NEW YORK (WABC) -- A little more than a year ago, Mariangel Vargas, left her native Colombia and with her family made a dangerous walk across Mexico, eventually coming to New York City.

Now, at the age of 11, she has transplanted and transformed herself into a very different person - a budding chess master - one of the best in the country for her age group.

Vargas says there is just something she just loves about chess.

"When I win," she says.

And Vargas wins a lot. She only started about a year ago, right after she and her family came here after a long and perilous journey from Colombia because gang members there threatened to kill her mother.

She spoke no English then - and still feels more comfortable talking in Spanish.

"I was scared. We walked from Mexico. I remember the plants we walked through were filled with thorns," Vargas says. She and her family now stay in a nearby hotel - just making it to school every day can be a struggle. She worries about the city moving her family out of the area and away from the school she loves.

Russ Makovsky runs a group called 'The Gift of Chess' and says many migrant children find a place for themselves in a game that has no language barrier - and now instead of being a migrant, she is a New Yorker.

Vargas is already ranked in the top 50 in the country for girls her age.

Fourteen months ago she couldn't name the pieces on a chess board.

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11-year-old migrant from Colombia transforms into chess prodigy - WABC-TV

Move over basketball, football and volleyball, there is a new activity taking the Bigfork Middle School by storm chess.

When Sam Tudor started a chess club at the high school several years ago, teacher Derek Ford decided that younger students could also benefit from learning the game and got a club going at the middle school.

I originally started the chess club to help teach patience and thinking before we react, Ford said. It also forces the kids to stand still for a minute and interface with each other, but it has grown into so much more.

What started with just six students four years ago has grown into a club of 23 as chess tables fill the entryway to the elementary/middle school, with students from other grades now vying to get in on the action.

Ford said kids have really picked up on chess with it being on social media and more than ever after the Netflix series The Queens Gambit.

Chess playing has really exploded over the past few years. During Covid, the kids were playing each other online, thats how popular it has become, Ford said. I have had the whole fourth grade come down to learn how to play the game, and now I have younger kids coming in during their lunch time to play. I now have kids that have been playing for multiple years and we are starting to be able to move beyond the fundamentals of chess and start looking at theory.

For those who doubt how popular the sport has become at the school, the students are more than eager to discuss their chess prowess.

Payton DeSpain, a volleyball and basketball player, says her friend talked her into playing at the beginning of this year and that chess has completely changed the way she looks at the world around her.

Its completely different from what I usually do and it makes me use my brain in a different way. I have to look ahead of each move and it is exciting to see how it all plays out, she explained. Ive learned how to anticipate what my opponent is going to do and am starting to pick up on how my opponents think and am learning how to adapt to that. It is a lot of fun.

Will Reichner also got into playing chess at the behest of a friend and now has aspirations of winning this years class tournament.

Chess teaches you to see the whole picture. If you focus on just a single point, you will miss something and you will lose, he said. Chess teaches you to see everything from a whole new perspective.

With clubs popping up around the Flathead Valley, Ford is hopeful that his students will be able to participate in some inter-school tournaments soon.

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Chess the newest craze at Bigfork Middle School - Daily Inter Lake

On Monday evening, in the regional high school cafeteria, Ed Painter, a gray-haired chess master, faced off against a young Sam Grimm, who learned the game a couple of weeks ago.

I think I want to go here, because this guy can take this guy, and this guy is protected, Ben said, as he marched a pawn to the center of the board.

Mr. Painter agreed with his reasoning: Its a good thought, he said.

Miles Brown (right) takes a break in the action. Courtesy TJ Reap

Their game, played in a spirit of collaborative improvement, took place at community chess night, a recently-revamped weekly event that aims to bring together players of all ages and skill levels.

Throughout the cafeteria Monday, beige and green cloth chessboards were rolled out on tables as players of all ages and abilities sat across from each other. Community chess night has a long history, started by high school English teacher Dan Sharkovitz. But when Mr. Sharkovitz died in 2020, so did the tradition.

TJ Reap arrived at the regional high school in the summer of 2021, as a physical education teacher and assistant football coach. He also brought with him his love for chess. When he revitalized the high school chess team, he said he began hearing about the impact Mr. Sharkovitz made on the community through chess nights.

