AD 890, when Ohthere's settlement existed to the south of today's Tromsø.
The 40th Chess Olympiad will of course be held in Istanbul, Turkey, in 2012. Do you remember our previous post on that? (About the logo and Olympiad history?)
From Alexandra Kosteniuk's Also see her personal blog at
Labels: 41st Chess Olympiad
Carlsen vs Anand World Chess Championship 2013: What are Carlsen's Chances?
Chess Blog for Daily Chess News and Trivia (c) Alexandra Kosteniuk, 2013 Hello everyone,
Continuing with our updates from the Indian media on the World Chess Championship 2013 Carlsen vs Anand, here's a nice feature in DNA India:
Can Magnus Carlsen do a Viswanathan Anand?If the Norwegian wizard wins in Chennai next month, he will inspire a generation of chess players in his country.
Apart from being gifted chess players, Viswanathan Anand and Magnus Carlsen have something else in common. The game may have been invented in India some 1,500 years ago, but the country got its first Grandmaster only in 1988. Similarly Norway had a strong chess culture, but did not have players who could pose a challenge to world champions.
Prior to Carlsen, Simen Agdestein was Norway’s most famous chess player. In fact the 46-year-old, who won seven national championships and even made eight appearances for the Norway football team, competed with Anand during the latter’s world junior title run in 1987.
Agdestein did not make it all that big in chess. For the record, his brother Espen happens to be
Carlsen’s manager.
In a way, Bobby Fischer, Anand and Carlsen did what their countrymen couldn’t. When Fischer won the world title in 1972, he had brought an end to the Soviet hegemony in chess. Almost 30 years later, Anand did the same by putting Asia on the chess map. And if Carlsen succeeds in dethroning Anand, the Norwegian will become western Europe’s first world chess champion in 75 years. Dutchman Machgielis “Max” Euwe was the world champion from 1935 to 1937.
In that sense Euwe, Fischer and Anand took on Russia. But it wouldn’t be wrong to say that Carlsen is up against India. Nay, an Indian, who has been the undisputed world champion since 2007.
Like Anand and Fischer, Carlsen is not quite a superstar in Norway. Each of these gentleman has, of course, greatly influenced the younger generation. Football is the top game in Norway, the equivalent of cricket in India. And for geographic reasons, skiing is a more popular sport in the Scandinavian country.
This year, Carlsen was awarded the title of the sportsman of the year by Norway’s leading newspapers. “Everybody recognises him (in Norway). He is not mobbed because the people are normally very polite. So they don’t run up to him. He can walk around (in peace). But definitely, everybody knows who he is,” Carlsen’s manager says.
That is more like Anand commenting on his public appearances since he shot to fame in the 1990s. Norway is also doing an India: they are trying to capitalise on Carlsen’s rise by organising a series of world chess events. Norway Chess 2013, held earlier this year, was one of the best tournaments of all time. The country will also host the Chess World Cup and the Chess Olympiad soon.
When Carlsen came to Chennai in August, a couple of mediapersons accompanied him. They were from Verdens Gang (VG), an internet firm which sponsors Carlsen. Their tabloid reported on his visit to Chennai. They also covered his showing in the simultaneous display at a school where he played 20 games, lost four and drew six.
The report mentioned that some of the participants who were lined up against the jet-lagged Carlsen were rated 2,300 and above. It also pointed out that Garry Kasparov insisted that “none of his opponents be rated above 2,000 if he is to meet them in simultaneous play”.
Interestingly, the paper picked out Ram Aravind of Trichy, the youngest player who beat the World No.1 Carlsen, and six-year old Savitha Sri who extended the Norwegian to 40 moves before losing.
Ever since Anand became a popular tournament player in the 1990s, India started producing many age-group world champions. The Carlsen effect in Norway is almost similar, though it will take them a few years to produce another world-class player. Grandmaster Ludvig Hammer is turning heads and is reportedly part of Carlsen’s team of seconds. But it will take him a while to join the big league.
The fundamental similarities apart, Anand and Carlsen have different personalities. While Anand is choosy about his sponsors, the Norwegian does fashion shoots with Liv Tyler, the American actress and model. He enjoys football-style sponsorship deals and was named one of Time Magazine’s 100 most influential people earlier this year.
