2015-05-29

The Swedish trade and Industry meet the suburbs


Näringslivet tillsammans med Förorten

On May the 29th chess interested Business highs and the astronaut/space traveller Christer Fuglesang will play an exhibition tournament together with school children from the Swedish suburbs. The event called Näringslivet tillsammans med Förorten was created to promote integration and counter-act segregation through the help of chess since it is a sport that all people can play and meet around no matter of background or prerequisites.
The tournament is a couple chess tournament with the rules that each business top is paired with a child from the suburbs, than they play couple chess together meaning that they play every other move without discussing the moves within the team. Totally 16 teams compete and the format of the tournament is group stage 4groups with 4 teams and all play all, with the group winner qualifying for semifinal and there it is knockout until one winner is crowned.
The tournament is organized by the Swedish Chess Academy www.schackakademien.se and played open to the public with live transmission of the games, a moderator and live commentary in the famous (Sergel Gallerian) Sergel Mall in central Stockholm.
Some of the players are Jan Stahlberg, Partner of EQT, Soren Mellstig, Chairman of Trelleborg Group, Christer Fuglesang, Sweden's first astronaut, Carina Björkefors Entercard Swedens VD (The company that sponsored the qualification tournament to Norway Chess with Magnus Carlsen as the Expert) Kare Gillstring and Jockum Wahlberg two well-known angel investors and chess sponsors.
In the The Chess Academy we want to show that chess is a great way to in pleasant circumstances meet people of different age, culture and background. Chess has taught me to see other people's interests and thoughts and to have a strategic perspective on many decisions in life” says Jan Stahlberg, Chairman of the Swedish Chess Academy.
It is an international game, I have met people all over the world through chess. From a mountain hut in Norway to Istanbul, even from space, I played” says Christer Fuglesang, member of the Swedish Chess Academy.
The schedule in Swedish time and the games are live transmitted through www.schack.se
14:45 Interview and introduction with Christer Fuglesang
15:00 Group games starts
16:20 Semifinal
16:45 Final
17:10 Awards Ceremony!
Contact: GM Pontus Carlsson p.carlssonchess@gmail.com

The Swedish Chess Academy aims to show how chess can be a meeting point on equal terms, regardless of background and circumstances. With the game as a motivator chess has the potential to create new relationships and friendships between people who otherwise rarely would meet, or have few points of contact.