Hungary Hosts Unique Parachess National Championship

The fifth Hungarian Parachess Championship took place from May 22nd to 25th, organized jointly by the Hungarian Chess Federation, FODISZ (the organization for sports of persons with disabilities), and the Hungarian Paralympic Committee. This competition is a truly unique national individual championship, bringing together chess players who are visually impaired, hearing impaired, physically disabled, and organ transplant recipients.

For visually impaired players, the standard is often two-board chess, a special format also used internationally. In this setup, each participant makes moves on their own board and announces them aloud. This allows both players to concentrate on their next steps without disruption. Facilitating communication, especially between hearing and visually impaired players, can be challenging, but dedicated arbiters are always available to help, and the participants` exceptional sportsmanship ensures the tournament runs smoothly.

The continued collaboration of the three organizing bodies year after year to champion parachess is highly commendable. Beyond highlighting chess`s universal, inclusive, and accessible nature, this event also cultivates a strong sense of community within what is traditionally an individual sport. It provides crucial competitive opportunities for players whose ability to compete alongside able-bodied players may be restricted by technical challenges, and it helps them prepare for international tournaments.

This year`s championship not only attracted a record number of participants – 24 players, which is a significant figure for a small country, particularly within the disabled community – but also provided plenty of excitement. Leading into the final rounds, four players were in contention for the overall gold medal, which was ultimately secured by the rating favorite, FM Zoltán Zambó.

In the visually impaired category, Zoltán Zambó finished first, ahead of Szilveszter Csuri, who had an excellent debut, and István Voján, a long-time team member returning to good form. Among the hearing impaired, Balázs Máté claimed victory, followed by Tibor Hallossy and Virág Farkas taking the podium spots. In the physically disabled category, László Lengyel, playing on board one in the final round, emerged victorious, with Péter Turoczi finishing as the runner-up.

Notably, Virág Farkas was recognized as both the best young player and the top female competitor. She maintained a consistent performance and achieved an excellent 8th place overall. The youngest participant, 14-year-old visually impaired talent Roni Dominik Filep, secured second place in the youth category. He showcased impressive combinational skills in the final round by defeating Hanna Vilics, the only youth member of Hungary`s national visually impaired team.

We would be delighted if federations from other countries joined this initiative. The Hungarian Championship is planned to evolve into an open tournament where chess players with various disabilities can compete together.

Federations interested in sending players are encouraged to contact us at [email protected]. This will help us gauge international interest and explore expanding the competition to a broader level. We strongly believe that chess for people with disabilities deserves significant attention and support.

Final Standings

…24 players competed.

Vilics 0-1 Filep (a fine attacking victory)