The 1st Caplin Menchik Memorial takes place from Saturday 18th to Sunday 26th June 2022 at the MindSports Centre, London. It’s a 10-player all-play-all, one game per day, with WIM & WGM norm opportunities. The tournament is taking place thanks to the generous support of Caplin Systems, who also support the Hastings Congress. The tournament has also received financial support from the English Chess Federation, The Chess Trust, and the Friends of Chess.
Read more: GM Petr Neuman wins 5th Vera Menchik Memorial, Prague, Czech Republic 2022
Invited Players:
- WGM Katarzyna Toma (ENG)
- IM Harriet Hunt (ENG)
- WIM Lan Yao (ENG)
- Anna Marie Koubova (CZE)
- Kamila Hrischenko (UKR)
- WCM Zoe Varney (ENG)
- IM Joanna Dworakowska (POL)
- GM Keti Arakhamia Grant (SCO)
- WIM Lara Shulze (GER)
- WIM Teja Vidic (SLO)
The ceremonial first move which opens the tournament will be made by Martin Hošek from the Czech Embassy and John Ashworth, the Chief Executive of Caplin Systems.
Vera Menchik (1906-44) was the first Women’s World Chess Champion, as well as the longest reigning champion, gaining the title at aged 21 and defending it multiple times until her untimely death. Although born in Russia to a Czech father and English mother, Vera lived in England from the age of 15 and became the strongest female player of the era whilst living in Hastings and London. The last major tournament to recognise Vera’s achievements was a 22-player norm tournament which took place in Maidstone in 1994 to commemorate the 50th anniversary of her death. Harriet Hunt will be the only player to have participated in both events, having scored a WIM norm in the original 1994 tournament. With the cooperation of the Czech Chess Federation and the Czech Embassy, the ECF’s Director of Women’s Chess Agnieszka Milewska and Director of International Chess Malcolm Pein are staging a high-level ladies norm tournament that will end on the 78th anniversary of Menchik’s death, caused by a German V1 rocket which landed near her home in Clapham. English Chess Federation will aim to create a memorial to Vera in Streatham cemetery, near to where she was cremated, to ensure a lasting memorial to the first Women’s World Chess Champion.
