FIDE will host the third Intercontinental Online Chess Championship for Prisoners, scheduled for October 11-13, 2023. The project, aimed at introducing chess as a tool for education and social inclusion in prisons of different countries, is open for teams made of 4 players. The competition is held in three categories – men’s, women’s and juvenile correctional facilities.
Fifteen teams from 9 countries – Argentina, Croatia, Czech Republic, Germany, Greece, Philippines, Portugal, the Turks and Caicos Islands, and the USA – have already confirmed their participation.
Among them, two teams represent Kansas, USA. Topeka Correctional Facility, a Kansas Department of Corrections state prison for women, is going to compete in the women’s event, while the chess squad from the Ellsworth Correctional Facility will be fighting for medals in the males’ section.
Only recently, the Chess in Prisons project has been launched in Kansas. Less than a year ago, the Kansas Department of Corrections partnered with the Gift of Chess, a nonprofit organization transforming the lives of people, including those currently and formerly incarcerated, through the universal language of chess. For the past months, the game of chess has been instrumental in helping residents of Kansas prisons to see the benefits of using critical thinking skills attained through learning chess strategies.
The partnership with the Kansas Department of Corrections was steered under Secretary of Corrections Jeff Zmuda and organized by Statewide Gift of Chess coordinator Captain Kevin Oneth.
The State of Kansas has 16 Adult Correctional facilities and one Juvenile facility. Fourteen of them were already visited by Oneth. “I went to most facilities and brought a resident, Tony Ballard, with me. He discussed his story on the benefits of chess and how it changed his life for the better. All the residents that participated became members of the United States Chess Federation. Residents were pleased when we came and actively participated in the lessons that were provided,” he says.
In June 2023, the KDOC Online Chess Championship was held, featuring the top four players from each facility. Besides, GM Timur Gareyev attended two correctional facilities, where he spoke to the prisoners, played simuls with them and took time to answer questions and sign autographs.
According to prison officials, keeping residents busy playing chess and competing in a non-contact sport is a brilliant idea to curb prison violence, gang activity and drug usage.
The registration deadline for the third Intercontinental Online Chess Championship for Prisoners is September 22, 2023. Participation in the event is free and open via an online registration form: forms.office.com/g/xPqGaWbR4Q
More info about the event can be found on chessforfreedom.fide.com
Photo: thegiftofchess.org