As the chess program grew and developed, I heard a lot of compliments about Dan, Mr. Reap said. They talked about the programming he did in the school through the '80s and '90s and early 2000s.

One of the most beloved of those programs, Mr. Reap said, was community chess night.

This was a great community event and we get to really bring that back, he said.

Erica, Kevin Jr. and Olivia Soules debate strategy. Courtesy TJ Reap

Monday was the third community chess night, with the number of participants roughly doubling each time.

Im hoping that we get to a point where weve got a room filled with kids who are beginners and parents who are beginners, and then the medium level players and the best players in a round robin, he said.

In the cafeteria, Mr. Reap played chess matchmaker, setting up contests, or informal lessons, between players young and old. Then he held court at the center of the table, playing a spirited series against eight-year-old Miles Brown, with an enthusiastic young crowd leaning in to analyze the game.

You got me in a bind here, buddy, Mr. Reap said, as Miles advanced his king down the board, challenging Mr. Reaps position and threatening his rook.

Meanwhile, towards the back of the room, a group of parents took a break from the action.

Its great to see them so excited, said Nancey Merriman, whose son Logan was locked in heated competition.

Amy Grimm, Sams mother, agreed.

I wasnt sure if this was something you needed to know before you came, she said. Adding that although her son has just begun to play, hes already hooked.

Community Chess Nights take place Mondays from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. at the MVRHS cafeteria.

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A Passion for Pawns; Community Chess Night Returns - The Vineyard Gazette - Martha's Vineyard News

It's a minor surprise that it doesn't happen more often, but GM Magnus Carlsen andGM Hikaru Nakamura were the winners ofTitled Tuesday on December 19. Carlsen scored 10/11 in the early event, beating Nakamura by half a point, and in the process extended his Chess.com blitz rating record to 3372 (before dropping six points with an 11th-round draw). Carlsen skipped the late event, which Nakamura won outright with 9.5 points.

The difference between first and second in the early tournament field of 567 ended up being Nakamura's draw in the fourth round. Carlsen and Nakamura drew each other in the eighth round, both made draws in the final round, and otherwise they won the rest of their games.

The Carlsen-Nakamura draw, a more back-and-forth game than you might expect (instead of mostly even all the way through), ended Carlsen's run but kept him in first place.

Carlsen maintained his lead in the following round by beating GM Nihal Sarin in just 25 moves after the Indian teenage sensation blundered a piece on move five. In the following round, Carlsen worked somewhat harder to defeat GM Shamsiddin Vokhidov.

In that same 10th round, second place was effectively decided, as Nakamura beat GM Vladislav Kovalev in a 31-move gradual rundown, putting a full point of separation between them.

GM Oleksandr Bortnyk had entered third place in the meantime, but he and Carlsen drew their last game in 14 moves, while Nakamura drew with Nihal and Kovalev defeated Vokhidov. As things shook out, the final result was Carlsen first, Nakamura second, Kovalev third and Bortnyk fourth.

December 19 Titled Tuesday | Early | Final Standings (Top 20)

(Full final standings here.)

Carlsen won $1,000, Nakamura $750, Kovalev $350, and Bortnyk $200. The $100 prizes went to IM Bojan Maksimovic in fifth place and IM Meri Arabidze as the highest-scoring woman at 7.5 points.

With 424 participants, the late tournament was also plenty busy, albeit minus Magnus. Hikaru filled that vacuum, although his path was not easy. But after starting on 4.5/6, Nakamura ripped off five straight wins to claim the tournament.

With Nakamura's early bumps, he did not reach first place until the tournament ended. In the meantime, Maksimovic had another strong tournament. As in the early tournament, the eventual second- and third-place finishers met in the 10th round, this time with Maksimovic defeating GM Hans Niemann.

But Nakamura, who was tied for 30th after six rounds, had worked his way into a tie for second and got his shot at Maksimovic.

It was Maksimovic who tried 1...a6, a move normally associated with Nakamura. It did not work out as the 21-year-old Bosnian would have liked, with an up-and-down game eventually favoring the American star.

Nakamura leapfrogged Maksimovic into first, while GM Velimir Ivic, who had been tied with Nakamura before the round, fell out of contention after losing to Niemann. Maksimovic retained second place on tiebreaks over Niemann and four other players on nine points.

December 19 Titled Tuesday | Late | Final Standings (Top 20)

(Full final standings here.)

