Dear WFCC community, our composers, solvers, judges, organizers, supporters, and all friends of chess composition, have a Merry Christmas! Enjoy your winter holidays as much as you can, with family, friends, and a chess board too! Before we finalize the year 2022, here are some recent news and nice materials for you to see:
The 65th WCCC will be held from 2nd to 9th September 2023 in Batumi.
The WCCC2022 Bulletin (171 pages!) has been compiled, with generous help from Hannu Harkola.
The WCCC 2022 Media section has grown to include hundreds of photos, external articles, and videos.
We’ve got an invitation from the FIDE to promote our most important events, on their official website.
We live in the times of social media, and now please welcome the WFCC in this open air too! See icons for YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and Instagram on the top right corner of the official website. Whichever of them you use, please, visit our introductory post and join the WFCC followers! Let’s keep in touch!
The thickest ever FIDE Album 2016-2018 (an official selection of the world’s best and most representative chess compositions) has been published. 912 pages, 1984 diagrams, 306 authors, 1.6 kg. Comments, indexes, registers, statistics in English. Hard-cover blue clothbound. Price 54 euro. Orders preferably at fidealbum.com (or by email to peter.gvozdjak@gmail.com). Sample pages available as a PDF file there.
The first ever World Congress of Chess Composition in Arabian Peninsula was held from 12th to 19th November 2022. Behind the results and decisions of the 64th WCCC in Fujairah – to be found on the official WCCC 2022 website – some important general aspects of this adventure – for both participants and organizers – should be mentioned.
Unite Arab Emirates are new in our field, but the hosts from the Fujairah Chess & Culture Club have invested in 64th WCCC more than any country with a great tradition in Chess Composition. And, not only the highest ever prize-fund, the spectacular decoration and techniques for the Solving hall, or an unprecedented media coverage – there were all kinds of surprises, aimed to impress the rare guests.
Chess problemists from around the world have felt a great hospitality. We were offered different excursions (Fujairah tour, desert safari, and visit to Dubai), great facilities for the WFCC Meeting including options for the online members (not used enough by our distant delegates), and a rare appreciation by the high FIDE officers, lead by Dana Reizniece-Ozola, Deputy Chair of the FIDE Management Board. Finally, a big Blitz OTB tournament on Saturday 19th November attracted hundreds of active chess players – including our regular participants – and completed a genuine chess festival.
With so many pompous chess events in Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Sharjah, chess composition surprisingly became the Fujairah brand in UAE. That’s why the Crown Prince of Fujairah, HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Hammad Al Sharqi, supported 64th WCCC so cordially, and for the first time opened the doors of his palace to any chess players.
Planting flowers in a desert isn’t a fast process. We have expected more participants from Asian countries in our competitions, but the first appearance of the very important Indian delegation (Shankar Ram, Seetharaman Kalyan, Velmurugan Nallusamy and Anirudh Daga) was enough to declare the choice of location as successful.
The WFCC Meeting will be remembered for the acceptance of India – the leading chess country in the World – into our small family of the WFCC members. You should have been there to see Velmurugan Nallusamy coming all the way from India for two days only – with both parents, wife and daughter – to celebrate his victory in the FIDE World Composing Cup, Section Retros. Or, to see the 14-years old Anirudh Daga going so many times to the stage in his new suite, to collect his 11 distinctions in composing tournaments and a prize for solving.
And this may be only the beginning of the wider opening of the WFCC to the outside world, to new generations and new countries.
Marjan Kovačević, WFCC President
Highlights & Decisions of the Congress, include the results of the WCCT & WCCI, FIDE Album 2016-18, New Titles and Elections.
The next meetings: 16th European Chess Solving Championship (ECSC) in Bratislava, Slovakia 2-4 June 2023 65th World Congress of Chess Composition (WCCC) and 46th World Chess Solving Championship (WCSC) in Batumi or Tbilisi (Georgia), August or September-October 2023. Place and dates will be announced in due course.
