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An Online Battle: Reykjavik vs. Washington Print E-mail
By David Mehler   
December 2, 2014
Icelandmatch350.jpgA team of teens from Reykjavik handily defeated a group of teens from Washington in a fun match played over the Internet Chess Server.  For the past four years the U.S. Chess Center has been challenging teams from throughout the world as part of the Sunday Chess group; on Sunday, November 23, we took on Iceland.

The Americans fielded 14 enthusiastic students, aged 11 – 15, against a somewhat more experienced squad from Iceland.  The match was a step toward renewing the friendly rivalry between the two countries.  After the 1972 Fischer-Spassky World Championship match the two countries would alternate sending their young stars to the other country for annual matches.

We hope to re-establish that chess tradition and to continue to use chess as a diplomatic tool.  The U.S. Chess Center has already played matches with teams of young people from Norway, Montenegro, China and the Czech Republic and always is looking for other groups, foreign or domestic, with whom we can establish friendly relations.  Anyone with a group of players interested in playing us should send us a challenge, and we will accommodate groups of any strength.

Here is a sample game in which the American player had some chances but in the relatively quick time control (G/15 + a 5 second delay) missed a few opportunities.

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