African Games Chess Championships 2019 kicks off today
Africa’s flagship sports meet, the African Games, kicked off this week in Casablanca, and the chess competition will begin today (Saturday), with the dispute of the first five rounds of the teams' event (rapid).
Chess was first included in the 2003 edition of the Games held in Abuja (Nigeria), and the subsequent editions in Algiers (Algeria) 2007, and Maputo (Mozambique) 2011. However, it dropped from the programme in 2015. It is a matter of proud for FIDE that chess is included again as one of the 26 sportive disciplines featured in the 2019 Games in Morocco.
The International Chess Federation sponsors the championship, covering all organizational costs and ensuring that all participants are provided with excellent conditions during the event. The venue will be the convention centre of the Grand Mogador Hotel in Casablanca, which will also host all the participants and officials.
FIDE Vice President Adeyemi Olalekan, FIDE Executive Director Victor Bologan, FIDE International Director Mohammed Al Mudahka, and FIDE President’s Advisor Berik Balgabaev arrived yesterday to Casablanca to take part in the Technical meeting and opening ceremony of the event, to make sure this important championship is off to a smooth start.
They will be joined in the next days by FIDE President Arkady Dvorkovich, who will visit the African Games to express his support to all African Federations, and to thank the players for their participation. The President will also hold meetings with Mr Rachid Talbi Alami, Minister of Youth and Sports of Morocco, to discuss the chess game development in the country, and with Mr Faiçal Rachid Laraichi, Chairman of the National Olympic Committee of Morocco.
The championships gather 22 national teams for the African Games Rapid Mixed Team Championship, which will be played over two days (9 rounds), with a time control of 15+10. The teams are mixed, with two men and two women representing each nation. This event will be followed by the African Games Rapid Individual Chess Championship, with over 100 participants. And the final event in the programme will be the African Games Blitz Individual Chess Championship, the 28th of August.
FIDE would like to express its sincere gratitude to General Ahmed Nasser Mohamed, President of the Association of African Sports Confederation (AASC) who played a capital role in bringing chess back to the African Games.
Chief arbiter for the event: IA Bechir Messaouidi (Tunisia)
Official website: www.jar2019.ma
The games will be broadcasted live by the major chess platforms and FIDE partners, like Chess24, Chess.com, or WorldChess.
About the African Games:
The African Games, formally known as the All-Africa Games or the Pan African Games, are a continental multi-sport event held every four years, organized by the African Union (AU) with the Association of National Olympic Committees of Africa (ANOCA) and the Association of African Sports Confederations (AASC).
Photos from the technical meeting, by Pervin Mamed Zade (ITAR-TASS) and Kema Goryaeva (FIDE).
