The First Festival of Chess UNAM
By Nadja Wittmann
It was a long and exciting day, full of chess activities. After the first games of the semifinals of the Ibero-American championship, there was a number of fantastic chess-related attractions, including lectures, the opening of a replica of the Kempelen's famous chess machine "The Turk", an "Art and Chess" exhibition, and finally at 5 PM there was the official inauguration of the First Grand Chess Festival of UNAM.
The opening ceremony dignitaries
The opening was started by Sealtiel Alatriste, the Cultural Coordinator of UNAM, followed by some choice words by Anatoly Karpov and Garry Kasparov, and then a speech by Valery Ivanovich Morozov, Russia's ambassador to Mexico, and finally a statement by Dr. Jose Narro Robles, the rector of UNAM. After Kasparov and Karpov played a simultaneous exhibition against selected dignitaries of UNAM.
Kasparov gave his speech directly in Russian with the aid of an interpreter
The auditorium was packed with some 2500 people
After the speeches there was an interpretation of the chorus "Pyatnitsky" from Russia,
composed of 25 voices and 5 musicians.
After breakfast, so to speak, at 10:30 hours in Mexico, began the first round of the semifinals, with Dublan Marc Narciso (Spain) vs. Rubén Felger (Argentina) and Eduardo Iturrizaga (Venezuela) vs. Gilberto Milos (Brazil). Both games were drawn, as advised in a separate report.
Besides this, there were many activities such as lectures, symposia and exhibitions was finishing a replica of the Turkish Chess. We take a first look at this curious, but were not yet placed the pieces and the opponent of Turkish-era costume Kempelen was still rehearsing the text.
The reconstruction of "The Turk" by Kempelen
The revised 2010 version of "The Turk"
If he looks a bit tense it is because his operator had not arrived yet to whisper the moves.
He also had a slightly more modern twin brother
This one did not depend on magnets to move the pieces
Chess and Alzheimer
Famous chess journalist, Leontxo García, gave a presentation on the merits of using chess to fight Alzheimer's.
Leontxo presents his case
An interested audience followed it carefully
Art and Chess
There was an exhibition of art based on chess with many eye-catching, spectacular pieces.
It is unlikely it will replace the classic Staunton set
A new perspective
A set of guardians for the murals
(No)
Escher meets chess
A literal take on the head and feet of a chair
Sticks and stones may break my bones, but you will never mate me
These players are but shadows of their selves (don't wince)
Life is a game of chess
Please don't tell me these are the next candidates for
the FIDE presidency!
The simuls by Karpov and Kasparov
First Karpov and Kasparov played a four person team of player from UNAM
Each played their own team of four
It was done in the auditorium with the games projected on giant displays
Later they played a larger group composed of modern-day Mexican celebrities
Do you need to guess the result?
The First Grand Chess Festival of UNAM
Parallel to the official Ibero-American championship, there was the Grand Festival Open, which attracted over 1100 players.
There was chess all around at the festival
Young fans enjoying a good game
Hiquíngari Carranza, the organizer of the International Gran Fiesta of UNAM,
with
Javier Ochoa, president of the FEDA and FIBDA.
Raul Hernandez, president of the Mexican chess federation
Astrid Martin del Campo, president of the UNAM Chess Association
The tent housed no less than 1100 players
GM Granda Zuniga entered the event after an early elimination in the Ibero-American
and was the top-seed.
Links
The games are being broadcast live on the official web site and on the
chess server Playchess.com.
If you are not a member you can download the free PGN reader ChessBase
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