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Al-Ahram Weekly 27 July - 2 August 2000 Issue No. 492 
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Published in Cairo by AL-AHRAM established in 1875 |
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Al-Ahram Weekly 27 July - 2 August 2000 Issue No. 492
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| Published in Cairo by AL-AHRAM established in 1875 |
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Egypt Region International Economy Opinion Culture Features Travel Living Sports Profile People Time Out Chronicles Cartoons Letters Egypt to Checkmate Russia?
By Alaa ShahineIt was anticipated to be a week of long names and foreign faces; a time when the guest players would shine. Instead, last week's Fourth International Golden Cleopatra Chess Festival in Cairo was witness to the rising of a new Egyptian star.
In an unexpected turn of tournament events, 13-year-old Ahmed Adli -- the youngest player in the tournament -- stole the spotlight from the international veterans, and turned himself into the talk of the tournament chess community.
In his maneouver to three unexpected wins, Adli, a Federal Master after winning the Arab Junior Championship last year, gathered four points through three victories and two draws.
The result was obviously surpassed the par of his pre-set standards. "I am looking forward to playing at the international level in Europe," Adli told Al-Ahram Weekly after the final ceremony of the championship.
It was a twist of events not only for the chess community, but for the young star himself. In his post-stardom days, Adli says he was happy with the mere participation fact in itself. Now, however, he is grateful to see that his efforts have yielded results.
While his efforts have yielded fruits, there is still a way to go before the teenager really blooms. "I still need more facilities and support from the Ministry of Youth to afford preparing him [Ahmed] to be an international champion," said Adli Ibrahim, Ahmed's father, said. The Ministry has indeed offered its support. Hassan Mohsen, president of the Egyptian Chess Federation, says that the federation has just received a 35,000 cheque from the Ministry of Youth to support both Adli and Bassim Samir, 11 _ another promising talent who did not participate in the championship despite capturing the Arab Junior Championship the week before.
Despite the support, Adli needs more. It is safe to say, however, that he is on the right track.
Alexander Vaysman, 62 and one of Adli's victims in the championship and a Veteran in the field, says his performance was no surprise to him.
"I have seen Ahmed three years ago in the under-10 years category World Champion in France and I know that he is quite an interesting player," Vaysman said, adding, however, that the player still needs a lot of support and experience to become the first Egyptian Grand Master (GM).
He is not the only one who feels that way.
"Although I was very impressed with his performance," Alexander Berlovich, a Ukranian Grand Master, told the Weekly, "but he still needs support to reach the international level."
Adli's performance was impressive indeed -- snatching a hard-fought draw against his coach, Assem Afifi, a veteran International Master -- and defeating Maher Hifni and Mohamed Ezzat, two Egyptian International Masters. The last game -- against Ezzat -- was voted the best game in the tournament.
The Egyptian Chess Federation's organisation of the championship was no less impressive.
Divided into closed and open sections, international champions -- in the closed section -- included Grand Masters from Russia, Ukraine, Latvia, Romania and India.
The tournament ended with Normunds Miezis, an Ukrainian Grand Master, at the top of the ranks with 6.5 points out of nine rounds and sharing first prize -- $1000 -- with compatriot Alexander Berlovich. The first Egyptian player, Eid Aboul-Zein, came seventh with five points.
The open section witnessed the participation of 111 Egyptian rated and unrated players, with unrated Reda Ibrahim Ismail beating the odds, gathering 7.5 points, and coming top in her group.
"I am quite satisfied with the organisation of this year's championship in spite of the absence of three famous Egyptian players," Hassan Mohsen said, adding that the number of international players in Egypt has increased to 156 players -- a 100 player increase in the last three years.
Egyptian performance in the championship has injected optimism into the local chess community's perspective -- with renewed hopes and aspirations for the biennial Chess Olympics to be held in Turkey in two months.
Preparations for the championship begin in August, and hope is indeed high. But Colonel Wagdi Lamie, the federation's secretary-general, expressed his concern about the form of two of Egypt's most prolific players; Fouad El-Taher and Essam El-Guindi -- both working as coaches abroad.
"Working as a coach affects your playing talents -- no question," Lamie says. "But I hope that they could return to their top form before the Olympics."
With the team moving up from their 1996 Chess Olympics rank of 68, to 38 in the last championship two years ago, Lamie, and the chess community as a whole, should have no real need to worry. Their hope, is that the young stars will finally call that checkmate against Russia.
