(05.09.2023, 15:30)The FINAL RESULTS of Open Solving tournament are announced and can be found on WSC calendar (click on “R” of the open in the calendar – there are also the norms and WSC-points)!
(04.09.2023)Open Solving tournament. “We decided that solvers who did not write tin the first study the black moves 6…Qf1+ and 7….Qh3+ will get not more than 3 points. Appeals and protests are possible until Tuesday 3 pm.“ Director: Axel Steinbrink | Assistant director: Marko Klasinc
The official website of the 65th WCCC (https://wccc2023.com) has published the Preliminary schedule, List of participants, and Contact information, as well as details about visas and transport.
The Georgian Chess Federation has the honour to invite all delegates of the World Federation of Chess Composition WFCC, national teams and individual solvers, chess composers to attend the 65th World Congress of Chess Composition and 46th World Chess Solving Championship in Batumi, Georgia.
The Congress will be held from September 2nd (arrival) to September 9th, 2023 (departure) at the Legend Hotel Batumi ***** with the WCSC on Tuesday and Wednesday, September 5th and 6th. Georgia has already organised this event in 2013. Georgia has a great tradition in the Chess Composition field. Georgian chess composers are well known all over the world and have played an essential role in chess composition development in the world.
The registration deadline is July 2. For registration and additional information, please contact David Gurgenidze at davidchessgurgenidze@gmail.com
In March, the Solving Committee has made another step forward, introducing the very informative Solving Portal on our website.
May was the month of 15thEuropean Chess Solving Championship, and Julia Vysotska created and exceptionally friendly atmosphere in Riga to attract solvers to the first ECSC since 2019.
Results of the two longest lasting composing events were completed between August and October. First, Valery Kopyl finalized the 8th World Championship in Composing for Individuals 2019-21, in spite of the most difficult circumstances in his country.
The other hard task was fulfilled by our long standing President Harry Fougiaxis, who took over the duty of the 11th World Chess Composing Tournament director.
During the summer, awards of the 10th FIDE World Cup in Composing were appearing one by one. In October, the director Aleksey Oganesyan ended his job and announced the final results.
World Solving Cup 2021/22, under the firm control of Roland Ott, lasted throughout the year, using the organizing resources of 13 different countries.
The final stage of the WSC was in Fujairah. In November, the United Arab Emirates hosted the 64th World Congress of Chess Composition. The first ever WCCC in Arabian Peninsula was an outstanding event in many ways. Dr. Abdulla Ali Aal Barket assured the memorable conditions for promotion of chess composition, and Mohammad Abdul Ghani was there to execute every single task.
The director of the 45th World Chess Solving Championship was the same as for the 15th ECSC. It was a challenging double task, unmistakably executed by Ivan Denkovski.
Let’s turn to 2023!
The red dates in our calendars will be 29th January (19th ISC), 2nd-4th June (16th ECSC in Bratislava) and 2nd-9th September (65th WCCC in Batumi).
Apart from regular competitions, we will have a joint duty to come closer to a much wider audience. The first steps in this direction were made a week ago, registering the WFCC in different social media (YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram), with some introductory posts for each of them.
To find our stable place there we need more contributors from different countries, to “feed” the media with short but attractive and frequent posts. Some longer posts, for instance from national championships, may appear on the FIDE website, as announced by their Marketing and Communications Officer David Llada.
It’s perhaps time to recall words by our Honorary President Dr. Klaus Wenda, dedicated to the Golden Jubilee of our organization, in 2007:
There is no doubt that the status of the contemplative occupation of chess problems among the young is lower nowadays; that is confirmed by an alarming lack of young problemists in virtually all the member countries. It only makes the task of the commission more important, though: creating new incentives and new ways to arouse interest in chess composition. I know that there is no easy answer, but the important thing, in accordance with Herakleitos’s dictum, is to recognise new trends quickly and react to them appropriately.
The first ever World Congress of Chess Composition in Arabian Peninsula was held from 12th to 19th November 2022. Behind the results and decisions of the 64th WCCC in Fujairah – to be found on the official WCCC 2022 website – some important general aspects of this adventure – for both participants and organizers – should be mentioned.