Unlike Anand, who became World No. 1 at 37, Carlsen reached the top when he was just 20. And he scaled the Mount Everest of chess by going past Garry Kasparov’s ELO rating of 2851. Carlsen wouldn’t want to follow Anand on one front. A very good tournament player, it took the Indian almost a decade to win the first of his five world titles. Carlsen looks hungry. He wants that title soon.
From Alexandra Kosteniuk's
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Labels: Magnus Carlsen, simen agdestein, Viswanathan Anand, word chess championship 2013
Norway Chess Olympiad 2014: Special Travel Funds for Needy Federations
Chess Blog for Daily Chess News and Trivia (c) Alexandra Kosteniuk, 2014
Hello everyone,
The organisers of the Norway Chess Olympiad 2014 have announced a special travel fund for needy federations. An important update via the official website reads:
On behalf of the Organizer of the 2014 Chess Olympiad in Tromsø, it is a pleasure to announce that a travel fund of up to € 600.000 will be made available to federations who wants to participate in the Olympiad.
The aim of the travel fund is to help those federations who are in need of financial support in order to send teams to Tromsø.
The Organizer will publish the details regarding the travel fund on the Olympic website no later than March 15. This will include the list of federations who can receive such support, the amount allocated to each team and other technical issues.
Tromsø, 17th FebruaryOrganizing Committee
From Alexandra Kosteniuk's
www.chessblog.com
Also see her personal chess blog
at www.chessqueen.com
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Queen™
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Channel
Labels: norway chess olympiad 2014
Chess Olympiad Tromsø 2014, agreement signed
Chess blog for latest chess news and chess trivia (c) Alexandra Kosteniuk, 2011
Hi everyone,
Chess news from Fide is that the agreement has been signed for the Chess Olympiad 2014 to be held in the city of Tromsø, Norway. The Chess Olympiad 2012 will be held in Istanbul, Turkey. World No. 1 and 12th Women's World Chess Champion Alexandra Kosteniuk were official ambassadors for the by the Norwegian city.
Tromsø was chosen as a host city of the Chess Olympiad 2014 during the General Assembly in 2010, where the majority voted for Norway. The final agreement between FIDE and the Organizing Committee was signed 21.10.2011 at the GA ongoing in Krakow.
The agreement was signed by FIDE President Kirsan Ilyumzhinov and the Chairman of the Organizing Committee Herman Kristoffersen in the presence of the General Manager of Tromso 2014 Børge Robertsen, the President of the Norwegian Chess Federation Joran Aulin-Jansson, and the international consultant, Morten Sand. Herman Kristoffersen commented, “This is an important milestone in the history of the chess Olympics in Tromsø in 2014, now we have the legal basis for a successful event.”
Download the pdf document from Bergensjakk
The City of Tromsø, at a latitude of nearly 70 °N, is with its 68,000 residents and 10,000 students the largest city in Northern Norway. The city is home to the world’s northernmost university, brewery and cathedral and the city thrives on education, research, administration, fishing exports and satellite technology.
Tromsø is situated a two-hour flight from Oslo. It is known for its great atmosphere and vibrant cultural life and is the perfect place to experience the Midnight Sun in summer and the Northern Lights in winter.
The city’s nickname, “Gateway to the Arctic”, dates back to the 1850s when the city became the centre for Polar sea catches in the Arctic region and later in the early 1900s when it was the starting point for a host of expeditions to the Arctic and Antarctic regions. Despite this nickname, the city has a mild climate, owing to is location near the Gulf Stream.
From Alexandra Kosteniuk's
Also see her personal blog at
Labels: Chess Olympiad 2014, Tromsø
Asian Star Chess Grandmaster 62-Year-Old Eugene Torre eyes Record at Tromso Olympiad
Hello chess friends, the Chess Olympiad is a very special event in chess history and there are several records that are linked to this amazing and awesome chess festival. Here is a very interesting story about Asia's star Grandmaster Eugene Torre who hopes to break another chess record by participating in the upcoming Chess Olympiad in Tromso, Norway, this August.