Nakamura won the $1,000 first place prize, giving him $1,750 for his day's work. Maksimovic claimed $750 late, for an $850-day. Niemann won $350, GM Alexey Sarana in fourth place, and GM Matthias Bluebaum in fifth. GM Jiner Zhu won the $100 women's prize, scoring seven points.

Titled Tuesday is Chess.com's weekly tournament for titled players, with two tournaments held each Tuesday. The first tournament begins at 11:00 a.m. Eastern Time/17:00 Central European/20:30 Indian Standard Time, and the second at 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time/23:00 Central European/2:30 Indian Standard Time (next day).

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Carlsen, Nakamura Win Titled Tuesday - December 19, 2023 - Chess.com

KEARNEY The Kearney Park and Recreation Department is taking registrations for the inaugural Chess 101 class, scheduledfrom 6:30-7:30 p.m.Thursdays, Jan. 11 to Feb. 15.

Classes will be at the Harmon Park Activity Center and will be led by the Central Nebraska Chess Club using a tested curriculum from chesskids.com.

Classes are open to age 8 through adults.

Instructors will teach beginners the basics of chess. The cost is $35. For more information or to register, please contact Kearney Park and Recreation at 308-237-4644, stop by 1930 University Drive, or go online to http://www.kprreg.org.

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Checkmate: Park and Rec taking signups for chess class - Kearney Hub

FIDE press release

In the backdrop of the historical city of Samarkand, the stage is set for the convergence of top world chess players at the FIDE World Rapid and Blitz Championships. The past, present and future of chess will meet in Samarkand, as the city where the worlds oldest chess pieces have been found (dating from the 6-8 century AD) will play host to many of the greatest chess players of today.

From December 26 to 30, this highly anticipated five-day event is poised to witness the worlds premier chess players vie for the prestigious titles of World Champion in Rapid and Blitz across both Open and Womens categories. The prize fund totals one million US dollars, with $700,000 for the Open and $300,000 for the Womens tournaments.

The event boasts an impressive lineup featuring illustrious names synonymous with chess brilliance.

Magnus Carlsen | Photo: Lennart Ootes

Bibisara Assaubayeva | Photo: Lennart Ootes

In the mix are also three former World Champions, Antoaneta Stefanova, Alexandra Kosteniuk and Mariya Muzychuk, whose remarkable achievements and unyielding determination have propelled them to the summit of womens chess.

The forthcoming event marks an important moment for the local organizers as Uzbekistan gears up to host the 2026 Chess Olympiad, leveraging the World Rapid and Blitz Championships to fortify their preparations for this upcoming grand affair.

The competition will unfold amidst the architectural marvel of the Silk Road Samarkand, a multifaceted resort boasting eight world-class hotels, cultural sites, and a state-of-the-art international congress center.

As the chess elite get ready to converge on Samarkand, their participation in the World Rapid and Blitz Championships is promising thrilling excitement and high drama, where nerves and speed will be (the) key.

2023 FIDE World Rapid & Blitz Championship Rapid Open List of participants

2023 FIDE World Rapid & Blitz Championship Rapid Women List of participants

2023 FIDE World Rapid & Blitz Championship Blitz Open Listof participants

2023 FIDE World Rapid & Blitz Championship Blitz Women List of participants

Information about the event:

Dates:

Opening ceremony: December 25 World Rapid: 26 28 December World Blitz: 29 30 December Closing ceremony: December 30

Eligibility:

For the Open, a rating of at least 2550 in any of the twelve most recent FIDE rating lists (Standard, Rapid or Blitz) at the moment of the beginning of the WRB; the reigning National Champions (in Standard, Rapid, Blitz) representing their National Federation regardless of their title or rating, as well as up to 30 nominations by FIDE and 15 by the Uzbekistan chess federation.

For the Womens tournaments, a rating of at least 2250 in any of the twelve most recent FIDE rating lists (Standard, Rapid or Blitz) at the moment of the beginning of the WRB; the reigning National Champions (in Standard, Rapid, Blitz) representing their National Federation regardless of their title or rating, as well as up to 20 nominations by FIDE and 10 by the Uzbekistan chess federation.

Format:

Both the Rapid and the Blitz will be played under the Swiss System.