Unite Arab Emirates are new in our field, but the hosts from the Fujairah Chess & Culture Club have invested in 64th WCCC more than any country with a great tradition in Chess Composition. And, not only the highest ever prize-fund, the spectacular decoration and techniques for the Solving hall, or an unprecedented media coverage – there were all kinds of surprises, aimed to impress the rare guests.
Chess problemists from around the world have felt a great hospitality. We were offered different excursions (Fujairah tour, desert safari, and visit to Dubai), great facilities for the WFCC Meeting including options for the online members (not used enough by our distant delegates), and a rare appreciation by the high FIDE officers, lead by Dana Reizniece-Ozola, Deputy Chair of the FIDE Management Board. Finally, a big Blitz OTB tournament on Saturday 19th November attracted hundreds of active chess players – including our regular participants – and completed a genuine chess festival.
With so many pompous chess events in Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Sharjah, chess composition surprisingly became the Fujairah brand in UAE. That’s why the Crown Prince of Fujairah, HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Hammad Al Sharqi, supported 64th WCCC so cordially, and for the first time opened the doors of his palace to any chess players.
Planting flowers in a desert isn’t a fast process. We have expected more participants from Asian countries in our competitions, but the first appearance of the very important Indian delegation (Shankar Ram, Seetharaman Kalyan, Velmurugan Nallusamy and Anirudh Daga) was enough to declare the choice of location as successful.
The WFCC Meeting will be remembered for the acceptance of India – the leading chess country in the World – into our small family of the WFCC members. You should have been there to see Velmurugan Nallusamy coming all the way from India for two days only – with both parents, wife and daughter – to celebrate his victory in the FIDE World Composing Cup, Section Retros. Or, to see the 14-years old Anirudh Daga going so many times to the stage in his new suite, to collect his 11 distinctions in composing tournaments and a prize for solving.
And this may be only the beginning of the wider opening of the WFCC to the outside world, to new generations and new countries.
Marjan Kovačević, WFCC President
Highlights & Decisions of the Congress, include the results of the WCCT & WCCI, FIDE Album 2016-18, New Titles and Elections.
The next meetings: 16th European Chess Solving Championship (ECSC) in Bratislava, Slovakia 2-4 June 2023 65th World Congress of Chess Composition (WCCC) and 46th World Chess Solving Championship (WCSC) in Batumi or Tbilisi (Georgia), August or September-October 2023. Place and dates will be announced in due course.
Exciting competition, nice debut by solvers who for the first time performed at the biggest stage, and constant rise of already established juniors, might be the most recognizable moments from the 45th WCSC. Danila Pavlov defended his individual title (overall and among juniors), in a drama where second-placed Ural Khasanov, third-placed Piotr Murdzia and fourth-placed Bilguun Sumiya had the lead after fifth, fourth and third round respectively. In the team contest, Poland made a strong performance and finished first, ahead of Serbia and Germany. The senior competition was won by Jorma Paavilainen, and the women’s competition by thirteen-year old Anna Shukhman. Ivan Denkovski, 45.WCSC Director
As the Congress gets closer, the WCCC2022 website is getting more and more crowded with new posts. Starting from the latest news, the deadlines for registration and visa documents were extended till 10th October, the money prizes for 11 different competitions were presented, the Schedule was updated, and three composing tourneys were announced: official Internet T. and two unofficial tourneys. Besides, you can find the registered Lectures, and more details about Safari and Blitz tourney, too.
The Fujairah chess & culture club (FCCC) has the honour to invite all delegates of the World Federation for Chess Composition (WFCC), national teams and individual solvers, chess composers and all those interested and involved in chess solving & composing, to attend the 64th World Congress of Chess Composition (WCCC) and 45th World Chess Solving Championship (WCSC). The congress will be held from Saturday, November 12th (arrival) to Saturday, November 19th, 2022 (departure) at the “Novotel Hotel” **** in Fujairah (UAE), with the WCSC on Tuesday and Wednesday, November 15th and 16th. The WCSC director is Ivan Denkovski.
The page of the 63rd WCCC is updated with