Terror strikes near home
In a world that seems to have gone mad, it was yet another act of terror that has almost left us numb after so many in succession. Gunmen had entered the Olympia mall in Munich, killing eight. The laws of probability said that even chess might someday become a casualty and today seemed like that day might have come as a massive chess event took place right there expecting over ten thousand children.
Terror strikes near home
The round of Bilbao had finished already when a Skype message came from Nakamura telling me he had heard via Italian TV a chess event had been running in the mall where the tragedies were taking place.
At first I thought that was ridiculous. What event? I am up-to-date on the chess events, and then remembered the obvious: there is a lot more happening in the chess world than elite tournaments, something we can all too easily forget as we follow the big names on Playchess.
I contacted Holger (Lieske) the sysop of Playchess and friend, about it. He quickly dug up the truth, and I was stunned. It was far worse that I had ever imagined. More than 10 thousand children were expected to partake, and Friday would easily be one of the biggest draws with the greatest crowds.
Read the complete report by Albert Silver here.