Astana opens World Chess Championship: Olympiad flame lit

On August 1, the FIDE World Rapid and Blitz Team Championships 2024 opened in Astana. The event was organized by FIDE and the Kazakhstan Chess Federation (KazChess) with the support of the Akimat of Astana. World chess stars Magnus Carlsen, Hou Yifan, Ju Wenjun and Ding Liren are taking part in the tournament, Kazinform News Agency correspondent reports from the event.

The opening of the championship coincided with the ceremonial torch relay of the 45th Chess Olympiad, which will be held in Budapest from September 10 to 23, 2024 and will be dedicated to the 100th anniversary of FIDE. The flame arrived in Kazakhstan from Paris, where the organization's anniversary was celebrated on July 20, World Chess Day. Prime Minister of Kazakhstan Olzhas Bektenov accepted the Olympic flame from the hands of FIDE President Arkady Dvorkovich.

He also added: "Our country is interested in developing long-term relations with FIDE. I am confident that our partnership will continue to strengthen. In conclusion, I wish you all the success and new achievements. Let the flame of the Chess Olympiad never go out. I wish all participants of the world championship many victorious days."

KazChess President Timur Turlov, World Youth Chess Champion Kazybek Nogerbek, two-time World Blitz Champion Bibisara Assaubaeva, current World Classic Chess Champion Ding Liren, Vice President of the Asian Chess Federation Darmen Sadvakasov, Minister of Science and Higher Education Sayasat Nurbek and Commissioner for Children's Rights Dinara Zakieva were the relay's honorary torchbearers. Multiple world champion Hou Yifan lit the Chess Olympiad flame on the amphitheater stage.

315 world's best chess players are participating in the championship as part of 39 teams, including international teams representing their sponsors, or teams formed by national federations with the support of partners.

FIDE President Arkady Dvorkovich also congratulated the championship participants: "Today we are opening the World Team Rapid and Blitz Championship. This new format for FIDE has already become a favorite among many spectators and chess players themselves. The world's strongest grandmasters, including the world's top players and current world champions, have come to Astana to fight for the championship title. I am sure that we will see many interesting games and exciting confrontations these days! We thank the country's leadership, the Kazakhstan Chess Federation and Freedom Holding Corp. for the invaluable contribution they make to the development of chess in the country and in the world."

Arkady Dvorkovich also told journalists: "One of the components of this competition is the so-called events on the tournament fields. Children from Astana, including disabled children, will take part in them. There will be a simultaneous exhibition for students majoring in programming, for bloggers. There will be meetings with the world's leading chess players. Formally, according to the average rating, the Kazakhstan team is among the five strongest teams in the tournament. I think this explains everything. If you are among the five, then you can fight for medals. The first place will be extremely difficult to win, the competition will be very serious."

Reigning world champion Ju Wenjun shared her expectations with a Kazinform correspondent: "I will try to show all my best skills and enjoy the tournament. Here we can play with strong teams, and it will be very interesting. I am happy to be in Kazakhstan and hope for a good performance in this tournament."

Celebration ensued at the opening ceremony. Dances, theatrical performance, and fireworks entertained the capital's amphitheater crowd. German grandmaster Jan Gustafson threw an asyk into the chess field to determine his team's first-round piece color, which landed on black.

The Congress Center in the capital will host the chess matches. Twelve quick rounds will be contested August 2-4, and the blitz championship will be played in two parts on August 5. Six boards will host rapid and blitz team-on-team matches, including a mandatory woman and an amateur player (rated below 2000). Prize money for the tournament is 350,000 euros. Along with cups and cash awards, the best three teams in each category will win gold, silver, and bronze medals.