Karpov in Simultaneous Chess Match in Havana University

Havana, April 22.- Former world chess champion, Russian GM Anatoly Karpov opened a gigantic 4,000 chess board simultaneous match at 7pm on Monday in Havana’s Computer Science University (UCI), during the fourth Cuban Sports Olympiads.

After being presented with a silver “Hombre del Futuro” Order granted by UCI, the Russian chess star played simultaneously in 10 out of 4,069 boards set in the Oscar Niemeyer square in UCI.

For nearly 3 hours a large audience watched the 12th world chess champion consider his moves in the simultaneous exhibition match as if playing in a world class tournament.

FIDE Master Ivette Catala was one of his opponents and she confessed to having the time of her life. “The fact that I lost made no difference.

Being encouraged and praised by one of my idols was a real bonus”, said Ivette.

Two hundred chess experts took part in the simultaneous exhibition match, among them Grand Masters Leinier Dominguez, Holden Hernandez, Walter Aencibia and Neuris Delgado. Well known Cuban sports stars such as boxer Felix Savon, judoka Estela Rodriguez, and former world boxing champ Teofilo Stevenson also took boards.

Karpov, 56, arrived in the Cuban capital on April 14, invited by Cuban sports officials to attend the 4th Cuban Sports Olympiads.

Here is the full story.

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Chess Daily News from Susan Polgar
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