Thomas Luther wins 1st World Chess Games for Disabled

Thomas Luther won the 1st World Chess Games for Disabled which was held October 25-29 in Dresden, Germany. The competition was a 7-round open tournament that followed the Swiss pairings system, and only for disabled chess players. There was a separate team ranking and each team consisted of four players.

The time control was 90 minutes for 40 moves followed by 30 minutes for the rest of the game with an increment of 30 seconds per move from move one. The players were awarded in the folllowing categories: overall, the Physically Disabled (IPCA), blind (IBCA), deaf (ICSC) and the best teams. Each of the three best players in these categories were given medals and cash prizes.

GM Thomas Luther won all of his seven games and claimed the gold medal. Apart from the overall victory, he also won the category rating IPCA. In the category blind chess players (IBCA) Olaf Dobierzin of the chess community Leipzig won the silver medal. Also silver won the Dresdner Thomas Rudolph, who won with his team IPCA II in the team score 17 points. 17 points were also reached from Russian deaf team. Both teams had only the IPCA Team I (21 points) in front of them with Thomas Luther, Andrei Obodchuk, Victor and Sergei Denisov Strekalovskiy.

The World Chess Games for Disabled is going to take place on a biennial basis (2011 - 2013 - 2015, etc.). The next two tournaments will also be hosted and organised by ZMDI Schachfestival Dresden e.V.

Final standings