In a gesture of chess friendship, the South Korean Chess Federation, headed by president Madame Hyun In Suk, has invited the North Korean Chess Federation to join the Eastern Asia Youth Chess Championship, 4-11 August 2016 in Seoul, South Korea.
“We look forward to welcoming the North Korean delegation to our beautiful country to play a friendly game of chess,” South Korean Chess Federation president Madame Hyun In Suk said.
“This is a step forward in our aim to invite North Korea to join our chess family,” Asian Chess Federation president Sheikh Sultan bin Khalifah Al Nahyan said.
FIDE President Kirsan Ilyumzhinov visited Pyongyang, North Korea, last year. The Sports Ministry of North Korea indicated their willingness to join FIDE. The FIDE President met with Yang Hyong-sop, Vice President of the Presidium of the Supreme People’s Assembly, Son Kwang Ho, Deputy Minister of Youth and Sports, and Pyon Sung Chol, General Secretary of the Korean Chess Association.
Over a hundred players from 15 countries are participating in the first Eastern Asian Youth Chess Championship, namely Australia, China, Chinese Taipei, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Japan, Macau, Malaysia, Mongolia, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam, New Zealand and host Korea.
Should North Korea participate, the tournament shall be known as “Chess for Peace” Chief Arbiter KK Chan of Hong Kong said.
Concurrent with the Eastern Asia Youth Chess Championship is the World Youth Mind Sports Festival with Rapid Chess, Go, Bridge and Abacus.
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