MANILA, Philippines - Grandmaster Eugene Torre hopes to break the record with most Olympiad stints as he vies for one of the two remaining slots in the national team in the Battle of the Grandmasters set next month.
Torre, 62, and Hungarian GM Lajos Portisch are tied for most Olympiad appearances with 20 each, including 19 straight, to break the old record of 18 held by Heikki Westerinen.
“It’s a nice feat but I’m more concerned on helping the team in any way I can,” Torre, Asia’s first ever GM, told The STAR the other day.
Should he fail to qualify, Torre said he will still go with the team as coach.
“But if I couldn’t make a team, I may come as coach of both the men’s and women’s teams,” he said.
The squad, however, will need not just Torre’s coaching and expertise but his vast Olympiad experience that should inspire a team composed mainly of young players like US-based Wesley So, Julio Catalino Sadorra and Oliver Barbosa, who were seeded outright by the National Chess Federation of the Philippines more than a week ago.
So, Sadorra and Barbosa are the country’s highest-ranked players with FIDE ratings of 2731, 2611 and 2592, respectively.
So, who is expected to move to No. 15 in the world ranking in the monthly FIDE rating list this June after topping the Capablanca Memorial in Cuba two weeks ago, is just 20 years old while Sadorra and Barbosa are both 27.
During his time, Torre has manned the top board a record 17 times, played 236 games – winning 86, drawing 111 and losing 39. He snared the bronze medal for Board One thrice in 1974 Nice, 1980 Malta and 1986 Dubai Olympiads.
The vintage Torre also skippered the Phl team to its best ever performance in the Olympiad – a seventh place finish in the 1988 edition in Thessaloniki, Greece, breaking the previous high of 11th in Nice.
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Labels: eugene torre, tromso chess olympiad 2014
Carlsen ambassador for Norway's 1st super chess tournament in 2013
Chess blog for latest chess news and chess trivia (c) Alexandra Kosteniuk, 2012
Hello everyone,
According to the NorwayChess website, World No. 1 Magnus Carlsen is going to play and be the ambassador for a brand new high-profile chess event in Norway from 2013 to be held in Stavanger.
The site reads: Norway Chess is pleased to announce that our super star andNo. 1 ranked chess player Magnus Carlsen be an ambassador for Norway Chess Tournament. This of course means a lot of interest in the tournament. Carlsen, both will play the tournament and help to market the tournament to other top players in the world. Thus, a major event is in place for the Chess in Norway.
You can also read a nice report in ChessVibes who covered the press conference held on Tuesday.
"I always try to win when I play tournaments, but it would be really special to win at home," said Carlsen.
Chess is big in Norway, and it's getting even bigger. The FIDE World Cup 2013 will be held in Tromsø, and a year later the Olympiad will be held there as well.
On Tuesday night a press conference was held in a hotel in the city of Sandnes, which was attended by about 30 journalists of all the major Norwegian media. Present were the World Chess No. 1 Magnus Carlsen, his manager Espen Agdestein, Jeanette Nygård, representative for the Stavanger region, Siv Kristin Heriksytad, webmaster, Kjell Madland, managing director of Jadarhus and Jørn Holmen, marketing manager.
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Labels: Magnus Carlsen, norway super chess, stavanger chess
Fiji Chess: Urgent Appeal for Women Players
Chess blog for latest chess news and chess trivia (c) Alexandra Kosteniuk, 2013
Hi everyone,
The Fiji Chess Federation has issued an urgent appeal for more women chess players so that they can ready a strong team for the 2014 Chess Olympiad to be held in Norway. The Chess Olympiad is held every two years and was created in the wake of a failed attempt to include chess as an Olympic sport. At the 2012 event in Istanbul, more than 1700 players from 152 nations competed.
Teenager Hilda Vukikomoala, one of the rising stars of Fiji chess, has told Pacific Beat the women's team needs at least four players to take part in Norway. "Many people in Fiji know how to play chess, but those who are actually competing, is not so many," she said.
"Many of my friends know how to play — they're not very committed, or 'good' players — but they do know how to move the pieces around."
