Modern chess in an ancient city

Chess Fever in Tiberias

By Yochanan Afek

The 38th championship and the 31st women championship of Israel take place in Tiberias, the only city on the western shore of the Sea of Galilee.

Tiberias (or in Hebrew Tveria) was built around 20 BCE by the Roman king Herod Antipas and named after the Roman emperor Tiberius. It is considered to be one of the Four Holy Cities of Judaism, along with Jerusalem, Hebron and Safed. It has been also popular destination for for Christian pilgrims because according to the New Testament Christ was active in the region. After centuries of foreign occupation the city has been almost entirely Jewish since the foundation of independent Israel in 1948. The 42,000 inhabitants of the city live mainly from tourism - the historical and religious background of the city and Tiberias' hot springs and Spa attract a lot of tourists.  

The Israeli Chess Championships opened with an exciting ceremony at the city arts centre. Before the ceremony the city's first chess club was opened under the eyes of the city mayor and dignitaries and participants of the championships. The club offers a venue for about 2,000 school children who attend chess lessons as part of the municipal education system and also invites chess enthusiasts of all ages.

Chess happening in the local shopping center. IM Mark Berkovich gives a simul.

The venue of the Championship is the Hotel Rimonim Mineral at the shore of the Sea of Galilee and the event is organized by the City of Tiberias and the Israel Chess Federation under the auspices of Mifal Hapayis, the official national lottery that supports the establishment of sport halls and education and cultural centres. There is chess fever these days in Tiberias and the engine behind the rapidly evolving activity is Asaf Soffer (45). A municipal Dancing group performed  a dance based on the melody of the song “Shahmat “ (Hebrew for Chess) written by the late playwright Hanoch Levin ("White pawn beats a black pawn"), sung in three different melodies by leading Israeli singers Chava Albershtein, Avi Toledano and Yehuda Poliker.

Chess Dance

The Chairman of the National Lottery, Major General (ret.) Uzi Dayan, himself a keen chess enthusiast, stressed his commitment to the development of chess and announced his support of countrywide weekly chess classes for pupils in their second and third year in elementary school. He said his company would sponsor the finals of the Israeli championships provided that they will continue to be organized in the periphery (the last editions of the Championships took place in Acre and Beer-Sheba).         

30 players take part in the 9 round open (men) section of the championship, including reigning champion GM Victor Mikhalevski and past champions IM Nathan Birnboim (3 times!) and GMs Yehuda Gruenfeld, Vitali Golod and  Tamir Nabaty (who won the Championship one time each).

  15-year old FM Saar Drori has already played 5 GMs,
including his own trainer GM Vitali Golod, and has 3.5/7.

Tal Baron leads with 5.0/7

Avital Borukhovky is Israel's youngest grandmaster

Standings after 7 rounds

Source: Chess-results.com...

Games

Tournament director is IA Alon Cohen Revivo, chief arbiter is IA Almog Burstein.  

18 ladies compete in the women section, including the reigning champion WIM Olga Gutmakher and past champion Shlomit Vardi.

Standings after 7 rounds

Source: chess-results.com...

Games

Live Games

Michal Lahav leads with 6.5/7

Various events accompany the championship. The city rapid chess championship (won by your author), a championship for gifted pupils of the northern centres (won by the Oranim centre) but the highlight was a chess event in the local mall where hundreds of kids took part in various chess activities and simultaneous exhibitions.

Chess queens celebrate the game

Yochanan Afek is an International Master and a Grandmaster of chess composition.
Now he is also rapid chess champion of Tiberias 2016.

Photos: Rotem Almoz & Alon Cohen-Revivo