The Open Rapid will consist of 13 rounds, while the Blitz will have 21 rounds. The Womens Rapid will have 11 rounds, while the Blitz will have 17 rounds.

Time Control:

Rapid: 15 minutes + 10 seconds increment per move, starting from move one. Blitz: Three minutes + 2 seconds increment per move, starting from move one.

Prizes:

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Everything ready for the start of World Rapid and Blitz in Samarkand - ChessBase

The United States Chess Federation is pleased to announce the 2024 All-America Chess Team. Team members will receive team jackets and plaques by mail.

The All-America Chess Team was created in 1987 to honor the very best players ages 18 and under. The team, one of the highest national honors attainable by a young chess player, is selected on the basis of age, rating, and chess activity during that year, similar to the selection process of all conference sports teams. This years candidates were selected based on their age as of January 1, 2023, and their peak post-tournament rating from July 1, 2022 through June 30, 2023. Since this award is a post-season selection, the minimum rating limits in each age group are reviewed annually by US Chess staff and the US Chess Scholastic Council.

Image Caption

One ninth of the 2024 All-America Team at the awards ceremony on the final day of the 2023 K-12 Grade Championships (photo Caroline King)

The United States Chess Federation wishes to congratulate each of the 45 members (up five from last year!) of this years All-America Chess Team for receiving this outstanding award!

GM Andrew Hong, 2022 Weeramantry Blitz champion (courtesy of the subject)

Justin Wang ready to work his magic on the e-file (courtesy Lennart Ootes/SLCC)

Robert Shlyakhtenko (courtesy Deshaun Adams/Renaissance Knights)

IM Anthony He (courtesy Caroline King)

IM Kirk Ghazarian is in good company when it comes to missing the Tactic Of The Day (courtesy Austin Fuller/SLCC)

IM Jason Wang finished first on tiebreaks (photo Caroline King)

Last year's co-champ was this year's only 6/6 player in any of the five invitationals (photo Daniel Day)

Nico Chasin (photo David Llada)

IM Eddy Tian (photo David Llada)

Rohan Padhye (L) and IM Evan Park (photo David Llada)

Vyom Vidyarthi (photo Betsy Zacate)

FM Sandeep Sethuraman (David Llada)

Erick Zhao (courtesy Deshaun Adams/Renaissance Knights)

2022 Barber 3rd Place Winner FM Bach Ngo at the 2022 U.S. Open. Photo: Mark Cieslikowski

"We want Fabi!" the junior champion will face Caruana in a critical game for the standings (courtesy Lennart Ootes/SLCC)

Happy belated birthday to now-14-year-old Alice Lee (courtesy Austin Fuller/SLCC)

FM Brewington Hardaway broke the 2400 barrier and earned a GM norm in the process (courtesy Daniel Schipper/CCC)

Eric Liu with his championship medal.

courtesy Charlotte Chess Center

Woodward made waves with his upset of Niemann in their third-round clash (courtesy David Llada/FIDE)

IM-Elect Chen! (courtesy Elite Chess)

Ryan Sun (courtesy Deshaun Adams/Renaissance Knights)

Top-seeded Aiden Liu (CA) is perfect around two rounds in the K-5 Championship (photo Caroline King)

Ethan Guo, 2022 National K-8 Blitz Co-Champ

Kyle Dong (photo David Llada)

Linxi Zhu won the K-3 Blitz Championship outright, and is currently tied for first in the K-3 Championship (photo Caroline King)

2024 US CHESS ALL-AMERICA CHESS TEAM

Age 18 (Min. Rating 2500)

Andrew Hong

CA

Age 17 (min. rating 2475)

Justin Wang

TX

Robert Shlyakhtenko

CA

Balaji Daggupati

CA

Anthony Bi He

WA

Maximillian Lu

CT

Age 16(min. rating 2450)

Arthur Guo

GA

Christopher Woojin Yoo

CA

Jason Wang

OH

Nico Werner Chasin

NY

Kirk Ghazarian

CA

Eddy Tian

NJ

Age 15(min. rating 2425)

Evan Park

PA

Jason Liang

NY

Vyom Vidyarthi

CA

Sandeep Sethuraman

AZ

Eric Yuhan Li

CA

Age 14(min. rating 2400)

Dimitar Mardov

IL

Bach Ngo

FL

Erick Zhao

PA

Age 13(min. rating 2350)

