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On Saturday, May 3, 2025, children and young players from four continents gathered for the fifth time for the annual "Checkmate to Racism" online event organized by the FC Bayern Munich chess department. This time, teams from clubs, schools, and chess organizations from Singapore, Hong Kong, India, Cyprus, Tunisia, Spain, the United Kingdom, Venezuela, the United States and Germany participated.
During the one-hour preparatory program, not only were all participating teams introduced, but the day's theme, namely the commitment to the fight against racism, was also highlighted. In a video message, Walter Mennekes, 2nd Vice President of FC Bayern München eV, welcomed the participants from all over the world on behalf of the entire executive board and emphasized the club's stance against any form of racism and discrimination. The chess department's event combined a passion for chess with a clear “No” to racism. He wished all participants fun and success in the team and individual tournaments.
Benny Folkmann, Managing Director of FC Bayern Munich eV, was also present live. In a short interview, he picked up the thread and reported on the origins and history of the "Red Against Racism" initiative. This initiative was also launched five years ago and was aimed specifically at combating the increasing incidence of racist remarks in football stadiums at the time. Several leading football clubs, including FC Bayern Munich, have resolutely opposed this. This was most recently evident at FC Bayern Munich's home game against FC St. Pauli, when both teams prominently rallied behind the "Red Against Racism" banner and FC Bayern's professional footballers played in special "Red Against Racism" jerseys. Benny Folkmann further emphasized that all departments and areas within the club are committed to this important initiative and are contributing to promoting tolerance and mutual respect. It is especially important to put words into action. FC Bayern's international online chess tournament is an excellent example of this, as it promotes international contacts and thus cultural exchange. He expressed his hope that coming together as part of an online event can be the beginning of long-lasting friendships, which, as the ultimate goal, should eventually lead to personal contact.
Chess grandmaster Kevin Goh from Singapore provided a highly interesting insight into his social commitment. Chess can have a positive impact in many areas of society. He cited the numerous activities for people with disabilities, as well as the "Chess in Prisons" project, as examples. Furthermore, chess is generally valued in Singapore as a component of the education system. In the country's multicultural society, chess connects people through a "common language." The organization of the World Chess Championship last year, in which Kevin Goh was also involved, gave chess in Singapore a further significant boost.
The eagerly awaited team tournament on the Lichess.org platform began promptly at 2:00 p.m. Central European Time. It was encouraging to see that the children and young players from all teams diligently scored points and obviously had a lot of fun. A total of around 260 children took part across all teams. At the top of the field, a thrilling race developed between five teams. Of these, The Chess Academy – ActiveKids from Hong Kong pulled away decisively in the final quarter of an hour, repeating their tournament victory from the previous year. The Madrid Chess Academy team also secured a comfortable second place. Third place went narrowly to East Anglian Junior Chess, consisting of young chess players from several counties in the east of England. Behind them, tied on points, were the OFS Chess Team from the Overseas Family School from Singapore and the host FC Bayern Munich Chess Kids.
In the concluding individual tournament, Grandmaster Michael Bezold of FC Bayern Munich was the star guest, providing live commentary on his games. He did have a bit of work to do at one point or another, but ultimately remained undefeated. With 110 participants, the individual tournament was more competitive than ever before, despite the late hour in the Far East.
Given the encouragingly high response, there's no question that FC Bayern's international "Checkmate to Racism" online event will remain a fixture in the future. (Wengler)
Links to the websites of the participating teams:
- The Chess Academy (Hong Kong)
- Oversees Familiy School (Singapore)
- FRITZ Chess Academy (India)
- G C School of Careers (Cyprus)
- SIMBA Trainers Chess Academy (Cyprus)
- Morningside Montessori Elementary Private School (Cyprus)
- FC Bayern München (Germany)
- SV Werder Bremen (Germany)
- OSG Baden-Baden (Germany)
- ACEM Chess Association (Tunesia)
- Club de Ajedrez El Ejido (Spain)
- Madrid Chess Academy (Spain)
- Federació Balear d'Escacs (Spain)
- East Anglian Junior Chess (United Kingdom)
- She-Plays-To-Win (United Kingdom)
- Escuela de Ajedrez Colegio Castelao & Peña Alexandre Bóveda (Venezuela)
- Franklin Academy (Florida, United States)
Links to the tournaments on lichess.org
- Team tournament: Lichess.org Arena Team Battle
- Individual tournament: Lichess.org Arena Tournament