Showing posts with label chess. Show all posts
Showing posts with label chess. Show all posts

Tuesday, 22 July 2025

World Chess Olympiad in Batumi 2018 - a book by Dr. Lyndon Boauh

Dr. Lyndon Bouah talks about his latest Reflections book 11. This book focusses on the World Chess Olympiad in Batumi 2018.

On Mandela Day 18 July 2025, Lyndon Bouah launched his book no 11. In the Reflections series. It is focused on Georgia 2018 and Lyndon has analyzed all the games played by the SA Open and Women teams.

Lyndon too analyzed the principles of Olympism and also looked at the rich history of Georgia and also ended with lessons from each game!

Do enjoy the YouTube and speeches on https://youtu.be/S-t0aSgE3JE?si=fLON07ItdFbfWqJm

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Wednesday, 9 July 2025

From Georgia with Love - 2018 FIDE Chess Olympiad


In June 1992 I played my first international chess event which was the Olympiad in Manila, Philippines. Since then, I have had a soft spot for this fantastic competition which brings together chess players from all countries in the world. I have decided that it is important to record the South African history at Chess Olympiads. I have started with the 2018 Olympiad as it was the last physical Olympiad I attended as captain. I have now analysed all the games South Africa’s Open and Women’s team played in Batumi, Georgia and have drawn important lessons from all the games played over the eleven rounds played at the event. The book is available at R300. 

The book launch will take place at the University of the Western Cape Stadium between 18h30- 19h30 on Friday the 18th of July. You are welcome to attend this hour-long event. 

Extracts from the book follows: 

Foreword by Professor Berte van Wyk 

First Chessa President - 1992 

The ideas on the series of history of chess in South Africa by Dr Lyndon Bouah are the fruits of a life-long commitment to chess. I am convinced that since his earliest days as a chess player in Bethelsdorp, Dr Bouah, displayed a more than casual interest in the game we all love. It certainly did not start in 2018, which is the focus of this book. 

Historical consciousness is a powerful tool to explore his trajectory and to develop a deeper understanding of what led to the country’s participation in the 2018 Chess Olympiad. To backtrack a bit: keep in mind that South Africa was re-admitted to the FIDE community in 1992 after the South African Chess Federation was banned due to the country’s apartheid policies. It took a great sense of pragmatism and leadership from the three disparate chess bodies i.e., the South African Chess Congress (SACCON), Chess Association for the People of South Africa (CAPSA) and the South African Chess Federation (SACF), to come together and to unite in the interest of chess. This led to South Africa’s participation in the 1992 30th FIDE Chess Olympiad in Manila where Dr Bouah was a member of our team. 

Foreword by Professor Marion Keim 

With his eleventh book on chess heritage and especially his chapter, A Case for Olympism and Olympic Values in Chess over the last Seven Decades Adv Dr. Lyndon Bouah gives us a review of the past and a view to the future, just like the motto of his Alma Mater, the University of the Western Cape (UWC) Respice – Prospice. We are particularly proud of this achievement as this is the first book under the newly established Olympic Study Centre, the Olympic Studies and Research Action Group (OSRAG) at the University of the Western Cape which joined the elite prestigious group of 70 Olympic Studies Centre around the world. 

In 2024 we marked 120 years of Africa’s participation in the Olympic movement, as the first country on the continent, which we celebrated in Paris on the eve of the opening of the Games at the 2024 International Olympic Education, Sport and Peace Conference where Adv. Dr. Bouah was one of the presenters. Incidentally the roots of the Chess Olympiads trace also back to Paris, when the French Chess Federation aspired to run a chess tournament alongside the 1924 Olympic Games in Paris. Though debated in its early form, the official lineage of the Olympiads began in 1927, with 16 nations competing and laying the groundwork for what has now become a biennial gathering of over 190 countries. 

In the spirit of Olympism, which emphasizes the harmonious development of body, will, and mind, this retrospective reflection by Dr. Lyndon Bouah seeks to celebrate not only our competitive milestones but also the values and cultural significance the Olympiads represent”. 

I decided many years ago that it is an important part of our chess heritage to write about chess and I decided that I will accept that duty. This is my eleventh volume of a series of reflections that I am publishing. I have decided to write about my journey in the world of chess from different perspectives. I have added learning lessons from the 2018 Olympiad Games and also interesting quotes from famous players and authors. 

