Kirsan Ilyumzhinov, president of the World Chess Federation (FIDE), is expected to visit Trinidad for a few hours on Monday to discuss and sign a chess-in-schools programme for the country. Ilyumzhinov is expected to meet with Education Minister Dr Tim Gopeesingh and officials of the Ministry. Also at the meeting will be Russell Smith, president of the T&T Chess Association, who is also expected to sign the agreement. The signing will represent an historic development in the history of chess in T&T as it will inaugurate the first official chess-in-schools programme, particularly one backed by FIDE, the world governing body for the sport. According to Smith, who is also General Secretary of FIDE Americas, the programme will provide the required technical expertise and be tailored to T&T conditions including the different chess skills among juniors.Dr Gopeesingh told the Guardian yesterday that he would be happy to sign the agreement for such a programme as he believed that chess was a sport which could assist young people in learning to think logically and strategically. This is the second time that the FIDE president would be visiting T&T. His first visit was in 2010 when he officially launched the Umada Cup in Port-of-Spain. The international tournament which attracted 100 players from 15 countries, was sponsored by Ilyumzhinov. It is held alternatively every year among countries of the Caribbean. The FIDE president is dropping in on Trinidad on his way home from the UMADA cup held this year in Suriname.
Source: www.guardian.co.tt