SA Chess Player Report

Glenwood and SA Chess player, Henry Oliver, returned from his recent trip and presented this report.

GLENWOOD CHESS

GLENWOOD Gr 12 learner, Henry Oliver was selected to play chess for South Africa in the 2009 World Youth Chess Championships in Antalya, Turkey, over the period 11 – 23 November 2009. Henry was ranked 101^st in the world at the Final Ranking.

It has been two years since the 2007 World Youth Chess Championship that was also organised at the same site. This year the competition stages the meeting of 1324 participants from 90 countries all over the world and with the accompanying personnel, parents, coaches, staff etc. this number reached 2380 people.

The 2009 World Youth Chess Championship set off with the opening ceremony which began with the flag presentation of the participating countries at 20:00 on the 11^th of November 2009. After the protocol speeches of mayor of Kemer Municipality Mustafa Gül and the president of Turkish Chess Federation Ali Nihat Yazici, the ceremony proceeded with the national folk dance shows.

The FIDE president Kirsan Ilyumzhinov sent a success and welfare message to the participating countries and players. Afterwards GM Kivanç Haznedaroglu was awarded in a ceremony for his recent successful performance and attaining the title of grand master. The president of TCF Ali Nihat Yazici presented a symbolic check for 30.000 TL to the talented GM Kivanc Haznedaroglu.

The final round of the World Youth Chess Championship started at 10:00 a.m. The local hero Kubra Ozturk who is also 2007 and 2008 European Champion beat her Kazakh opponent WFM Guliskhan Nakhbayeva to take the bronze medal in the U-18 girls’ category.
The tournament closed with the awards ceremony where the top 6 boards of each category was invited to stage and given medals and presents by the Turkish Chess Federation.  The deputy governor of Antalya Mr. Fuat Ergün, the FIDE deputy president Georgios Makropoulos, the president of Turkish Chess Federation Ali Nihat Yazici, the president of Syria Chess Federation Dr. Hani Al-Bitar, the Chairman of FIDE Verification Commission Lakhdar Mazouz, the district governor of Kemer Bayramali Kose, the Mayor of the Municipality of Kemer Mustafa Gül, the Youth and Sports director of Kemer Taliye Magden, the players and the parents all attended the closing and awards ceremony.