"There's way more men than women but I'm sure we'll get someone."
Fiji's Chess Federation says although most of the players in the country are over 30, it is hoping to capitalise on young competitors like Hilda to open new opportunities for the game. In May, the 17-year-old became the first local player to attain the Women's FIDE Master Title, a title based on performance in competitions.
Hilda has represented Fiji in numerous international events, including the last Chess Olympiad in Istanbul, and the Oceania Zonal in Nadi last month. She says although it can sometimes be hard to find strong opponents in Fiji, technology has opened up new avenues to improve her game.
"I play online chess, but mainly against the computer," she said.
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Labels: fiji chess, women chess players
FIDE Releases List of Chess Officials for Tromso Chess Olympiad 2014
Hello chess friends, here is the main list of chess officials decided for the Tromso Chess Olympiad 2014 to be held in Norway:
Tromso Chess Olympiad: Officials and Match Arbiters
OFFICIALS
1. CHIEF ARBITER: IA Panagiotis Nikolopoulos (GRE)
2. DEPUTY CHIEF ARBITERS:
IA Karl Rist (NOR)
IA Faik Gasanov (AZE)
3. SECTOR ARBITERS:
IA R. Anatharam (IND)
IA Jesus Mena (ESP)
IA Anastasia Sorokina (AUS)
IA Irina Kayumova (UZB)
IA Elias Khairallah (LIB)
IA Mehrdad Pahlevanzadeh (IRI)
IA Hassan Khaled (EGY)
IA Carol Jarecki (IVB)
4. TAP:
Chairman: IA Ashot Vardapetian (ARM)
Members: IA Werner Stubenvoll (AUT)
IA Almog Burstein (ISR)
Heinz Herzog (AUT)
5. APPEALS COMMITTEE:
Chairman IA Jorge Vega (GUA)
Member IA Ali Nihat Yazici (TUR)
Member Vanik Zakharian (ARM)
MATCH ARBITERS
All the arbiters are kindly urgently requested to communicate with the 2014 Tromso Chess Olympiad Chief Arbiter IA Takis Nikolopoulos at takisnik@yahoo.com the following info:
1. Any previous experience in the Chess Olympiads as arbiter.
2. Any previous experience in tournaments with blind and handicapped players.
3. FIDE official languages spoken
For the complete and detailed list, check this FIDE news post.
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Labels: fide officials, tromso chess olympiad 2014
Tromso Chess Olympiad 2014 Venue Preview!
Hello Chess Blog friends,
Here is a nice preview of the venue for the upcoming Chess Olympiad 2014 in Norway. According to the official website, "This August the 2014 Chess Olympiad in Tromsø will bring together 1500 players from all around the world. Hosting such a huge event is a challenge, but the organisers have found the perfect venue – the 7,000 square foot Mackhallen in central Tromsø. We bring you 30 images of how the venue will look for the Olympiad."
The spectacular venue used to belong to Mack, the world’s most northerly brewery, which was established in 1877. After the brewery moved to more modern facilities the old premises became available in an ideal location, close to all the official Olympiad hotels in the city centre.
The gallery of 30 images gives an impression of how the venue will look when the Olympiad begins in a little over 100 days’ time!
From Alexandra Kosteniuk's
Labels: chess olympiad venue 2014, norway chess, tromso chess
World Chess Day July 20: Fide President Kirsan Ilyumzhinov Interview in The Voice of Russia
Alexandra Kosteniuk's Chess Blog for Daily Chess News and Trivia (c) 2013
Hi everyone,
Fischer facing Boris Spassky, Chess Olympiad, Havana, 1966. Photo credit: © RIA Novosti, Paporov
A few minutes with the President of the International Chess Federation (FIDE): July 20th, is the 89th anniversary of the founding of FIDE, the International Chess Federation, in honour of which The Voice of Russia posed a few questions to its president, Kirsan Ilyumzhinov.
DK: Let’s begin with what we might call a demographic question. It seems to me that elite chess players have been getting a lot younger over the last half century. Is that just my imagination, or have you noticed the same?
