“Chess4All”, Israel’s leading chess club, launched their “Chess4Solidarity” tournament, hosted in honor of The International Day of Tolerance, which was on Tuesday this year.
Over 500 people from all around the globe participated in the chess tournament, which was held virtually.
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization holiday is meant to raise public awareness of the dangers of intolerance.
UNESCO’s Public Information director, Matthieu Guevel, issued a statement to project manager Lior Aizenberg, saying that “This is a very positive intercultural dialogue initiative, combining the spirit of competition and civilized fight of one of the oldest and most sophisticated games in the world, with a call for dialogue and mutual understanding."
"Please convey to Mr. Lior [Aizenberg] the appreciation and support of UNESCO,” Guevel declared.
The tournament also drew praise from local Israeli officials, such as Foreign Minister Yair Lapid, who said that “your presence here today is a testament to how, through culture, sports and friendly competition, we can build bridges between people and maintain a world that is safer, more prosperous and more tolerant," in a video uploaded to Facebook.
"Chess4All" operates a network of chess schools and is considered to be one of the leading chess clubs in the country, according to its website. It offers an array of chess-related activities for people of all ages.
Aizenberg, project manager of the Chess4Solidarity tournament, is proud of the success and recognition of the event. “We have been working around the clock for the past year and a half to connect Israel to the world through chess, promote solidarity and tolerance, and tell the story of Israel that is similar to ours.”