Chess Marathon for Refugees Underway
BY ALËX ELLIOTT
May 06, 2016 13:47
Hrafn Jökulsson, author and chess fanatic, is today and tomorrow engaged in a chess marathon for charity. He is playing at Reykjavík City Hall and everybody is welcome to come along. Hrafn is collecting money for the UNICEF Fatima Fund for Syrian refugee children.
Hrafn will play chess non-stop for 30 hours and a parade of well-known entertainers and artists will be lending their support and playing a few games during the two-day event. Hrafn will play from 09.00 until midnight both today and tomorrow.
The event is being put on by Hrókurinn chess club, the Reykjavík chess academy and the UNICEF Fatima Fund.
Hrafn completed a similar chess marathon last year at the Harpa concert and conference center, which raised ISK 2 million (EUR 14,240/USD 16,265) for Syrian children in refugee camps. All funds raised go directly to UNICEF as all costs and work time are voluntary.
“All sorts of people of all ages have taken up my challenge. There will be chess masters and beginners, artists and presidential candidates. There will also be pre-school children and senior citizens,” Hrafn says. His oldest challenger is Kristín Anna Eggertsdóttir Claessen, who will be 90 later this year, Vísir reports.
Source: http://icelandreview.com