RECORD NUMBER OF ENTRIES FOR 2012 WORLD INDIVIDUAL CHESS CHAMPIONSHIPS

RECORD NUMBER OF ENTRIES FOR 2012 WORLD INDIVIDUAL CHESS CHAMPIONSHIPS

For the first time in the 63 year-old history of the ICSC, the 15th World Individuals Championship will take place in the region of Asia - the city of Almaty, Kazakhstan.

As of the March 28, 2012 Preliminary Entry Form submission deadline, it is reported that a record total of 160 chess players and officials from 19 different countries have already registered to take part at the upcoming worldwide premier chess festival among the deaf, hard of hearing and deaf-blind people in Almaty.

Kazakhstan, the host nation ( 37 players and officials ), Russia ( 34 ) and Poland ( 15 ) are, so far, registered as the largest delegations for the Championships.

Other countries, which have expressed their interest to take part at the Championships, are as follows:

Ukraine ( 6 players and officials )
Croatia ( 4 )
Israel ( 10 )
Bulgaria ( 2 )
Slovakia ( 2 delegates for the 31st ICSC Congress only )
Nigeria ( 2 delegates for the 31st ICSC Congress only )
Azerbaijan ( 6 )
USA ( 1 )
Scotland ( 6 )
Moldova ( 4 )
Armenia ( 6 )
Uzbekistan ( 10 )
Czech Republic ( 2 )
Spain ( 2 )
Italy ( 5 )
England ( 6 ).
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The last World Individual Championships were held in 2008 in St. Gallen, Switzerland.
The current reigning World Champions in different categories are

Veselin Georgiev of Bulgaria ( Men's Individual )
Tatiana Baklanova of Ukraine ( Women's Individual )
Sirojiddin Zaynidinov of Uzbekistan ( Boys' Indivividual )
Annegret Mucha of Germany ( Girls' Individual )
Alexander Sleptsov of Azerbaijan ( Deaf-Blind )
Krzysztof Checiak of Poland ( Open )
Sergei Salov of Germany ( Men's Blitz )
Yulia Botalova of Russia ( Women's Blitz ).

Note: the inagural and last World Championships in Blitz were held in Estoril, Portugal, in 2010.

For details of previous events in St. Gallen and Estoril, please visit

http://web.tiscalinet.it/icsc_w/St_Gallen/List2008.htm

http://web.tiscalinet.it/estoril2010/olympiad10.htm

For additional details of the 2012 World Championships, please visit

http://www.almaty-2012deafworldchess.com/