Chess champ to tour Dar
BY JOSEPH MCHEKADONA
7th May 2014

Five-time World chess champion Vishwanathan Anand is expected in the country on June 1 for five-day visit.

The Tanzania Chess Foundation chairman Vinay Choudhury who is also the executive member of Tanzania Chess Association (TCA) said the player will conduct a number of chess development activities and also play a tournament named Chess for Chief Executives Officers (CEO) on June 5 in Dar es Salaam.

Anand will grace the international chess game between the country and Kenya at the same venue.

He said initially it was announced that the player would come in the country on June 20 for a ten-day visit but the dates have changed due to tight schedule of the visitor.

‘We have changed the dates to suit his program, he is very busy and he requested us if he can come earlier than planned. We could not hesitate but accept his request, He will do a lot of activities including visiting some Schools where the Chess Foundation is conducting trainings for young players’, he said.

Choudhury said Anand’s visits to Tanzania and the international match against Kenya has been sponsored by SpiceNet Tanzania Limited.

He thanked the company for the support saying Anand’s visit will motivate and inspire many chess players in the country.

‘The arrival of the former grand master will for sure inspire and motivate many players in the country and also the international game involving us and Kenya will help our players to earn World Chess Federation (FIDE) ratings and exposure.’ he said.

Choudhury said currently there is no any local chess player rated on FIDE and the international game against Kenya is one of the activities lined up by his federation to help nurture and expose players.

The 45-years old Anand is a first Indian chess grandmaster and has won five world titles in 2000, 2007, 2008, 2010 and 2012. He was also the FIDE world rapid chess champion in 2003 and is widely considered as the strongest rapid player of his generation.

Source: http://www.ippmedia.com

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