There are close to 100 games in this volume. I have also told the reader a bit about Georgia as the country. A narrator told us that one of the legends connected to the invention of chess takes us to India. Presumably, chess entered Georgia from India itself. According to historical information, women’s dowry from the Middle Ages were always the same two things- Shota Rustaveli’s poem ‘The Knight in the Panther’s Skin’ and a chess set, which once again confirmed the Georgian’s people’s endless love of chess. 

The Knight in the Panther’s Skin is a Georgian medieval poem, consisting of over 1600 quatrains, written in the 12th century by the epic Georgian poet Shota Rustaveli. It is considered as the masterpiece of the Georgian literature. It tells how Queen Tinatin, orders her beloved general Avtandil to help a knight, Tariel, found weeping and wearing a black panther’s skin, to retrieve his beloved Nestan-Derejan from captivity and his kingdom from usurpers. 

I further learnt that Georgia is proud of its rich chess traditions, and the most intense duel the Georgians still remember very well is the match that took place in 1978 in Bichvinta, Georgia between the world champion at the time – Nona Gaprindashvili and the seventeen-year-old Maia Chiburdanidze. 

It was since then that Georgia is now called the country of queens. And to this day, children are still named after the legendary chess Olympic Champions (Nona Gaprindashvili, Maia Chiburdanidze, Nana Alexandria, Nana Ioseliani.) 

 The book is available from Lyndon on 071 363 1306 or on lyndon.bouah@gmail.com. 

 See you at UWC on the 18th of July.

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Monday, 2 December 2024

There is still time to register for an echess tourney with a total prize pool of $60,000 USD



Celebrating 25 Years of Excellence: Al Ain Chess and Mind Games Club Presents The Echess Championship - The Road to Al Ain, Powered by Checkmate Live

Al Ain, UAE, [Date] – Marking its 25th anniversary, the Al Ain Chess and Mind Games Club proudly announces The Echess Championship: The Road to Al Ain, powered by Checkmate Live. This landmark tournament invites online chess enthusiasts and competitors worldwide to participate. Open to players of all levels, both rated and unrated, the championship includes regional qualifiers across multiple skill levels. The competition will reach its pinnacle in the prestigious Grand Final held in Al Ain, Abu Dhabi, on December 22, 2024.

About the Al Ain Chess and Mind Games Club

Founded in 1999 and led by His Highness Sheikh Sultan bin Khalifa bin Sultan bin Shakhbout Al Nahyan—President of the Asian Chess Federation and the Emirati Esports Federation—the Al Ain Chess and Mind Games Club has become a cornerstone of international chess, renowned for its achievements and contributions to the global chess community. Recognized for its commitment to excellence and competitive integrity, the club has fostered a vibrant chess culture in the UAE and beyond, culminating in notable victories, including winning the 2024 FIDE World Rapid Team Championship. This legacy underscores the club's standing as a leading institution in international chess and highlights its dedication to advancing the game on a global scale.

As the club marks its 25th anniversary, it invites partners and players from around the world to join in an epic celebration alongside the Asian Amateur Chess Championship 2024. This celebration will be highlighted by an epic echess knockout tournament on Checkmate Live’s platform, styled after the high-energy, immersive format of esports competitions. The live final in Al Ain, UAE, on December 22, 2024, will showcase top talent in a dramatic showdown. The Grand Final will be held at the official venue, Danat Al Ain Resort. The club’s strategic partnership with Checkmate Live, a next-gen online broadcast and tournament platform, reinforces its vision for the future and underscores its dedication to advancing competitive chess and mind sports on a global scale.

The Road to Al Ain: A Global Chess Journey

The Road to Al Ain invites players from across the globe to participate in a series of online qualifiers beginning on November 23, 2024, with skill-level divisions for Under 2000, Under 2300, and Open categories. Open to both rated and unrated players, these qualifiers will lead to the four Regional Finals, scheduled for December 7-8, 2024. Top contenders will advance to the Grand Final on December 22, 2024, in Al Ain.

Key tournament highlights include:

Global Inclusion: Open to both rated and unrated players, with divisions for Under 2000, Under 2300, and Open categories.

