A JERSEY teacher earned high praise from an internationally acclaimed chess grandmaster after holding him to a draw last week.
French grandmaster Bachar Kouatly and Polish grandmaster Radosław “Radek” Jedynak took on 22 Islanders as part of a simultaneous exhibition hosted by the Jersey Chess Confederation and Jersey Chess Club.
Unlike a conventional match, a simultaneous exhibition sees the grandmasters move from board to board, making one move against each opponent before circling back again – playing multiple games at once.
The grandmasters defeated 21 chess players between them, but Jersey teacher James Auckland held Mr Kouatly to a hard-fought draw.
The grandmaster said: “James played a wonderful game – solid, patient, and fearless when it mattered. I pressed hard, but he deserved his half-point.
“What struck me most about Jersey was the spirit in the room: players of all ages and levels sharing the same passion. This is exactly what chess should look like.”
Mr Jedynak, who won all of his games, added: “The welcome we received in Jersey was extraordinary.
“Small federations are the heart of European chess, and the talent and enthusiasm we saw here – over the board and in the schools – shows why they deserve real support.
“We leave with great memories and, I hope, new friendships that will last.”
Event organiser Tallulah Roberts said: “It was my pleasure to introduce Bachar and Radek to our little island, our thriving chess community, and to see so many people enjoying chess.”
Mr Kouatly made history in 1989 as the first French and Arab player to earn the grandmaster title and has since served as president of the French Chess Federation and deputy president of the International Chess Federation (FIDE).
Mr Jedynak is a former president of the Polish Chess Federation and has overseen significant growth in chess participation and major international events in Poland.
