Guernsey makes its move in international chess festival
CHANNEL Island chess champion Arita Strade was the only player of 19 who was not defeated when visiting grandmaster Keith Arkell played them all simultaneously on Saturday night, holding him to a draw.
The Guernsey resident is one of 62 participants in this year’s BWCI Guernsey International Chess Festival, which opened yesterday afternoon following a couple of special events on Sunday night, including the simultaneous challenge.
Mr Arkell also won a blitz tournament where players were allowed three minutes each per turn.
But it was notable for having several younger participants, said event organiser and Guernsey Chess Federation president Jon Hill.
The other well-known player at the event was woman grandmaster Katarzyna Toma.
While the number of participants was on a par with recent years, the festival has yet to return to its heyday pre-Covid, when it had seen 120 take part.
Of those taking part the majority were from outside the island, including Bob Wheat from Phoenix, Arizona, who was taking part for the first time.
He had seen the festival promoted on the FIDE (International Chess Federation) website.
‘We were looking to do a trip somewhere in Europe in October and this festival happened to coincide,’ he said.
‘We started in St Malo and took the ferry here on Friday.’
While he plays chess in the afternoons his wife will be looking around the island. ‘She has her bus ticket and brochures. Afterwards we’re going on a Cunard cruise from Southampton.’
This was a much smaller tournament than others he had played in, such as the National Open in Las Vegas which typically sees 400-500 competitors.
Making his fifth visit to the island was arbiter Geert Beilleul from Belgium who had brought his girlfriend with him for the fourth time. As chairman of the Arbiter’s Council in Europe the role has taken him all over the world but he loved visiting Guernsey in particular.
‘This tournament is special,’ he said. ‘In the first place, because of the island – my girlfriend is with me and she likes to walk and discover the island and we do so a lot in the mornings.
'But this tournament is very warm, friendly and cosy. It’s very nice to be back again.’
n The festival runs until 19 October and more information is available at guernseychessfestival.org.gg, where live games will be shown daily.
