Monday, September 20, 2010

World Chess Olympics to open in Siberia

Sep 19, 2010 11:12 Moscow Time
Chess. © dlkinney/flickr.com
Chess players from around the world  are in Khanty-Mansiisk, Siberia, for  another World Chess Olympics. This year's event, to run until October 4, along with the 81st Congress of FIDE, is already the 39th such competition, coming after Dresden Chess Olympics 2008 and preceding the 2012 Chess Olympics in Turkey.
160 men's and 120 women' teams  have gathered in the Yugra capital to vie for the world chess crown, with FIDE President Kirsan Ilyumzhinov saying representatives of a 157 countries will be taking part - more than any previous Chess Olympics could boast.FIDE is implementing  a gender policy, that's why there will be five women and as many men representing each country, Ilyumzhinov said.  In another first, the main umpire is also a woman - Sava Stojsavlevic from Serbia.
And, as if that was not enough, the organizers have brought in a supercomputer to select 20 most interesting games and analyze them online in three languages. The computer is in the impressive building of the Chess Academy that was unveiled in Khanty-Mansiisk just before the Olympics. This is the only building designed expressly for chess competitions you can find in the world.
In another pleasant surprise, admittance to all the games and entertainment events of the 39th World Chess Olympics will be absolutely free.

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