Redemption Games: Players who do not qualify in their designated Elo division will have multiple opportunities to participate. If a player doesn’t qualify in their first attempt, they can enter additional qualifiers within their division or compete in higher Elo categories, creating thrilling opportunities for unexpected victories and upsets as competitors from all levels strive to advance.

Bonus Rewards: Special prizes and rewards for female players, newcomers, and sportsmanship honorees.

Continental Representation: Regional qualifiers hosted across four major time zones, each with four qualifiers per Elo division:

AO: Asia and Oceania

EAS: Europe and Southern Africa

MENTA: Middle East, North Africa, and Turkey

AM: Americas

Generous Prizes: A total prize pool of $60,000 USD, including $35,000 in distributed prizes (USDC and in-game currency) throughout the tournament stages from Checkmate Live, with an additional $25,000 USD for the four-player Double Elimination Grand Final in Al Ain.

Travel costs covered: Al Ain CMG  is providing flights, five-star accommodation, and meals in Al Ain for all Grand Final participants.

Flexible Timing: Qualifiers are scheduled based on each player’s registered country to accommodate various time zones, ensuring global participation at convenient times.

Travel and Accommodation: Finalists advancing to Al Ain will receive complimentary flights and accommodations, with the tournament's Grand Final hosted at the luxurious Danat Al Ain Resort.

Tournament Schedule and Structure

Key Dates

Weekend Qualifiers: November 23-24 and November 30 - December 1, 2024

Regional Finals: December 7-8, 2024 (four regional finals across major time zones)

The Road to Al Ain Grand Final: December 22, 2024, Danat Al Ain Resort, Al Ain

Stage 1 - Online Qualifiers

The Online Qualifiers will consist of a 3+2 Blitz Swiss-format tournament (9 rounds) designed to advance top players from each division to the Regional Finals. The structure is as follows:

Under 2000 Division: Four qualification tournaments will be held, with the top four players from each tournament advancing to the Regional Finals.

Under 2300 Division: Four qualification tournaments will be held, with the top four players from each tournament advancing to the Regional Finals.

Open Division: Four qualification tournaments will be held, with the top eight players from each tournament advancing to the Regional Finals.

Stage 2 - Four Regional Finals

Each zone—AO (Asia and Oceania), EAS (Europe and Southern Africa), MENTA (Middle East, North Africa, and Turkey), and AM (Americas)—will host a 3+2 Blitz single-elimination head-to-head KO tournament. In each zone, a total of 64 players (16 from the Under 2000, 16 from the Under 2300, and 32 from the Open division) will compete, with the top player from each region ultimately advancing to the Grand Final.

Each matchup will consist of two games. In the event of a tie, an Armageddon game will determine the winner, ensuring a decisive outcome for each head-to-head encounter.

Stage 3 - Grand Final

The four regional champions will compete in a Double Elimination Knockout format to crown the tournament champion in Al Ain. These finalists will battle head-to-head for the title and a share of the additional $25,000 USD prize pool.

Grand Final Details

The Grand Final on December 22 will showcase a fast-paced double-elimination showdown among the four regional champions at the Danat Al Ain Resort. Participants will contend for significant cash prizes while experiencing the cultural richness of Al Ain, one of the UAE’s oldest and most cherished cities.

Registration Details

Registration opens on November 15, 2024. Players interested in competing can register at Checkmate.live. Don’t miss the chance to join this landmark event and experience the thrill of high-stakes competitive chess.

An Invitation to Chess Enthusiasts Everywhere

"The Road to Al Ain" is a celebration of unity, excellence, and global camaraderie. Whether you’re a seasoned grandmaster or a passionate amateur, this tournament offers a unique opportunity to be part of a legacy event. Registration is now open, and we invite all chess enthusiasts to embark on this journey to the Super Grand Final in Al Ain.

The Road to Al Ain: Your Destination for Competitive Chess Awaits!

Website: https://www.checkmate.live

Tournament information: https://www.checkmate.live/insights-and-updates

Ruleset: https://playbook.checkmate.live/echess-rulesets/the-road-to-al-ain

Contact:

Al Ain Chess and Mind Games Club

Hesham Ali Al Taher

CEO, Al Ain Chess and Mind Games Club

Secretary General of the Asian Chess Federation

asianchessfederation@yahoo.com


David Jenns MA LLM FRGS

Director International Relations

+971506180752

david@whitewolfconsultancy.com

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