The Art of Chess – Schaakkunst at the Euwe Stimulans

by ChessBase
8/24/2007 – In the Dutch city of Arnhem, famous for the "Bridge Too Far", a ten-player round robin is under way, led by 25-year-old Zambian IM Amon Simutowe, the most talented and exciting African chess player of our day (or ever). The event is being staged in the NH Rijnhotel, which is also hosting an interesting exhibition on Chess and Art. We bring you results, games, and sample paintings.

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EUWE Stimulans 2007 in Arnhem

The Euwe Stimulans Tournament, a ten-player round robin, started on Thursday, August 16th 2007. The participants are as follows (according to seeding):

Title Player Rating Country
GM Dibyendu Barua 2462 India
GM Oscar Panno 2457 Argentina
GM Friðrik Ólafsson 2452 Iceland
  Vincent Rothuis 2441 Netherlands
IM Amon Simutowe 2421 Zambia
IM Willy Hendriks 2420 Netherlands
IM Helgi Dam Ziska 2408 Faroe Islands
GM Nona Gaprindashvili 2364 Georgia
IM Wang Puchen 2348 New Zealand
WGM Bianca Muhren 2334 Netherlands


Oscar Panno vs Wang Puchen in round four (draw)


Amon Simutowe vs Vincent Rothuis in round three (1-0)


The leader after six rounds: IM Amon Simutowe

Master Profile: Amon Simutowe is perhaps the brightest star to rise on the African horizon in a long time. Born January 6, 1982 in Ndola, Zambia, Amon has burst on the chess blazing a trail of tournament successes unprecedented for a player from the African continent. Already an IM, he took up the royal sport from his brother at the age of 10, won his first tournament at 12, and won the Zambian championship at age 14. He won the African Junior Championship both in 1999 and 2000. Upon his rise came a string of successes including an equal second at the 2000 world Junior Championships where he scored 8½-4½. The young IM has enjoyed success in tournaments throughout the world and has played in approximately 30 countries. Simutowe won a silver medal on board one for the Zambian national team at the 2000 Olympiad (Istanbul, Turkey) and has qualified for and competed in the FIDE World Championship on three occasions. One can say, with a great measure of surety, that this future GM will have brighter days ahead. [Source: Chess Drum]

Addendum: We are reminded by multiple readers that Amon Simutowe may be the brightest star to rise, but only in Sub-Saharan Africa. Egypt has produced Ahmed Adly and Bassem Amin, born in 1987 and 1988 respectively, who became GMs by the age of 18. Daaim Shabazz, the driving force behind Chess Drum, answered that Simutowe was indeed the brightest star in 2001, when the article was written, and that today he still remains peerless talentwise, since unlike the Egyptian players Amon has achieved everything without a coach or any real resources. "We will see what happens in the African Championships later this month," writes Shabazz. "It should be interesting."

Standings after six rounds

Without any doubt, Max Euwe is the most important person in the history of Dutch chess. Not only was he World Champion, he also wrote countless books and articles, published world wide.

Also, as a chess official, he had an important role. He was president of FIDE, the world chess federation, from 1970 until 1978. In that role he saved the exciting match between Robert Fischer and Boris Spassky in Reykjavík, 1972.


“Dutch Chess Art” during the Euwe Stimulans Tournament

The event is being held in the four-star NH Rijnhotel, on the banks of the river Rhine in the town of Arnhem, which is famous for the John Frost Bridge, the site of inspiration for the book and film ‘A Bridge Too Far’ and the 1944 "Battle of Arnhem".


In the lobby of the Rijnhotel there is a big exhibition of Dutch Chess Art

In the summer of 2005, Margreet Wevers and Geert van Tongeren had an idea of doing something around chess and art. They called this project and the company Schaakkunst (schaak = chess and kunst = art). Schaakkunst made contact with several artists who use the theme chess in their work. In August of 2005 they started the website www.schaakkunst.nl, in the beginning with only two artists and their own works.


"Fascinated", by Henryette Weijmar Schultz


"Pat" by Boldriaan

Schaakkunst organized a first exhibition in April of 2006. After that there was a fast progress. Today they are often present at chess tournaments with works of chess art. The organizers of tournament are very pleased with this, because players and visitors can see more than only the combat at the chessboard. For example: Schaakkunst was present in Hilversum during the Dutch Championship Chess and they were present at the Corus Chess Tournament in January of 2007.


"Surrender" by Boldriaan


"The conversation" by Henryette Weijmar Schultz


" The stranger", by Henryette Weijmar Schultz


"Bishop", by Henk Boon


The Rook, Henk Boon


"Chess Holidays", by Karin Miedema


"Home", by Ket

Most of the work shown above is for sale and can be found at the online shop www.chess-art.eu. At this shop one can find beautiful chess-sets and many smaller articles, like calendars, artprints, chess-art-wine, etc. All nice things to get or give as a present.


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