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Underwater Chess

Underwater Chess

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Hello dear chess friends!

My name is Illia Golichenko, I am an international chess master and chess coach from Ukraine, and I am very excited to start my chess blog

I want to start my blog by sharing great and interesting news with you!
Currently, I do not play chess tournaments as often as I mainly focused on working with my students as a coach, but I will play underwater chess match at the end of March!

Below you can find more information about this:

"Saturday March 28th, two chess masters will play an underwater chess match in the marine reserve south of Puerto Rico, Gran Canaria.

Ukrainian International Master Illia Golichenko will play a match against FIDE Master Abel Carrascoso in full scuba equipment using adapted chess board to account for the underwater environment.

The match will take place at 8 meters depth in the marine reserve area of the Canary Islands known as the Franja Marina de Mogán. This area is well known for a variety of marine life including the critically endangered Angel Shark.

IM Golichenko is a PADI Advanced Diver and chess coach, and FM Carrascoso is military police officer and a newly certified PADI Open Water diver.

This is the first unofficial world record breaking attempt of two chess masters playing a chess match in scuba, at a depth below 5 meters in an ocean. The time control will be 15 minutes for each player. Two International Masters played a match with 15 minutes for each player in 4 meters depth in Aruba, in 2008.

Top Diving Gran Canaria is hosting the event which will include safety divers, and a FIDE Arbiter.

Gran Canaria has one of the most active chess communities in all of Spain. From April 4th to 12th, Gran Canaria hosts it´s largest international chess tournament of the year. The 13th International Chess Tournament, ´XIII Memorial Pedro Lencanzo Moncalve 2020´ will take place in Vecindario a town which is 15 km north from the tourist hub of Puerto Rico. Chess masters Golichenko and Carrascoso will also be competing along with 21 other titled chess players."