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The 6th Latin Chess Cup Kirsan Ilyumzhinov ended in Vicente López, Argentina
The event was won by IGM Jorge Cori Tello, and organized by Villa Martelli Chess Club, under the direction of Mr. Mario Petrucci, President of the Argentine Chess Federation, who talked to us:
- As a Director of the 6th Latin Chess Cup Kirsan Ilyumzhinov, what is your assessment of the tournament?
First of all, I want to thank to all FIDE members who made the dream possible: Vicente López and Villa Martelli were the venue of this important tournament. I am especially grateful to Kirsan Ilyumzhinov, Georgios Makropoulus and Jorge Vega for their help and economic support.
- What about the tournament itself?
It was very interesting that in the podium there were three of the youngest IGM from South America: Cori Tello (19 years old), Alex Bachman (26) and Alan Pichot (16) giving the idea of the constant renewal in our sport and that in this part of the world there are many new talents that predict a great future for chess in this region. We are also satisfied with the quantity of players, 192, with 12 different countries represented by them. There was also a great quantity of IGM and IM and the tournament was valid to get GM and IM norms.
- This detail is of great importance.
And it was a plus that the tournament offered: four players got IGM norms, apart from IM norms that were also obtained, something difficult in our region. It was a great Festival. We are satisfied.
Mario Petrucci (President of Argentine Chess Federation), GM Jorge Cori Tello ( Winner of the 6th Latin Cup), Jorge Macri (Mayor of Villa Martelli city), IM Alan Pichot (the best Argentine player)
- The place where the tournament was held was also a surprise…
Yes, that was an important factor that contributed to the final quality of the tournament because the room was wide, with excellent light, air-conditioning, parking place, comfortable toilets. It seemed that the room had been especially tailored to play chess. There was no necessity of making a special separate place for the top players since the distribution was perfect and so many fans could be very near the best players without disturbing them. There were also 10 electronic boards to transmit the games on the Internet and a giant screen to follow the games. The opening ceremony was also a Festival in itself because there were tango dancers, and Argentine folklore groups and cocktails that all of the players have enjoyed.
- Did you receive support from your city?
Yes and it was very important. Vicente López´s Mayor, Jorge Macri, involved himself in every detail and his support was fundamental. The city lived the event as a great tournament. Many public officers came to see the tournament and with the help of the Minister of Education Jorge Grillo, many foreign masters visited public schools to promote scholastic chess since in the city all the public schools have chess as a subject and there is a great knowledge of the game.
- Another subject, how do you see your work as a president of the Argentine Chess Federation?
I think that Argentine chess is again in the international agenda after 12 years. In a short time we have organized an Absolute Continental Tournament and a Women Continental Tournament. We also organized again the Argentine Final tournament with the best masters as a close tournament. Our national team has also had a great performance in the last Olympiad in Norway and we have paid all the Argentine debt to FIDE. With the support of the National Secretariat of Sport and the great support of Minister Carlos Espíndola we have created 14 sport schools of chess in all the country. Our Federation has also filed the application for 35 scholarships for chess players and the most important thing is that the activity is increasing in all the country. We have a high level of tournaments with good economic conditions. This year Duchamps Foundation will organize a tournament with prizes of 20,000 dollars, which is a very important amount in our country. At the same time, other cities and towns in Argentine provinces are also increasing their activities. From our Federation we are going to propose the inclusion of chess as a school subject. Our working team is very committed with the activity and works well in group and in the short run everybody is going to see the results of our work.
- Buenos Aires is a candidate for the Olympiad 2020
The Argentine Chess Federation has in its history the organization of two Olympiads held in the City of Buenos Aires in 1939 and in 1978. The city was also venue of Zonal Tournaments, Continental Tournaments, and the prestigious World Championship Match between Capablanca and Alekhine and so a few cities in America can be proud of so many important events. Argentina offers special conditions to be the venue of international events. We are convinced that with responsibility and professional work we can organize the most important world event played in teams. The city has the adequate and modern infrastructure that perfectly adapts to the requisites of today sport, with a wide offer as regards tourism, food, and culture as a few cities in the world have. Because of that, we are optimistic and think that we are going to achieve our goals.
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