As the beginning of a successful story, the Cuban sports authorities and the International Chess Federation (Fide, for its acronym in French) coincided in cataloging the exchange they held today in this capital to strengthen work ties.
The presidents of Inder, Osvaldo Vento Montiller, and of the Cuban Olympic Committee, Roberto León Richards, shared for more than an hour with the head of Fide, the Russian Arkady Dvorkovich, and all parties highlighted their intentions to collaborate in the future with the development of this sport on the Island.
Chess as an educational instrument – a maxim that has always governed the Cuban vision – became the center of the meeting, in which, in addition to encouraging the participation of women, technological development and the Science Game seen from high performance .
The visitor assured that he was happy to live his first stay in Cuba, confirmed that the focus of his entity and has many points in common with the plans of the local federation, and recognized the chess tradition and the passion for this game that Cubans feel.
“The most important thing is that this is a very good time for chess. You have the political support to develop it, there are new technologies that speed up the learning process among children and we are willing to help you in the effort”, said Dvorkovich, who was accompanied by the vice president of Fide, Dana Reizneice-Ozola, and by Viktor Bologan, executive director of that body.
Chess in the elderly and as an instrument for the rehabilitation of inmates are also part of the experiences that Fide intends to extend among the national federations, although Dvorkovich acknowledged that these are possibilities that Cuba has already explored and can show very good results in that sense.
Vento Montiller ratified the visitors that chess is loved here, and reminded them of transcendental moments of this sport on the Island, such as the celebration of the 1966 World Olympiad and the giant simuls organized in different squares, with the ever-present guide of the leader of the Cuban Revolution, Fidel Castro Ruz.
For his part, León Richards assured that it was an honor to receive the top management of Fide and to know that they have common points of view, especially on the importance of chess for the formation of new generations.
Dvorkovich advanced the possibility of helping Cuba with the organization of the 55th edition of the Capablanca in Memóriam international tournament, especially with the invitation to well-known figures so that the event scheduled for April 18-28 is a success.
“Cuban chess has leadership in the region and we are sure that it can carry out many projects and increase the number of tournaments it organizes, as well as increase the participation of its figures in international competitions,” said Dvorkovich.
The delegation arrived in Havana this Tuesday and took advantage of the few hours of stay in the country to visit interesting places in the capital. They visited Grandparents’ House #1, in the Vedado neighborhood of the capital, where older adults are linked to the practice of chess; They toured the recently inaugurated Fidel Castro Ruz Center, and shared with students and teachers of the specialized classroom that works in the Center for Chess Studies (Island).
At each of these stops, they expressed their satisfaction at getting to know something up close that they had heard before. In addition, they considered the experiences lived as valid examples to extend to the rest of the world and they will leave Cuba convinced that it is not by chance that the land of José Raúl Capablanca is a benchmark when it comes to chess.
