The 14th IBCA Chess Olympiad for the Blind 2012 will be planned by All India Chess Federation for the Blind, under the guidance of International Braille Chess Association and All India Chess Federation from 9-19 August, 2012 at Hotel Le Royal Meridien, Chennai, India.

After the victorious conduct of the 11th Individual World Chess Championship for the blind 2006 in Goa, International Braille Chess relationship Congress award this event to India unanimously. The last edition at Heraklion in Greece, the 13th IBCA Chess Olympiad, saw a total of 34 countries participating, comprising of 164 players. The normal powerhouse of chess, Russia, took the gold with Ukraine and Spain clinching the silver and bronze medals.

Chief Guest World Champion Viswanathan Anand has been a big moral hold up to the Indian blind team all through. Anand’s optimistic proposal helped Indian team’s payment in the IBCA Chess Olympiad last time at Greece. His nonstop support, leadership and blessings have given huge hold up to entire blind chess fraternity.

Impressed with the blind team’s work, Anand said, I have interacted with many visually challenged players and I can say truthfully that these players have a special talent to see the pieces in their mind when they play. For us it is very hard to be able to imitate that special skill.

Anand further added,I am really happy to see them so provoked. What has struck me is their love for chess. I have found that they are preparing intensely for the contest and are not shying away from hard work. I think they are quite motivated and feel deep down that they will be successful.

The five time world winner had a word of praise for the sports loving Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu. He said, The blind chess player from Chennai, Srikrishna, could take part in the world blind event in Greece, thanks to the timely support of the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu and concluded, On this juncture of Chess Olympiad I welcome all the players to have a great time in my home town Chennai.

Earlier, Charudatta Jadhav, Chairman Organizing group Vice President, IBCA welcomed the meeting. In his brief speech, Charudatta elaborate on the need for Government support for the blind chess players. He added,All India Chess Federation for the Blind has been striving hard for the progress of the blind chess players with great constancy.

Recently, a FIDE rated contest, totally for the visually challenged was conducted at Hyderabad and many are in the offing. I place my hearty thanks to World Champion Viswanathan Anand and FIDE Vice President D V Sundar for their constant support for the cause of blind chess players in India.

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Grandmaster and Asian champion Parimarjan Negi experience a delay drawing with Sjef Rijnaarts of Holland in the second round of the sixth version of Leiden International chess tourney.

After scoring an easy attack in the opener, Negi, the second youngest Grandmaster ever, fell prey to some finely crafted manoeuvres by Rijnaarts after absent out on an sensible position earlier. The draw left the second seeded Negi on 1.5 points and he is now in joint 14th position in the nine-round contest.

Grandmaster S Kidambi managed to win his second game on the trot to be among 13 leaders after the second round. Local positive Vincent Blom could not match the wily Indian who played with white pieces.

In the exposure of the day, top seed German Grandmaster Igor Khenkin lost to Alexander Van Beek of Holland. It was a cracker of a game in which fortunes change a few times and Van Beek had the final say. With top two seeds plunging points, Predrag Nikolic of Bosnia, Bartosz Socko of Poland and David Howell of England emerged as the front runners with seven rounds still to come.

Amongst other Indians in the fray, Grandmaster S Arun Prasad played out a draw with Nathanael Spaan of Holland while GM M R Lalith Babu opened his account at the spending of Rudolf Kat, also of Holland. Lalith Babu had lost the opening round when he failed to spot a simple tactic against Harmen Van Halderen, rated more than 400 points below him.

Negi faced an offbeat Sicilian as white but was soon on known paths as he executed a king side attack according to the insist of the location. Rijnaarts had the option of doubtful a bad position or hunt for the counter active measures and he chose the latter by sacrifice a central pawn.

It was a better position for Negi which, on an average day, his fans would have unsurprising him to convert. A slight inexactness brought Rijnaarts back into the contention and his 24th move was clear suggestion that the game was headed for a draw.

The peace was signed vide nonstop checks 11 moves later. Like Negi, Arun Prasad was also held to a draw by a player rated more than 300 points below him. Nathanael Spaan was the receiver of a half point after doing the hard work in the Sozin variation of the Sicilian protection. Playing black, Arun Prasad felt the heat and resolute to play it safe. The result was a draw in 29 moves through replication of moves.