Unichess and Emmedi Sport ASD invite you to Sardinia World Chess Festival 2024. The inaugural edition of this festival is offering a total prize fund of €50100. The top three prizes are €10000, €6000 and €4000 each. There are three categories - Open A (>1999), Open B (<2000) and Open C (<1600). There are 15 main prizes in Open A and ten each in Open B and C. That's not all. Total 78 prizes are up for grabs. Entry is FREE for players rated above 2450. For everyone else, entry fee is €100 by 31st March €130 till 15th April after organizing committee agrees. Eleven players have 2600, 19 players above 2500, 17 GMs and 9 IMs have already confirmed participation from 15 countries across the world. The tournament is organized by UniChess (FIDE Academy tier 1-2) along with Emmedi Sport ASD. Check out the article for all information. All tournament info photos are from tournament circular.
The European Team Championship kicked off with a big surprise on the top board. Azerbaijan, the rating favourites, were defeated by Denmark, as Shakhriyar Mamedyarov lost to Mads Andersen after his attempt at a winning attack backfired. Romania, the second seeds, only drew Austria, while Norway also got a draw against Slovakia despite Magnus Carlsen winning his game on the top board. In the women’s event, the most shocking result on the top boards was Greece holding Germany to a draw. | Photo: Mark Livshitz
With a last-round-win Czech Grandmaster Jiri Stocek won the 26. Open International Bavarian Championships ahead of GM Maxime Lagarde from France. Both players finished with 7.5/9, but Stocek had the better tiebreak. German International Master Roven Vogel won bronze and made his third and final GM-norm. | Photos: Sandra Schmidt
IM Laura Unuk has been the best woman of her country, Slovenia for over seven years. She has won several Slovenia girls championships - Under-10, 12, 14, 16 and 18 from 2009 to 2017. She has also won a team Gold, individual Gold (2014) and Silver (2017) at European Under-18 Girls' Team. She is also the World Youth Under-16 (2014) and Under-18 Girls (2017) champion. The brand ambassador of Ferme Fashion and Huawei Slovenia also became the brand ambassador of Ford Slovenia. She was given a brand-new custom designed Ford Puma hybrid car which she calls Pumica (Baby Puma). On her 23rd birthday, we wish her a very happy birthday and bring you a short interview we conducted few days ago. Photo: Cestni Dirkac