Ilyumzhinov: Well, yes, chess has gotten younger, because of technology, meaning computers and the internet. Whereas formerly you needed to have a sizeable chess library to properly analyze top-level games, nowadays all you need is a computer. It is no accident, therefore, that the age of players has been dropping, akin to what we saw in gymnastics a while back, for instance. Elite players can be very young, age 15 to 20. For example, a few years ago 16 year-old Hu Yifan of China became women’s world champion, and in London just a few months ago 22 year-old Magnus Carlsen of Norway won the right to play a match for the world title. Young elite Grandmasters like Sergei Kariakin and Ian Nepomniashchii, among others, are only about 20, and you can’t compare 40-50 year old players with them. Chess has indeed gotten a lot younger, both women’s and men’s chess.
DK: Chess fans are much better acquainted with world champions than they are with players who haven’t achieved that level of glory, and I assume that when growing up as a chess enthusiast you were similar. It would be interesting to hear who was the first world champion with whom you were able to meet and have a real conversation. And what you may remember of that meeting.
Ilyumzhinov: The first world champion I met was Mikhail Tal, from Riga. He became champion very young, when he was not yet 25 {he was 23 –D.K.}. The two of us met in Kalmykia, of course. I’ve met Vassily Smyslov, Boris Spassky, and others, including Garry Kasparov, and Anatoly Karpov. But more than any of them, I remember meeting Bobby James Fischer, or Robert Fischer. I got acquainted with him in Budapest, in December 1995, and I played four games against him. I consider Fischer a chess genius. His games are all very interesting, and he is a genuine gold standard of chess for many, for several generations of chess players.
DK: Of all your predecessors as President of FIDE, who was the most senior one to give you advice, and do remember much about that advice?
Ilyumzhinov: Well, let me say that FIDE exists since 1924, so we’ll be celebrating its 90th anniversary next year. We have had six presidents, I being the sixth. I had a close relationship since 1994, before I became FIDE president, with President Florencio Campomanes, from the Phillipines. At that point he had already been atop FIDE for 12 years. We had met briefly in Moscow once, but then I spent time with him in Manila in 1994, and I couldn’t help but see how this man devoted his life so fully to chess, to propagating chess. When Campomanes was president, chess was still not very popular in Africa and in many countries in Asia. He went to those countries himself; he opened chess clubs and chess schools. His motto was “Chess for me is not just a game. It’s not just a hobby. It is all of my life.” He lived by chess, and perhaps you could say he died with it.
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Labels: FIDE, kirsan ilyumzhinov, World Chess Day
Fiji Chess Team – Norway Olympiad 2014: Players Invited
Chess Blog for Daily Chess News and Trivia (c) Alexandra Kosteniuk, 2013
Hello everyone,
Effort to popularise chess is always always well-rewarded. Here's a nice note from the Fiji Chess Federation:
The Fiji Chess Federation is inviting Expressions of Interest (EOI) from persons interested in representing Fiji at the 41st Chess Olympiad in Tromso, Norway (August 1-14, 2014)
Vacancy exists in BOTH OPEN and WOMEN team for a BOARD 5 player.
Eligibilitya) Current OR Former Fiji citizen OR having resided in Fiji for 3+ years.
b) Keen and competitive chess player.
c) Ability to travel to Tromso at own cost. (Board & Lodge in Norway will be provided by the organisers).
Official Team (Jan 14th, 2014)Open – CM Calvin Prasad, CM Manoj Kumar, CM Sanmogam Goundar, CM Ronald Terubea.
Women – WFM Keiran Lyons, WCM Gloria Sukhu, WFM Hilda Vukikomoala, Cydel Terubea.
Selection Panel: Virgilio De Asa, Calvin Prasad, Teliko Koroi. The Panel reserves the right to accept/refuse any application.
DeadlineAll EOIs must be emailed to Calvin Prasad (cprasad@converge.com.fj) before 5pm, January 31st, 2014. Queries are most welcome.
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Labels: fiji chess
Norway Chess Talent: It's 13-year-old Aryan Tari!
