Cuba for hosting Chess World Cup

To Cuba's renowned prestige as a chess tournament organizer could be added a new chapter with the forthcoming celebration of a world-class competition.

The idea outlined by the national federation of the Scientific Game to host a universal fair for senior players has a faithful ally in Panamanian José Carrillo Pujol, president of Fide America, an entity that would support the presentation of the interesting proposal.

International tournaments such as the Capablanca, the Guillermito and others are already part of a successful tradition. For this reason, in the last two years we have been able to bring to Cuba the women's and senior continentals, in addition to the Central American for women, Carrillo Pujol argued in a separate with JIT, during the new national Blitz chess tournament for mixed couples held this Saturday in Havana.

The manager, who has taken office since 2022, is aware of Cuba's rich history in this sport, hence his commitment to resume his prominence among the squares that bring together important figures from the world of the trebejos.

Although he does not mention it, tournaments such as the 1966 Havana Olympics come to mind, undoubtedly the most comprehensive organizational challenge of those assumed by the island, where chess enjoys a lot of popularity.

We will visit Varadero, see the conditions that can be created there, to draw up the application file to the International Chess Federation (Fide) to consider the proposal. The idea is that they can host the 2023 edition, advance as part of a strategy already reconciled with Carlos Rivero, head of the local federation and also national commissioner.

People who are over 50 years of age, which is the age limit to be considered a senior, lived the boom of chess in Cuba decades ago and that was noticed when we convened the continental of that category, which has been the most responsive in terms of participation.

That's why we want to start there, to show organizational capacity and then think with more ambition, Carrillo Pujol said as part of the planned plan.

Since taking office, the Panamanian announced that he would work for the Fed to direct possible venues of important events to America.

One of our priorities has been that the countries that contribute the most to chess development were recognized in correspondence with what they have done and do for the continent and the world. Cuba, obviously, is a reference in America and that is why we have continued to work hard in this regard, ratified, after enjoying an unprecedented day, in which 66 mixed couples animated a national contest of the Blitz modality.

Regarding what he experienced this Saturday in the Solidarity Hall of the Havana Free Hotel, he was also satisfied.

Although the classic game events are not going away, I believe that the need to show more dynamic chess is achieved with the fast tournaments and the international federation is working on that basis, he acknowledged before ensuring that he had enjoyed that moment very much.

In turn, he urged all those linked to chess in Cuba to continue working together and with the same passion, providing options for development and not only from a competitive point of view, since the educational approach that chess has always had in the country must be maintained, and seek new variants for its impulse.

That's part of what we've been doing, too. "We only organized a school chess congress in Argentina with a first approach to this issue and I think we will be able to repeat it in Cuba in the framework of the next Capablanca," added Carrillo Pujol.

We know that work in this regard here is supported by the Ministry of Education and covers all provinces. Classes were broadcast some time ago on television and we want to resume that idea there is much to show and it will be an important step, he concluded.