By Mikhail Korenman
FIDE International Organizer
For the last four years the end of March is a traditional time to host an international
chess activities that organized by the International Educational and Cultural
Services 501-c3 non-for-profit organization.
A group of 32 students and parents
from Moscow and St Petersburg
of Russia visited Naperville
March 21—April 1, 2013. On
March 24th scholastic chess players
from Illinois had a chance to
compete at the international invitational
scholastic chess tournament
among with their Russian
friends. Kevin Ho from Naperville
Chess Club and Kolin Kras
from Tinley Park shared the first
place for the Under 1000 section.
Nikita Vvedenskij from St. Petersburg and Bethany Simos from Naperville share
the win for the Under 1400 section. Gleb Fridman from Moscow was clear first at
the Open section.
During the week of stay in Chicago
area the Russian group visited
Keller Gifted Center in Chicago.
This year 12 Keller students
will participate at the SuperNational
championship in Nashville
and a friendly match with the Russian
team was a great training opportunity
for them. Some parents
from the Russian team also enjoy
the chess match with Keller students.
The 4th Intercontinental Scholastic
Team championship was held in Naperville
on March 30-31, 2013. 16 teams
represented Illinois, Kansas, and 3 Russian
teams competed in five different
sections by age (Under 10, 12, 14, 16,
and 18 years old). Five teams from the
Naperville Youth Chess Club participated
at the event.
The organizers discussed the plans to
hold the 5th Intercontinental Team
championship back in Naperville next year with more international participants
represented different countries and submit the results to FIDE.
This year for the first time International
Educational and
Cultural Services hosted an international
women tournament.
10 top female players –
three WGMs, three WIMs, two
WFMs, and two national master-level
players from the
United States, Russia, Sweden,
Norway, and Belarus – competed
in one of the strongest
female round-robin tournament
in the United States. The
tournament winner – 16-years
old Anna Styazhkina from St Petersburg who in 2012 became the World Champion
Under 16 years old – won the tournament with 7 points and gained her first WGM
norm.
We would like to thank you Country Inn in Naperville for hosting the chess events
this year and providing great hospitality for the Russian group.
To check the next year international events visit http://www.intecsus.org/ and check the
chess section.