Chess suits Cēsis

The International Chess Festival “Cēsis” has become a recognizable brand not only in Latvia, but also beyond the borders of our country. The festival organizers admit that their mission is to “bring” chess out of closed spaces and make it visible in the urban environment, noticeable to any resident of Cēsis and guest of the city.

Out of the Basements

Festival director Jānis Vingris laughs that the following scene is often typical in the Latvian chess world:

“A group of men in black jackets arrive in some humble basement or similar place in the morning. In the evening, they emerge from the basement and disappear in an unknown direction. What they did in the basement all day, what they were doing, no one knows. That is exactly what we are trying to avoid by organizing our festival, and it seems to be working.”

In Cēsis, the festival tournaments have been held in the most open and prestigious spaces and locations - event tents in Maija Park, Cēsis Concert Hall, Space Exploration Center, Cēsis Castle Exhibition Hall, and in the future - in the newly opened Konrāda Quarter. It costs much more than renting a basement or a school gym, but there is no other way, Jānis believes. “It is true that without supporters, these plans of ours would not be possible. If such a Latvian chess event loses its supporters, then it can return to basements and gyms. It’s that simple,” Vingris is laconic. Thanks to our friends-sponsors, we can make playing chess prestigious and enjoyable,” admits Jānis.

Although chess is a sport, Jānis calls it an intersection of art, science and sport. Tracksuits are not appropriate for chess, especially slow chess. Although we do not have a strict dress code, our prestigious locations themselves create the desire to wear more respectable clothes. Therefore, Jānis believes that gyms are not really suitable places for playing chess. “For example, the first tables of our classic tournament have so far played in a cinema hall, where the acoustics are such that you can even hear a hair fall. Absolute silence and an environment in which chess players can immerse themselves in their own dimensions of calculation. That is the right environment. In the gyms, every noise echoes…”

New chess breeze in Cēsis

Although there used to be an active chess life in Cēsis, it has declined significantly in the last couple of decades. The number of active chess players can be counted on one hand, and there was a vacuum of chess clubs and tournaments. With the arrival of the chess festival in the town, a revival of chess is felt. “Paradoxically, we created such a chess festival from scratch in an environment without its own chess life. A large number of chess players come to the festival tournaments for a week, but only a few of them are locals. It is felt that the number of local participants will grow in the coming years, chess life in Cēsis has come to life.

How did we manage to create such a successful event in an empty chess environment? “Because chess suits Cēsis and chess suits Cēsis,” smiles Jānis.

“Cēsis is a town of the perfect size for creating a favorable festival environment. In a big city, for example, Riga, this festival feeling would disappear. Cēsis is a beautiful place and, looking at the revival of the old town buildings in recent years, the charm of this pearl of Latvia will only grow. Cēsis is an ideal destination for chess tourists."

Chess for everyone

The festival consists of a program of 10 different tournaments. They can be attended by absolute beginners, seniors, amateurs and the best of the best - grandmasters. “Our festival is one of the rare events in Latvia, where the list of participants includes top Latvian players, who usually prefer to participate in prestigious foreign tournaments. Latvian grandmasters Arturs Neikšāns, Ņikita Meškovs, Toms Kantāns, Zigurds Lanka, Normunds Miezis, Ilmārs Starostīts are coming to Cēsis. The legendary local grandmaster Edvīns Ķeņģis is also playing in his home town. Also top players from Lithuania, Finland, Sweden, Iceland, Italy, Belgium and other countries.

“We even have a special tournament for girls called “Go Girl!””

says Jānis.

“It’s no secret that men dominate chess, girls and women are in an absolute minority. Girls, especially the younger ones, are often afraid of playing against adult men, so many choose not to participate at all. To encourage young players to continue playing, we organize a tournament for girls under 18. This is an absolutely financially unprofitable event, because the number of participants is not so large. But this initiative is important.”

The largest number of players in the festival tournaments is from Latvia, followed by Lithuanians and Estonians, but in general, in previous years, players from 14-16 federations came to Cēsis.

We are working to ensure that chess attributes are visible in the city, not only at the game venues. Thanks to the municipality, which appreciates and supports it.

For spectators too

The Chess Festival “Cēsis” is not only prestigious venues, but also accessibility for spectators. The ideal place for this are chess tournaments in Maija Park, which take place in event tents. “Spectators are invited to all tournaments, but if you want to catch a special atmosphere, then I recommend watching the team tournament in Bughouse chess, which usually takes place on the Sunday evening of the festival week. Here, unlike other tournaments, participants are allowed to talk. Such excitement, such a beehive feeling, is rarely experienced in any tournament,” says Jānis.

The tent city in Maija Park has not only chess tents, but also tents for other activities. Anyone can relax or play different games there. The chess environment in the park and elsewhere in the city is also supplemented with a large-format photography exhibition.

Facebook page: Chess Festival Cesis

Photos by Gatis Ločmelis un Jānis Vingris