Disabled Chess Players: Fide Guidelines

Fide has issued the following guidelines on treatment of disabled chess players.

1. These guidelines will be used for all FIDE rated events. 

2. No one has the right to refuse to meet a disabled player against whom he has been correctly paired.
3. All chess venues must either be accessible to all, or an acceptable alternative venue with full supervision shall be available to those who cannot access the nominated venue.
4. A circular shall be sent out when all competitors are known. This circular contains an entry form with the sual points and questions, asking whether any potential competitor has an impairment that will require special circumstances. The competitor has to inform the organisers about the special circumstances at least 20 days before the start of the event.
5. No disabled player shall be “penalised” in accordance with the Articles 6.7d.and 8.1e of the Laws of Chess because of disability.
6. Any impaired competitor who reasonably requests in time the placing of their equipment in a particular seat or orientation, has the right to do so, provided that this does not disadvantage his opponent or other competitors. The event organizer has to ensure that the needs of both players are catered for. 

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Women's World Chess Team Championship March 2-12 in Astana

Astana will host the Women's World Chess Team Championship from 2-12 March. The best teams of the world will participate in the coming championship, among which three teams which were ranked the best at the World Chess Olympiad, five continental champions, the country-organizer and one team elected by the FIDE President according to the rules.

Astana will gather around 50 best chess players out of ten countries: China, Russia, Ukraine, USA, India, France, Turkey, Georgia, Rumania and Kazakhstan. Every team consists of five players and the team-winner will be determined in a round-robin event after 9 games. Time control is 90 minutes per 40 moves and thirty minutes until the end of the game plus 30 seconds increment per move.

Participating teams
The WWTC has been organized since 2007 and Chinese team won all the championships in the past. Hou Yifan and Zhao Xue will not come to Astana and it’s going to be not easy for the team to prove their dominance without the strongest Chinese players.

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Zurich Chess Challenge 2013 Super Videos by Vijay Kumar: Vishy Anand, Vladimir Kramnik, Fabiano Caruana, Boris Gelfand

Videos by the renowned producer Vijay Kumar for Chessdom.com, including the start of the games of round 1, press conference with Gelfand, Caruana, and Kramnik, and interview with World Champion Viswanathan Anand. (As the players walk in, don't miss that short shot of India's most endearing chess couple!)

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Kasparov's Computer Programme for Kids Launched in Georgia Schools

A pilot computer program on chess games designed by Garry Kasparov was launched on Monday in Georgia to assist the country's youth to learn about the game. It was announced on Monday by Georgia's deputy minister in charge of sports and youth affairs.

Zurab Azmaiparashvili told the local press that the Kasparov chess program is to be used in schools in such Georgian towns as Tbilisi, Kutaisi, Batumi and Poti which have been producing some of the world's most famous chess players.

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ChessFlash Knight Vision: Free App to Improve Piece Movement

ChessFlash KnightVision is a free chess-based game. Do battle against an army of pawns and capture them before they capture you. Chess players improve their piece movement fluency and skills and non-chess players improve and maintain their mental acuity and reflexes. Everyone has fun!

ChessFlash KnightVision is now available for the Apple iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch. To get the free app, just click this link from your Apple device:
https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/chessflash-knightvision/id602098304?mt=8

Or, visit the App store and search for ChessFlash (one word). If you like the game please rate it and review it and share it with your friends! Here is a YouTube Introduction for the iPad version (the game plays the same on all devices):
 

ChessFlash KnightVision for Android was released in December and now has over 1000 users in over 100 countries. If you're already using it, thanks! If you've already reviewed it, rated it or "+1" it at the Google Play store, thanks! The Android version is now updated with the same game play options as the new Apple versions:
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=chessflash.knightvision

Or, visit the Google store and search for ChessFlash (one word)!

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