DANCE THROUGH PRAGUE AND THE CHESSBOARD OF THE WORLD: PLAYERS ENJOYED A FESTIVAL REST DAY
After five rounds, players in Prague’s main chess tournaments enjoyed a well-earned rest day. Masters and Challengers participants took the opportunity to explore the beauty of the Czech capital, where they not only admired the scenery with nearly spring weather but also had unexpected encounters with chess stars. Meanwhile, the girls of the Futures tournament stayed busy—trading their usual competition boards for valuable lessons and, for the well-known pieces lined up for a simultaneous exhibition.
The exhibition was played by tournament ambassador Dana Reizniece, a Latvian grandmaster, politician, and vice president of the European Chess Union. After delivering an engaging lecture, she faced ten brave challengers in a simultaneous match at Kino 64 U Hradeb. The best performances came from Lilian Schirmbeck, Zuzana Stará and Greta Viti, who secured victories. However, even their wins couldn’t prevent an overall defeat for the future chess champions.
| Dana Reizniece | 0:1 | Greta Viti |
| Dana Reizniece | 0:1 | Zuzana Stará |
| Dana Reizniece | 1:0 | Sofia Markina |
| Dana Reizniece | 1:0 | Sra Maria Sunea |
| Dana Reizniece | 1:0 | Alona Tolmaceva |
| Dana Reizniece | 1/2 | Maria Anistoroaei |
| Dana Reizniece | 1:0 | Tamae Severina Jakubše |
| Dana Reizniece | 1/2 | Kaja Rzadkowska |
| Dana Reizniece | 0:1 | Lilian Schirmbeck |
| Dana Reizniece | 1:0 | Lila Rzadkowska |
Players on Charles Bridge
The chess rest day didn’t end there. Players and festival guests gathered for the Geopolitical Chess debate, featuring economist Tomáš Sedláček, innovator Karel Janeček, grandmaster and author Ján Markoš, and social and cultural ecologist Ivan Rynda. The conversation extended beyond chess, touching on free speech, the fundamental pillars of democracy, and the ongoing war in Ukraine.
This thought-provoking discussion was poetically concluded with the dance performance Inter(play), directed by Alena Pešková. Through movement of the human body and the music of Gabriela Vermelho, the performance brought the world of the royal game to life in an artistic and unexpected way.
David Navara Hoping for Luck in the Next Rounds
Author: Tomáš Fiala