ar-Riyāḍ (Riyadh), Saudi Arabia: Hessah al-Ajaji drives her car down the capital’s busy Tahlia Street for the first time. Saudi women are finally driving freely after years of risking arrest if they dared to get behind the wheel. Photo: Nariman El-Mofty/AP.
|
ar-Riyāḍ (Riyadh), Saudi Arabia: A woman practises her driving ahead of the lifting of a ban on women drivers, which comes into effect in June. Photo: Yousef Doubisi/AFP/Getty Images.
|
A Saudi makeup artist preps a model backstage during the first Arab Fashion Week in ar-Riyāḍ (Riyadh), Saudi Arabia. Photo: AFP/Giuseppe Cacace.
|
In an article for Saudi Gazzette of January 2, 2018, Mr. Tariq A. Al-Maeena revendicated the right of Saudi Arabia not to grant visas to Israeli chess players: “It was indeed a great effort and went along without a hitch except for the storm raised by the non-inclusion of Israeli chess players who were denied visas to enter the country and rightly so. The Kingdom has no diplomatic relations with Israel and has no such intentions of forging relations until the Israelis agree to a fair and just peace process with the Palestinians”, he wrote.
This nazi-style reprisal is hardly justifiable on the basis (or on behalf) of the cause of the Palestinian people. One could even object that not too much time ago Saudi Arabia was ready – with the blessing of U.S. President – to abandon Palestinians to their doom just to make deal with Israel against Iran, but it seems even unnecessary to be that pedantic. Indeed, no one in good faith would have done something so stupid, even because such an unforgivable political error will only end up strengthening the reactionary forces that could care less about peace and love in the Middle East. Saudi Arabia actually legitimized Trump’s and Netanyahu’s racial borders and xenophobic delirium, rejecting (instead of welcoming) seven Israeli people who, for the first time in the history of Israel-Saudi Arabia non-relations, were willing to take the step of recognizing the Kingdom. I think and I hope no one may take comfort in the fact that FIDE – in sending Jews to the ghetto in exchange for money – made an even “uglier” mistake than the Kingdom. In fact, FIDE is neither a country, nor a kingdom, and nor even a nation. It is only the parody of a fictional humanity. So it seems very sad to me the final curse delivered by Mr. Tariq A. Al-Maeena: “Shame on you Israel for crying out loud for not being invited. You do not deserve an audience in this land”. I guess I will never understand why someone wants to look like FIDE. But I feel that this must be the reason why no one would ever pay the ticket to seat and watch such irresistible showdowns. |
One might even think that Magnus’s mood got better after he removed beard and glasses. Photo: Skjermdump/NRK.
|
Offboard, it remains unclear how the tournament’s well publicised problems will play out. Its $2m total prize fund is the largest in chess history outside matches for the classical world championship. FIDE, the global chess body, takes a 20% cut, meaning that if the rapid/blitz also takes place in Riyadh in 2018 and 2019 as contracted, FIDE will collect $1.2m, which for a cash-strapped organisation would be a gold mine.
However, FIDE’s statute 1.2 says unequivocally that its events must be open to all member federations. Players from Qatar have belatedly acquired visas and will compete in the blitz. Israelis, who remain barred, claim the tournament is illegal and will take their case to the FIDE’s next congress in autumn 2018 and possibly to the court of arbitration for sport in [Lausanne]. Is there a way out? One idea discussed informally between FIDE and the Saudis was for Israelis to play under the FIDE flag, as do individuals from countries like Bulgaria, whose membership is suspended. But this construction would only work for Israelis with a second passport. FIDE has promised a statement after the end of the current tournament as it seeks to escape what seems at the moment an insoluble impasse. [Read more]. |
Magnus’s fury. Photo: Ole Kristian Strøm/VG.
|
So Magnus Carlsen was kicked off the King Salman World Rapid Chess Championship’s podium by Viswanathan “Vishy” Anand – on the other hand, acting as a “sandwich man” for FIDE’s macabre remake of the 1936 Olympiad could not bring good luck to anyone not even him.
