Press release, 13 March 2013
On 9 March 2013, the Seimas hosted the traditional chess competition the Seimas Cup 2013 to commemorate the 23rd anniversary of the restoration of Lithuania‘s Independence. Almost 200 chess players took part in the tournaments.
The Seimas Cup 2013. Photography by Edita Tarvydaitė
Vydas Gedvilas, Speaker of the Seimas, and Kirsan Ilyumzhinov, President of the World Chess Federation (FIDE), welcomed the participants of the competition. Welcome speeches were also delivered by Āris Ozoliņš, President for FIDE Zone 1.7 (the Baltic States), and Aleksandras Černovas, President of the Lithuanian Chess Federation.
During the opening of the event, Kirsan Ilyumzhinov, President of FIDE, awarded Honourable certificates of Recognition for outstanding efforts in the promotion and development of chess to Prof Vytautas Landsbergis, Member of the European Parliament and Signatory to the Act of Independence, and to Česlovas Juršėnas, Signatory to the Act of Independence.
Jaan Ehlvest, Estonian grandmaster, who currently represents the United States, won the adults’ tournament. He was awarded the rotating trophy of the Seimas Cup. Tomas Laurušas gave the best performance of all Lithuanian players and took second place, while Dana Reizniece-Ozola, Latvian grandmaster and Member of the Latvian Parliament, came in third.
The event also featured team, children and junior as well as the giant chess tournaments.
The competition was organised jointly by the Office of the Seimas of the Republic of Lithuania, Lithuanian Chess Federation and Lithuanian Amateurs Chess Federation. The results of all the tournaments are available at www.lrs.lt/seimotaure.
Saulė Eglė Trembo, Public Relations Unit, phone +370 5 239 6203, e-mail: [email protected]
