I have sent two e-mails to Disneyland Paris, last weeks, and they confirm the receipt, and even announce to answer, but NO, no reply...
I keep in contact with them, just to let them know this is unacceptable.
World Rapid Chess Championship, Disneyland Paris, 1998
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Yes, I have too. The first one they answered with a brush off, which I interpreted as: "if you're not going to buy anything or spend your money at one of our resorts, go away". So much for public relations. The 2nd email they didn't even bother to acknowledge. Sod them. I'll get the information somehow.
I just posted a request on www.d-log.nl under the heading "when you are curious..." , well, I am curious... Let's wait and see...
Thanks for your help.
I have discovered that the April 1997 issue of 'Chess Life' magazine contained an article about the 1996 event. Although not the year I am particularly interested in, the article may have some useful background information.
If any kind soul, who is in possession of this magazine, could provide me with scans of the relevant page(s), I would be eternally grateful. Well, for a few days at least. :) Thank you.
See posts 2 and 4, NO answer what-so-ever, unacceptable, but true.
It seems impossible to contact these organisations, the only thing they do is inviting you to visit them and spend a lot of money, NO respect for customers...
Perhaps you can contact these few chess players instead, probably they remember more vividly and can provide more information than the people at Disney most of whom probably didn't work there fifteen years ago!
Organisations tend to keep records. They don't have to rely on memory. And yes, contacting Kosteniuk and Paragua directly may produce some results. This has been on my list of possible avenues of research, but I don't expect them to remember much, as they were only young teenagers at the time and were probably overawed by the occasion.
I've seen the short video of Kosteniuk receiving her prize. I noticed that Anatoly Karpov was at the ceremony. He was probably there in an official capacity, so I assume FIDE had officiated the event. I've searched FIDE's website, but there's nothing to be found in the archives. Contacting them is also on my list, but, if they're anything like Disney, then there's no hope. Anyway, I can but try.
@ StampNut, post 6 : you have no doubt already read the Wikipedia pages on " Chess Life " and " Chess Life Magazine " , ( also with info on the years 1996-1999, ) and you watched their websites and that of the USCF.
Could not they help you by checking and informing you about the info and contents of their publications ?
I checked my friend Marc Speyers on www.schaakboek.nl who has hundreds of magazines and tournamentbooks ( for sale ) and apparently nothing is directly found there.
He has complete years ( each 8 magazines ) of ... 1997, 1998, 1999 ... for sale at 12,50 euro per year, ex-Utrecht, Holland ( where on earth are you living ? ) and perhaps this kids championship is mentioned there in, who knows... ( magazine is in English )
Hi all,
I am in need of any information about the World Rapid Chess Championship for Kids which used to be held at Disneyland Paris for a project I am involved in.
These Championships were no insignificant events. Two years earlier, Irina Krush won the Under-14s category. In 1998 she became the US Womens Champion. In 1998, Mark Paragua, a Filipino, won in one of the categories and he progressed to become an International Grandmaster. Also in 1998, Alexandra Kosteniuk won at these championships, and she went on to become the Womens World Champion in 2008.
That's about as much as I have been able to find out about these Championships. Ideally, I would like to know if an Azerbaijani had any success in the 1998 event.
Can anyone help? Any background information about the Championships would be greatly appreciated.
Many thanks.