The other half of sky, instead, was filled by the star of 居文君 (Jū Wénjūn), who, after an oblivion of months, has come back in the limelight as a worthy challenger – she is the No. 3 best female player in the world – of 谭中怡 (Tán Zhōngyí). But, indeed, there is nothing sure as to the date of the wedding and the location. I’d rather feel that FIDE, after sacrificing two Queens – namely, 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) and Anna Muzychuk, who are, respectively, the No. 1 and No. 2 best players in the world – won’t resist the temptation to sacrifice the third Queen, too, so as to compose the podium of (their) World Witch-hunt Championship. |
居文君 (Jū Wénjūn) (pictured left) vs. Nana Dzagnidze (pictured right). Photo: Salah Malkawi/Getty Images.
|
So far, 居文君 (Jū Wénjūn) (pictured right) conceded only four draws out of ten games, and one of them was agreed with 16th Women’s World Chess Champion 谭中怡 (Tán Zhōngyí) (pictured left), such as a wish for their upcoming Women’s World Chess Championship match. Photo: Salah Malkawi/Getty Images.
|
Fatimah Salem A. Baeshen, spokeswoman at Royal Embassy of Saudi Arabia in Washington D.C., United States blamed the lack of formal relations between Saudi Arabia and Israel for the denial of visas to the seven Israeli chess players. “Related to the purported politicization of the International Chess Tournament hosted by Riyadh: the Kingdom has allowed the participation of all citizens. The exception is whereby Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has historically not had diplomatic ties with a specific country – thus has maintained its policy”, she wrote.
Indeed, it seems to me that the Kingdom committed a gross political mistake – and lost a historic chance of distinguishing itself from Trump’s and Netanyahu’s wall-centered politics – in denying visas to seven Israeli individuals who willingly applied to participate, challenging both the lack of formal relations and the resentment of their own government, which, as well, does not entertain formal relations with Saudi Arabia. |
The saga of the King Salman World Rapid & Blitz Chess Championships which will start on Tuesday, December 26 is assuming grotesque proportions. The Kuwait News Agency (KUNA) says that “236 players representing 70 countries“ will take part, but, still now, no one knows for sure who they are. The only sure thing is that you will have to believe to what they’ll do and how they’ll act. It is not enough to think that everything you’ll see there is also true.
Aside from theocratic dilemmas, however, it would not be simply tolerable, neither from a moral nor from a jurisprudential standpoint, that a transnational non-profit making organisation – such as FIDE claims to be – were willing to sponsor and support – in exchange for the twenty percent of the total money prize – a world event in which a whole people, namely the Israeli players, had been denied the right to take part. Hopefully, time will tell, but don’t be too sure you’ll ever know. |
Mr. Israel Gelfer, one of the countless FIDE Vice Presidents, told yesterday Reuters that seven Israeli players have been denied visas to take part in the King Salman World Rapid & Blitz Chess Championships to be held in ar-Riyāḍ (Riyadh), Saudi Arabia from 26 to 30 December 2017.
While the news is not yet verified, FIDE instead announced that Saudi Arabia authorities granted visas to both Iranian and Qatari players. As often happens in diplomatic stargames, the next hours will be crucial for knowing the answer to unresolved issues. |
According to latest news (screengrabbed above is @dalongzhouqian microblog’s related post), with respect to the King Salman World Rapid & Blitz Chess Championships to be held in ar-Riyāḍ (Riyadh), Saudi Arabia from 26 to 30 December 2017:
|
The list of players is significantly different from that one tweeted a few hours earlier by sinochess (@sinachess), so don’t take it for granted and be ready to deal with sudden changes of mood and habit.
|
Although it did not spread everywhere, the news is really wonderful for Cuban chess, especially women’s. For the first time a Cuban female player has been invited to the World Rapid & Blitz Chess Championships.
She is Woman Grandmaster Lisandra Teresa Ordaz Valdés, who after reaching 2414 Elo and the No. 52 in the world ranking list, was included among the participants in the World Women’s Rapid & Blitz Chess Championships to be held in ar-Riyāḍ (Riyadh), Saudi Arabia from 26 to 30 December 2017. [Read more]. |
Woman Grandmaster and Cuba’s No. 1 female player Lisandra Teresa Ordaz Valdés (pictured above) will take part, by invitation, in the King Salman World Rapid & Blitz Chess Championships to be held in ar-Riyāḍ (Riyadh), Saudi Arabia from 26 to 30 December 2017, as announced by the CiberCuba Noticias website. Photo © Juventud Rebelde.
|
The Fédération Internationale des Échecs (FIDE) says it is making “huge efforts” to grant to Israeli players the right to participate in the King Salman World Rapid & Blitz Chess Championships which will take place in ar-Riyāḍ (Riyadh), Saudi Arabia from 26 to 30 December 2017. FIDE Deputy President Georgios Makropoulos confirmed to Reuters on Monday that seven Israeli eligible players (and not eleven as previously announced) have actually applied for visas. “We have sent their documents to the organizers and the visa status is currently pending”, Mr. Makropoulos told Reuters. “The same applies for many other chess players who are waiting for their visa invitation letters. We are making a huge effort to ensure that all players get their visas”.
|
ar-Riyāḍ (Riyadh), Saudi Arabia: A woman enjoying her makeup at the Saudi Comic Con, the first comic book and pop culture convention ever held in Saudi Arabia. Photo: CNN.
|
