ČEZ CHESS TROPHY 2016

Euphoria on Kampa

[06.06.2016 00:00:00] - On Saturday morning more than 200 viewers were amused by chess performed by live people at Střelecký ostrov, a small island situated in the centre of Prague. The experienced company of professional fencers called ´Štiavnický živý šach´ demonstrated a game of blindfold chess, played by chess grandmasters Richard Rapport and David Navara.

In the evening visitors of Ponrepo cinema applauded to the film director Maris Flabba for her beautiful documentary movie about Chess Train. And we have not yet talked about Friday´s simultaneous game of the world best junior chess player, Richard Rapport, against 19 players, about the opening ceremonial, about blindfold simultaneous game, opening of a photo exhibition or about the first game of the grandmasters’ match.

This weekend was simply ruled by the goddess Caissa, very busy and extraordinary. Let´s look at the event, which took place so far in an order:


The director of CORA Geo, Tomáš Habiňák and the director of Dopravní stavby Brno, Vlastimil Chládek, managed to beat Richard Rapport.

The traditional chess festival was opened, as usual, by the simultaneous game of the main guest. The Hungarian grandmaster Richard Rapport, the best junior player, competed against nineteen players. Those players included very skilful competition, such as Akaki Sharashenidze (ELO 2343). The grandmaster Rapport won 16,6 : 2,5, being beaten by the director of construction company Dopravní stavby Brno, Vlastimil Chládek and the director of CORA Geo, Tomas Habiňák, while the former Czech Minister, Igor Němec, managed a draw with Rapport.


The spokesperson for Prague 1, Veronika Blažková, between the two grandmasters. Her nails decided, who will be playing with white and who with black pieces in the first game of the match.

At the opening ceremony, which was taking place at hotel Juliš situated at Wenceslas Square, Libor Kičmer, manager of the Czech energy company ČEZ, noted that it was already 12th Prague Chess Festival under the sponsorship of the energy company. Colour draw was done with the help of black and white nails on the hand of the Prague 1 spokesperson, Veronika Blažková.

The opening was visited not only by number of managers, but also by very dignified group of chess grandmasters. There were all together nine grandmaster in hotel Juliš on Friday evening: Vlastimil Hort, Jan Smejkal, Sergej Movsesjan, David Navara, Viktor Láznička, Robert Cvek, Martin Petr, Richard Rapport and Timur Garejev.


Human chess at Střelecky ostrov in the center of Prague.


The mayor of Prague 1, Oldřich Lomecký, is drawing colour of chess pieces for Richard Rapport for his blindfolded game, demonstrated by human chess.

Saturday game, which was performed by real persons instead of chess pieces, was opened to numerous audience by the chairman of Prague Chess Society, Pavel Matocha and also by mayor of Prague 1, Oldřich Lomený.

The blindfold chess game between Richard Rapport and David Navara was won by Rapport, however the victory was not the most important thing. Nevertheless, the best Czech chess player, David Navara was asking in a joke, if the winner was going to be crowned, if at the same time the looser would be beheaded.


Real fights following pieces removal.

Štiavnický živý šach was a breath-taking performance, full of swordfights (when the chess pieces were captured and removed from the game). The performance was viewed by hundreds of tourists as well as Prague chess players. We saw among audience chess patron and a former CEO of Český Telekom, Bessl Koka with his family, or Armenian grandmaster, Sergei Movsesian with his parents and his wife, Julia Kotcenko.


The beautiful hall of the old Ponrepo cinema in the centre of Prague.

The chess game performed by persons was even mentioned in the evening news of the Czech national television and more in detail coverage will be broadcasted during TV show on chess news V šachu. At the same time, when the Czech television had been broadcasting the coverage from ČEZ CHESS TROPHY 2016 festival, the Prague cinema Ponrepo was screening Chess Train, a documentary movie shot by Estonian/ British filmmaker, Maris Flabba.


The general director of Railway Research Institute, Antonín Blažek, was a guest at opening of the movie.


The film was applauded by the full cinema room, including the general director of Czech Railway Research Institute, Antonin Blazek, or the Australian chess grandmaster, Ian Rogers and number of other participants of last year Chess Train.

Sunday was extraordinary too. At 10 o clock in the morning started in Michnův palác the simultaneous blindfold game of Uzbek /American grandmaster Timur Garejev. He is going to try to beat world record in blindfold simultaneous game this December in Prague, as he is going to play against 47 competitors at the same time. On Sunday he played against 12 competitors, having won in 4 hours a 15 minutes 11:1, with only Magda Miturová (ELO 2193) and Rudolf Soukal (ELO 1997) reaching the draw.


Uzbec/American grandmaster Timur Gareyev with the chairman of the Prague Chess Society, Pavel Matocha, and the referee, Pavel Votruba.


During the entire blindfolded simultaneous game the grandmaster Timur Gareyev had been pedalling on an exercise bike. Among his opponents was also a manager on energy company ČEZ, Jan Klaus.

The simultaneous game was followed up by the opening of an exhibition of chess themed photos taken in cafés ad pubs. The visitors of ČEZ CHESS TROPHY 2016 can have a look at the ten nicest shots, they will be exhibited till the end of the festival in Michnův palác. The exhibition was organized as a part of ´Chess café – Chess are played here´ project.


An exhibition of ten best photographs chosen in the competition for the best chess photo taken in cafés and pubs, organized within Chess café – Chess played here project.

At 4 o´clock p.m. the main event of the entire festival – the match between grandmaster David Navara and Richard Rapport – took place. The Czech grandmaster allotted the black pieces for the first game and the expectation was that the Hungarian grandmaster will try some kind of a wild game. But on contrary to expectations, Richard Rapport was playing very guardedly, swiftly swapping queens and the game ended up after 42 moves with a draw. Evidently he did not wish to widen a negative 0:3 series, which the Czech grandmaster has had so far.

The match was commented on by grandmaster Robert Cvek, who was aided by grandmasters Vlastimil Hort, Jan Smejkal, Martin Petr and an international master Michal Konopka. Their comments provided an amusement as well as new knowledge to the audience, which included Václav Klaus Jr., editor of Czech daily Blesk, Antonína Ebr, or Swiss lawyer Alban Broadbeck, which in past legally represented Viktor Korčnoj (in his fight for world master title against Anatolij Karpov) or later Anatolij Karpov (in later dispute with FIDE). If you miss this chess weekend, we have two pieces of news for you. The bad one is that you missed a lot and nothing can be done about that. The good one is that a great program is still on for coming days. On Monday there is a lecture held by the legendary Czech grandmaster Vlatimil Hort and also the second game of Navara versus Rapport. On Tuesday and Wednesday there will be lectures held by Robert Cvek and also third and fourth game of the grandmasters.

So do not hesitate! The world belongs to chess players and not only in Střelecký ostrov?!

| Pavel Matocha | visits(9481x)