4th FIDE World Chess Championships for People with Disabilities

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Round 3 of the 1st World Chess Championship for Disabled

Written by Philipp Roeder and Dr. Helga Schmidt, Fotos: Karsten Wieland

The third round was again holding some surprising events. For example the unexpected victory of the German Student Katharina Kohnen (DWZ: 1399) against her much stronger opponent Igor Chernov (ELO: 2086) from Russia. Although she was already put in a bad position, by losing one of her rooks, she was able to check mate her enemie on the base line, after she baited him into taking her poisoned pawn on g6. Whether the Russian player was underestimating his opponent or simply made a mistake, will remain an open question. To Katharina, who is not only studying at the Dresden University of Technology, but also playing chess for the USV TU Dresden, it did not matter. She was just happy about her victory and very satisfied with the 1.5 points, she was able to collect in the three rounds.

 

 

When IM Sergey Krylov (Russia) and Rolf Huss (Fulda, IPCA Germany) agreed on a remis, there was even a camera team form Dresden TV on site. Rolf Huss (ELO: 2150) is proud to be able to participate at the 1st World Championship. With his 2.5 points he is up for a good start in this tournament. In the german-german duel at table 23, Raphael Zimmer, the youngest of all the participants, was able to defeat Michael Gründer in an excellent minor-piece endgame.

 

IM Andrei Obodchuk as a favorite won against Victor Varezhkin in a russian-russian tournament.
George Vasques (France) and Jamal Messala (Marocco) were meeting in an all French speaking duel with a nuance of the Siciliane Opening.

The italian delegation (in the picture) is conveniently the fourth biggest, after the ones from Russia, Germany and Poland. At this 1st World Chess Championship for Disabled there are 64 participants gathered from eight different nations. Two player took the long trip from India, from France, the Suisse and Marocco, there is one participant each.

 

But the players are not only spending time together, sitting across each other behind their chess boards. After the exhausting game of chess, the sportsmen from Russia, Poland, India and Marocco use the offered opportunity for a sightseeing tour around the city of Dresden. The Museum 'Grünes Gewölbe', filled with unmeasurable treasures and a chess board mad of amber, impressed the players most of all. For the completely or partially blind, there were special objects they could touch. Responsible for the entertainment program are Dr. Helga Schmidt and Helga Jesche.