Chess blog for latest chess news and chess trivia (c) Alexandra Kosteniuk, 2013
Hi everyone,
The young Norwegian Aryan Tari made a sensational result in the Open Norwegian Championship scoring a GM norm before ever having made any IM norms. The 13-year old, FIDE rated at 2293 on the March list, is considered to be the greatest chess talent in the country since Magnus Carlsen. Last year he became the youngest ever Norwegian Junior U20 champion having just turned 13 years. His best result in the World U12 Youth Championship is 5th place. In the Open Norwegian Championship, Aryan was 23rd seed, but finished at 7th place with 6 out of 9 points.
Aryan Tari
Along the way he scored full points against Norwegian #2 GM Jon Ludvig Hammer (2629), National team member IM Frode Urkedal (2470) and Serbian GM Misa Pap (2511). The overall winner of the tournament is GM Eduardas Rozentalis from Lithuania who finished with 7,0/9 ahead of the group of followers, continuing the fine shape from the recent Jersey Masters. With the fantastic result, Aryan picked up a whopping 51 points climbing rapidly towards 2400. Turning 14 in June, Tari is well on his way to becoming one of the youngest grandmasters to ever achieve the prestigious title in chess. Magnus Carlsen himself achieved the title at the age of 13 years and 4 months. Magnus also graciously praised his young compatriot at the final press conference after the victory in Candidates Tournament.
Aryan Tari, with parents originating from Iran, is leading the group of Norwegian chess talents who are selected to be on one of Norway’s three teams in the 2014 Chess Olympiad in Tromsø. (Photo: Bjørn Berg Johansen/Report Chessdom.com)
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Labels: aryan tari, chess prodigy, norway chess
Asian Chess Federation gives GM Eugene Torre 'Lifetime Achievement Award'
Hello chess blog friends, the Asian Chess Federation has honored Grandmaster Eugene Torre with a 'Lifetime Achievement' Award. GM Torre is the first Grandmaster from Asia. The Philippine Star has a nice profile of the Grandmaster.
“I am humbled, happy and very grateful to receive this award,” the 62-year-old Torre, who is Asia’s first grandmaster, told The STAR in a text message yesterday.
The Asian Chess Federation, headed by Sheikh Sultan bin Khalifah Al Nahyan, held the first annual Asian Chess Excellence Awards last June 25 at the Danat Hotel in the United Arab Emirates.
Torre’s contributions to Philippine chess are unmatched.
At 22, he became Asia’s first grandmaster following a silver medal finish in the 1974 Chess Olympiad in Nice, France. Two years later, in a tournament in Manila, he defeated then world champion Anatoly Karpov.
Torre went on to lead Philippine chess to greater heights, and helped promote the sport in the Asian region under the guidance of then FIDE president Florencio Campomanes of the Philippines.
Sportshub ( Article MRec ), pagematch: 1, sectionmatch: 1
He took part in 20 Chess Olympiads, 19 of which were consecutive, sharing the coveted record with Hungary’s Lajos Portisch. When the 41st Olympiad is held in Norway in August, Torre will man Board 4 for the Philippines.
“This recognition has further acknowledged the contributions we Filipinos, foremost of whom was Florencio Campomanes, have done for the promotion of chess in Asia,” said Torre.
The top officials of the ACF, including deputy president Casto Abundo of the Philippines, said the award is “in recognition of his (Torre) success as Asia’s first grandmaster and his many victories and world records.”
Some other awards included
- Filipino boxing icon Manny Pacquiao received the “Chess Patron of the Year” award “in recognition of his inspiration to sports fans around the world and his support for the Asian Continental Championships inspiring millions of youths to learn chess.”
- Ruler of Sharjah, H.H. Sheikh Dr. Sultan bin Muhammad Al Qasimi was awarded the “Man of the Year” for his “generous donation” that helped build the biggest chess club in the world.
- Viswanathan Anand of India was named “Player of the Year”
- Reigning Women's World Champion Hou Yifan of China was “Woman Player of the Year.”
- GM Yu Yangyi received the “Best Junior Player of the Year” for ruling the World Junior Championship and Asian Indoor Games.
From Alexandra Kosteniuk's
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Labels: asia chess, eugenio torre, Hou Yifan, manny pacquiao, Viswanathan Anand, yu yangyi
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