MRCF opens a new chapter of «Chess Diplomacy in Africa»

On December 7, an international friendly online match took place between the teams of Cote d’Ivoire and Friends of the MRCF as part of the «Chess Diplomacy in Africa» project

After the high results shown during the Asian League, the team of friends of the Friends of the MRCFF does not stop and continues to conquer new horizons: in a hard-fought battle they managed to snatch victory from their opponents from Cote d’Ivoire. The match, which brought together around 60 players from the two federations, became the first step towards cooperation with the distant African country.

“I am very happy that we played this match with a team from Russia. I think we will definitely repeat it. We are a young federation that wants to move forward. We need to prepare hard for  the Olympiad in Uzbekistan, and cooperation with the MRCF opens up new opportunities for our athletes,” Justin Brou, President of the Cote d’Ivoire Chess Federation, commented on the event.

It is worth noting that just a week ago, the national chess championship ended in Cote d’Ivoire, at the opening of which, at the invitation of the national federation’s leadership, Russian Ambassador A.E. Saltykov spoke. In his speech, the distinguished guest noted that chess, being a traditional sport for Russia, serves as a universal language uniting representatives of different cultures, countries and continents, and creates a platform for the exchange of experience, knowledge and wisdom. By developing ties with African chess federations, Russia is not only strengthening interstate relations, but also contributing to the realization of the intellectual potential of the African continent.

The Ambassador’s words once again confirm the importance of the activities carried out within the framework of the international direction of the MRCF. Since the launch of the «Chess Diplomacy in Africa» project, friendly matches have already been held with teams from Togo, Mozambique and Zimbabwe.

The successful debut in Cote d’Ivoire was another clear evidence that chess knows no borders, and the «Chess Diplomacy in Africa» project is gaining momentum, opening up new horizons for cooperation and the development of intellectual sports on the continent.