Bringing together chess players from different national and cultural backgrounds

‘Chess4Solidarity’ tournament celebrated by Lapid, UNESCO

Israeli chess players competed against global opponents

A global chess event was hosted on International Human Solidarity Day, organized by Israeli chess club Chess4All’s Chess4Solidarity campaign.

On International Human Solidarity Day was in December 2021, the event planned to encourage cultural dialogue, promote tolerance, and bring online participants – from beginners to experts – from around the world to the event, including those from Arab countries and Iran. Participation in the event was free.

Over 500 participated from all over the world. Invitations were in seven different languages, including Hebrew, Spanish, French, English, Russian, Arabic, and Persian, and have been distributed worldwide.

The United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization holiday is meant to raise public awareness of the dangers of intolerance.

https://youtu.be/C1_PhdXp7qA

UNESCO’s Public Information Director, Matthieu Guevel, issued a statement to project manager Lior Aizenberg, saying that “This is a very positive intercultural dialogue initiative, combining the spirit of competition and civilized fight of one of the oldest and most sophisticated games in the world, with a call for dialogue and mutual understanding.”

The tournament also drew praise from local Israeli officials, such as Foreign Minister Yair Lapid, who said that “your presence here today is a testament to how, through culture, sports, and friendly competition, we can build bridges between people and maintain a world that is safer, more prosperous and more tolerant,” in a video uploaded to Facebook.

Aizenberg, project manager of the Chess4Solidarity tournament, is proud of the success and recognition of the event. “We have been working around the clock for the past year and a half to connect Israel to the world through chess, promote solidarity and tolerance, and tell the story of Israel that is similar to ours.”

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