Exciting competition, nice debut by solvers who for the first time performed at the biggest stage, and constant rise of already established juniors, might be the most recognizable moments from the 45th WCSC. Danila Pavlov defended his individual title (overall and among juniors), in a drama where second-placed Ural Khasanov, third-placed Piotr Murdzia and fourth-placed Bilguun Sumiya had the lead after fifth, fourth and third round respectively. In the team contest, Poland made a strong performance and finished first, ahead of Serbia and Germany. The senior competition was won by Jorma Paavilainen, and the women’s competition by thirteen-year old Anna Shukhman. Ivan Denkovski, 45.WCSC Director
WCCC Open Solving 2022 | 14th and last tournament of World Solving Cup 2021/2022: Participants: 94 | Winner: Danila Pavlov (FID) ahead of Eddy Van Beers (BEL) and Ofer Comay (ISR) 2nd GM norm of Aleksey Popov (FID), 1st FM and IM norms of Nikita Ushakov (FID) and Kevinas Kuznecovas (LTU) Average rating of top ten solvers: 2569.59 | WSC category: 2 Final standing Top 5: 1. Danila Pavlov (FID) 96 points (+41), 2. Eddy Van Beers (BEL) 71 points (+36), 3. Martynas Limontas (LTU) 58 points, 4. Nikos Sidiropoulos (LTU) 49 points (+23), 5. Piotr Murdzia (POL) 46 points. More details are published in Competitions→Solving→World Solving Cup (WSC)→2021/22.
Belgian Solving Championship 2022 | 13th tournament of World Solving Cup 2021/2022: Participants: 12 | Winner: Dmitrijus Chocenka (LTU) ahead of Eddy Van Beers (BEL – Belgian Champion) and Peter van den Heuvel (NED) Average rating of top ten solvers: 2317.10 | WSC category: 7 Top 5 World Solving Cup: 1. Martynas Limontas (LTU) 58 points, 2. Danila Pavlov (FID) 55 points, 3. Piotr Murdzia (POL) 46 points, 4. Dmitrijus Chocenka (LTU) 37 points (+19), 5. Eddy Van Beers (BEL) 35 points (+16). More details are published in Competitions→Solving→World Solving Cup (WSC)→2021/22.
The International Solving Contest next year will take place on Sunday 29.01.2023. The event is happening simultaneously in all participating countries.
There will be three categories: one for experienced solvers. The second category is intended for weaker, inexperienced solvers. This second category is not open for solvers with a rating (or half-rating or non-active-rating) of more than 2000. The third category is intended for youngsters born after 31.12.2009.
37th Open Swiss Solving Championship 2022 | 1st tournament of World Solving Cup 2022/2023: Participants: 16 | Winner: Martynas Limontas (LTU) ahead of Arno Zude (GER) and junior Kevinas Kuznecovas (LTU) Swiss championship: Roland Baier ahead of Roland Ott and Klaus Köchli Average rating of top ten solvers: 2338.56 | WSC category: 7 Top 5 World Solving Cup: 1. Martynas Limontas (LTU) 19, 2. Arno Zude (GER) 16 points, 3. Kevinas Kuznecovas (LTU) 13 points, 4. Vidmantas Satkus (LTU) 10 points, 5. Marek Kolčák (SVK) 8 points. More details are published in Competitions→Solving→World Solving Cup (WSC)→2022/23.
The WCCT-11 booklet is ready for download. Please address any remarks about misprints to the director. Trophies and diplomas will be handed in the celebration event of the congress closing banquet.
As the Congress gets closer, the WCCC2022 website is getting more and more crowded with new posts. Starting from the latest news, the deadlines for registration and visa documents were extended till 10th October, the money prizes for 11 different competitions were presented, the Schedule was updated, and three composing tourneys were announced: official Internet T. and two unofficial tourneys. Besides, you can find the registered Lectures, and more details about Safari and Blitz tourney, too.
31st Kedainiai Cup 2022 | 12th tournament of World Solving Cup 2021/2022: Participants: 10 | Winner: Martynas Limontas (LTU – now leader of the WSC!) ahead of junior Kevinas Kuznecovas (LTU) and Vidmantas Satkus (LTU) Average rating of top ten solvers: 2074.54 | WSC category: 12 Top 5 World Solving Cup: 1. Martynas Limontas (LTU) 58 points (+6), 2. Danila Pavlov (FID) 55 points, 3. Piotr Murdzia (POL) 46 points, 4. David Hodge (GBR) 33 points, 5. Boris Tummes (GER) 32 points. More details are published in Competitions→Solving→World Solving Cup (WSC)→2021/22.
