It’s a first ! This Sunday, May 14, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., the international open-air chess tournament will be held on the Champignol market square in Saint-Maur-des-Fossés. A tournament approved by the International Chess Federation. Nearly a dozen nationalities and about 250 players will be in the game. “After a trial last year, this is the first official tournament and the largest outdoors in France. We’re launching the event! It is already a great success because it is complete! », rejoices Marc Wittman, president of the chess club of Saint-Maur-des-Fossés and organizer of the tournament.
Failures… But not only!
On the program, two tournaments will take place in parallel. The main tournament, open to professionals and club players. But also, a tournament dedicated to beginners and the youngest. Seven meetings will be scheduled in total, lasting 40 minutes each. Three referees will be present during the meetings, including a young person in training who “will obtain his diploma at the end”. More than 1,000 euros in prizes are up for grabs during these tournaments.
“Young people are fast and finish their tournaments earlier. This is why we have decided to offer entertainment on the side so that they can keep busy between games, change their minds and have a great day, ”explains the club president. Thus, all participants will be able to have fun with archery, inflatable structures, duck fishing or first aid training, and eat in the food trucks on site. “It’s a great festive, fun and family event, which helps to liven up the neighborhood and enjoy the outdoors,” he adds.
The 2nd best club in France
Created in 1984 and with nearly 400 members, the Saint-Maur-des-Fossés chess club is the “largest in size in France”. It recently obtained the place of “2nd best club in France, behind Marseille, in terms of collective results, welcomes its president. Some players are part of the first national division which brings together the 16 best young teams in France. On the school side, all the academic champions are Saint-Mauriens. »
Organizing events like this is not the club’s only line of action. In particular, he oversees the development of women’s chess. “We still have trouble getting the fairer sex to play,” he says. 15 to 20% of girls will take part in the tournaments this Sunday, but “it’s the norm! “. On the occasion of the French Championships in Agen, two young girls from the club won the titles of French champions: Séléna Khichane (in less than 8 years old) and Sophia Lordier (in less than 18 years old). The club is also considering a partnership in the field of health: to assess the cognitive impact of failures on women with breast cancer.
2023-05-13 10:00:00
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