Abhimanyu Mishra

NJ

Brewington Hardaway

NY

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2024 US Chess Federation All-America Chess Team Announced - uschess.org

Chess game: How cyberattacks and artificial intelligence are evolving  WVLT

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Chess game: How cyberattacks and artificial intelligence are evolving - WVLT

FIDE press release

The bid to secure the rights to host the FIDE Chess Olympiad 2028, FIDE Chess Olympiad for People with Disabilities 2028, and FIDE Congress 2028 was a joint effort by the Abu Dhabi Sports Council and the UAE Chess Federation.The proposed venue for these events is the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre (ADNEC), the largest of its kind in the Middle East.

Before the vote, FIDE conducted visits to both Abu Dhabi and Genoa to inspect the proposed venues and facilities. Official meetings were held with local and government authorities in both cities and with potential organizers.

In Abu Dhabi, meetings were conducted with prominent figures, including His Excellency Aref Al Awani, the General Secretary of the Abu Dhabi Sports Council, Sheikh Sultan bin Khalifa Al Nahyan, the President of the Asian Chess Federation, H.E. Tarim Matar Muhammad Tarim, the President of the UAE Chess Federation, and Hussein Abdullah Al-Khoury, the President of the Abu Dhabi Chess Club.

FIDE's inspection concluded that "Abu Dhabi presented a compelling bidding proposal, supported by the findings of the inspection visit on December 6th and 7th, 2023. The city boasts a robust transportation and accommodation infrastructure, a venue meeting top international standards, and experienced organizers capable of hosting world-class events not only in chess but in various other sports and spheres."

This marks the second time that the UAE will host a chess Olympiad, following the event held in Dubai in 1986.

Abu Dhabi and the UAE have recently demonstrated a strong commitment to organizing numerous chess events. In 2023 alone, the country hosted the inaugural Global Chess League, the 29th Abu Dhabi International Chess Festival, and the Asia Chess Amateur Championship. The city is set to host the Asian Youth Chess Championship next year.

FIDE.com...

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Abu Dhabi wins bid to host 47th Chess Olympiad in 2028 - ChessBase

The International Chess Federation (FIDE), together with the Asian Chess Federation and Zayed Higher Organization for People of Determination, with the support of the International Olympic Committee, FIDE Planning and Development Commission, and FIDE Social Commission, hold the first offline Asian Educational Seminar Chess for children with ASD. Learn & Teach. The event took place at the Al Ain Convention Center, UAE, from December 18 to 19.

Twenty-one chess teachers and coaches from 14 countries (Bangladesh, Vietnam, Azerbaijan, UAE, Sri Lanka, Lebanon, Philippines, Pakistan, Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan, and others) explored the ways of teaching chess to children with autism spectrum disorder, studied a unique training program developed in 2021 and got practical advice on how to work with kids with ASD.

The following prominent figures participated in the seminar:

Speakers atthe seminar:

All participants were honoured to visit the Zayed Higher Organization for People of Determination in Al Ain and exchange teaching experiences with local experts. We thank Abdulla Ismail Alkamali for the hospitality and inspiring tour he provided personally for all the participants and the project team.

On December 19, FIDE, the Asian Chess Federation and Zayed Higher organization signed a Tripartite Memorandum of Understanding, a significant step forward to the further cooperation and expansion of partnership within the Infinite Chess project.

"Infinite Chess is our project where we use the game to improve socio-emotional wellbeing of children with autistic spectrum disorder. With this agreement we aim to provide new opportunities, empower and change lives of children with special abilities here in the region," saidDana Reizniece-Ozola, Project Supervisor and Deputy Chair of the FIDE Management Board.

Presentations (pdf):

Chess for Children with Autism and Spectrum Disorder by Natalia Popova - Part 1

Chess for Children with Autism and Spectrum Disorder by Natalia Popova - Part 2

Classroom Organization by Natalia Popova

FIDE Infinite Chess Project by Ala Mischanka - Day 1

FIDE Infinite Chess Project by Ala Mischanka - Day 2

Infinite Chess - Turkey by Melodi Dincel

Infinite Chess - Latvia Experience by Viesturs Kapce

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UAE hosts Asian Educational Seminar Chess for children with ASD. Learn & Teach - FIDE