Biel International Chess Tournament
July 18-29, 2020
by
John Bain
The Biel International Chess Festival is a storied annual chess tournament taking place in Biel, Switzerland for the past 53 years.
After deliberating whether or not to cancel the 2020 event due to the coronavirus pandemic lockdowns, the governing authorities decided to proceed with certain health measures in place.
The 2020 Biel Chess Festival has two Sections–the Grandmaster Section with 8 players participating, and the Open Section with 150 players competing!
See the health measures the Swiss put in place below.
Biel, Switzerland
The city of Biel sits next to Lake Biel at the foot of the Jura Mountains range in northwest Switzerland.
In 2012, Biel had about 55,000 inhabitants, and together with the surrounding districts almost 106,000 people. The town has been an industrial and watchmaking heart of Switzerland since the 19th century.
The Health Measures
Plexiglass shields installed over chess boards and pieces at Grandmasters’ tables separate the players and provide a measure of protection.
A Grandmaster reaches through the opening at the bottom of the plexiglass shield to capture an opponent’s piece.
Social distancing. In the Open Section, chess boards are set up six feet apart from each other and the width of the tables widened by two feet.
Masks and hand sanitizer are provided at each table for players in the Open Section with hand sanitizing stations also available nearby.
In the Grandmaster Section, two players are ready to start a chess game.
The Grandmasters’ tables are positioned on the stage above the Open Section in the tournament hall. Note the plexiglass shields separating the players from one another.
More social distancing. Large open spaces are provided for players to distance from one another, to relax after games and between rounds–and to review their games while physically distancing.
Tables, chairs, chess boards and pieces are sanitized between every round.
Hand sanitizing stations are provided throughout tournament hall and in the large open areas outside the tournament hall.
Prepare for Over-The-Board Play
Get the best materials for your chess club!
The World’s Best-Selling
Scholastic Chess Workbooks!
Beginner’s Book – Chess Rules For Students
“Knights Battle”
Chess Rules For Students is a workbook for students learning the game of chess and for beginning students returning to the game. No previous knowledge of chess is necessary. Parents unfamiliar with chess will find this booklet a valuable guide to their child’s new interest.
Chess Rules For Students is designed with students, coaches, and parents in mind. Reading level is appropriate for grade-school use. All major rules of chess are covered, and algebraic notation worksheets are included. Each page is in easy-to-use worksheet format.
A student-friendly Answer Key makes self-correction fun!
Beginners & Intermediate Book – Checkmate! Ideas For Students
“Knight Checkmates King!”
Checkmate! Ideas For Students is a workbook for beginning and intermediate students. Checkmate! covers the tactics used in checkmate attacks with clear explanations, diagrams and arrows to pinpoint the key features.
Unlike many other basic checkmate books, Checkmate! categorizes the checkmates by the tactics used to force the checkmate–like Pins, Sacrifices, Removing the Guard, Attraction, Clearance and Attacking Flight Squares–rather than only the checkmate pattern itself.
The worksheets and Answer Key are clear and simple for the student to use, and easy for the parent, teacher and coach to correct! Fun!
Intermediate & Advanced Book – Chess Tactics For Students
“Profiles Face-Off in King’s Shadow”
Chess Tactics For Students contains 434 carefully selected problems in worksheet format.
Chess Tactics has been extensively field tested with elementary, middle-school, and high-school students over a four-year period. This book is ideal for independent seat work as well as for homework and classroom instruction.
The worksheet format and Answer Key enable self-correction with minimal dependence or direct help from a chess teacher, coach, or parent.
