The Fiji Times » Chess Master for Fiji | So Good News

World famous chess player Nigel Short will visit Fiji next week. Short, 57, is an English chess grandmaster with a FIDE Elo rating of 2500, making him one of the greatest British chess players of all time.

Fiji Chess Federation Vice President Tayone Sikivou said the rare visit would be a boost for the region and Fiji. “This is a rare and wonderful opportunity to act as a catalyst for the tremendous growth of chess in the Pacific,” Sikiwu said.

“He is now an honored guest traveling to the Pacific officially as FIDE’s Director of Chess Development. FIDE stands for Federation Internationale, an international organization based in Switzerland that unites the various chess federations and acts as the governing body of international chess competition.

As of May 2022, FIDE has 200 member federations, making it one of the largest sports governing bodies in the world.

“He will visit our shores on Monday and Tuesday, November 21 and 22. GM Nigel has visited other Pacific countries such as the Solomon Islands, Vanuatu, Tonga, Samoa, New Caledonia, Fiji on his last tour before returning to FIDE. to give a report about.

“As a player, GM Nigel has reached the pinnacle of our sport with achievements such as being a former World Cup finalist. He was a member of the Atherton Chess Club, founded by his father. At the age of seven, he was rejected by the Bolton Chess Club as too young to join. He first became famous when he was 10 years old when he defeated Victor.

“He won the grandmaster title at the age of 19, when FIDE ranked him third.

“In 1984, at the age of 19, he won the British Chess Championship and became a grandmaster. He represented England in 17 consecutive Olympics from 1984 to 2016. In 1984, he won a silver medal at the Chess Olympiad held in Thessaloniki. In 1986, he went to Dubai and won gold medals for the best flying performance.

“In 1980 he won the bronze medal for the team and in 1994 and 1996 he led England to their fourth victory.”