ELO rating at stake in Alekhine-Attard Memorial

At the annual general meeting of the Malta Chess Federation held recently, incoming president Geoffrey D. Borg announced that the organisation is again backing the annual international chess event known as Alekhine-Attard Memorial.

This tournament is due to start at the Russian Centre for Science and Culture in Valletta on Saturday when the first round will go into play at 9.30 a.m.

Furthermore, Borg stated that there is the chance to submit the results for ELO rating. FIDE, the world chess authority, organises this rating system which compares the achievements and chess strength of prominent players and gives them a four-figure rating description.

Malta has seven active ELO rated players and in this tournament most of them will be participating.

The event will therefore be an excellent opportunity for local players to attempt to gain access to this elite list without the bother of leaving our shores.

To get one's name published by FIDE as an ELO rated player is perhaps as much an ambition as entering the very limited list of local chess champions.

This year the new Malta champion Colin Pace will be entering again in the Alekhine-Attard Memorial, the only event of this nature available here this year.

Wilfred G. Attard, Malta champion for several years and one of the chess personalities commemorated in this event, obtained his first ELO rating in 1975 during an International Rating Tournament held at the Preluna Hotel in Sliema.

The tournament was run under the direction of FIDE Arbiter A. Muscat Baron.