Corfu Prison chess team takes part in Intercontinental Chess Championship for inmates
CORFU. The team came 6th amongst 88 teams from 46 countries.
For the second year running, the team from the Corfu Prison (the first and only correctional facility in Greece to participate in an Intercontinental Chess Championship for inmates) participated with a four-member team in the 3rd Intercontinental Online Chess Championship for Inmates.
The Championship was organised by the International Chess Federation (FIDE) from October 11 to October 13, for the International Day of Education in Prisons.
Teams consisting of four players with an unlimited number of substitutestook part. There were 88 teams from 46 countries, including the United States, Germany, UK, Italy, Netherlands, Canada, Norway, Argentina, Spain, Armenia, Australia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Colombia, Croatia, Czech Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Georgia, India, Kyrgyzstan, Latvia, Mexico, Mongolia, North Macedonia, the Philippines, Portugal, Serbia, Slovenia, South Sudan, Trinidad and Tobago, the Turks and Caicos Islands, and more. The inmates competed online, from the computer room of the 2nd Chance School, using the chess.com platform, with complete anonymity (they played with codes, not names), and under the supervision of those responsible for the chess programme.
Our team secured 6th place in its group, notably achieving two significant victories over Germany and the Netherlands.
Participation in the championship was part of a social contribution initiative undertaken by Corfu Chess Players Association since September 2021. This initiative has continued for a third year, offering chess lessons and training, as well as organising exhibition matches and tournaments in collaboration with the pioneering Second Chance School that operates within the prison. The lessons are provided by a coach from the association, taking place every week for 2 hours. These lessons cater to both beginners and inmates who already possess fundamental chess knowledge, and the association provides chess equipment such as boards and chess sets.
In May, the second internal Prison Chess Championship was organised, with the participation of 34 chess players, including inmates, well-known Corfu chess players, and correctional facility staff. Each participant played five games in the premises of the Second Chance School, which had been arranged as a chess tournament hall. The inmates who secured the top positions in the championship formed the team that participated in the Intercontinental Championship.
Our team's participation in the championship event was made possible thanks to the support of Prison Director, Litsa Stavrou, and the Chief Warden Elissaios Dalianis.
It's important to note the invaluable assistance of the educators at the pioneering Second Chance School, whose work is truly priceless and deserves full support from institutions and the local community.
MANTHOS NATHANAEL
