How are you today?  The 25th of October already! Just 2 months from Xmas…where does the time go?  Has anyone done a study yet to test the hypothesis that time flies faster in a pandemic!?

XV Festival Internacional de Xadrez da Figueira da Foz-Torneio Sabir Ali

I will be playing in my first over-the-board FIDE rated tournament since the pandemic started!  This year’s Figueira da Foz tournament begins next week and I am really looking forward to it.

A 9-round Swiss, this tournament is one of Portugal’s longest running and prestigious tournament.

I can hardly express my shock to realize that I have not played a single classic game of chess in all of that time!  On top of this, I decided early on in the pandemic not to play any online chess. (Too much online cheating!)

But when I look at how the elite players’ play has steadily deteriorated after some of them playing what seems like 24/7 online…perhaps it was the right decision.  We shall see.

In any case, I intend to give regular reports on the Figueira da Foz tournament.  So stay tuned!

Remembering IM Joaquim Durão

Photo of Joaqum Durão (left) playing chess with the famous footballer Eusébio. (Photo taken in Lisbon during the 1960’s)

Today marks the 91st anniversary of the birth of Joaquim Durão, without a doubt the most iconic figure of Portuguese chess in the middle of the 20th century. It is hard to believe that already 6 years have passed since his death (May 21, 2015).

Joaquim probably did more for the promotion of chess in Portugal than any other person.  In the above photos, the President of the Portuguese Republic, Jorge Sampaio, awards Joaquim Durão with the medalla de Ordem de Mérito.