Post by r0hbart on Nov 6, 2018 2:14:15 GMT -8
As mentioned in Vintage‘s thread „entertainment during recovery“ I used chess to re-activate my brain and my ability to think independently. It helped me to set realistic goals and re-build a so-called „social life“.
In this context, I would like to briefly introduce IPCA (International Physically Disabled Chess Association) and share some of their activities.
Founded in 1992, IPCA's goal is to enable physically disabled people to participate in tournaments specifically organized for them. For this purpose, World Championships are held every year. Long years there was only an "open section". Recently also Junior Championships and most recently for the first time a team competition was held. In addition to the "internal" IPCA tournaments, a team consisting of prequalified participants will represent IPCA in the biennial Chess Olympiad of the World Chess Federation (FIDE).
The following link refers to an interview with German Chess-Grandmaster Thomas Luther as part of the 1st World Team Championship for the Disabled 2018:
Recently IPCA is again back on the web with its own homepage (still under construction):
www.ipca.online.
Here are some other short reports about the latest IPCA-events:
18th IPCA- World Individual Chess Championship, Praha, June 2018:
chess.at/blog-internationales/xviii-weltmeisterschaft-der-ipca.html?fbclid=IwAR1afBM_c0ZD-uh0k1IjXmiU0fTbq9Abs4dfQqwwC_eqr1AXYYyV5yihFn0
2nd World Junior Chess Championship for the Disabled, New Jersey, August 2018:
fide.com/component/content/article/1-fide-news/11100-the-fide-world-junior-chess-championship-for-the-disabled-comes-to-a-successful-conclusion.html
1st FIDE Team Chess Championship for the Disabled, Dresden, October 2018:
www.worldchess-disabled.com/en/ and
fide.com/component/content/article/1-fide-news/11210-1st-fide-world-team-chess-championship-2018-for-the-disabled-successfully-finished.html
Chess-Olympiad Batumi 2018:
batumi2018.fide.com/en
IPCA at the Chess-Olympiad Batumi 2018:
batumi2018.fide.com/en/teams/international-physically-disabled-chess-association/Man
I know, traveling is often a major obstacle to participation in such events. Another problem is the already relatively small group of interested parties. In many countries, chess is not very popular. Therefore there are little or no subsidies for disabled chess on the part of the national chess federations.
But aren‘t such activities a great way to socialize, and get out of your own shadow existence for a short while at least, are they?
Total thrill for my opponent.
