Chess legends Judit Polgar and Vladimir Kramnik have joined forces with Play Magnus Group to launch a new online tour designed to promote young talent and advance gender equality in chess.
The Julius Baer Challengers Chess Tour will feature some of the world’s top young male and female talent and is designed to address the lack of gender diversity in the sport head-on. According to FIDE, only 37 of the 1 735 international chess Grandmasters are women – but there is reason to feel encouraged: whereas in 2001 women accounted for only 6% of internationally rated players, today that number has surpassed 15%.
“For too long men have dominated the entries into top chess events. Not any more,” says Judit Polgar. The Hungarian Grandmaster, considered the strongest female chess player in history, remains the only woman to ever break into the top 10 global standings.
The new Tour will feature 20 players divided into two teams captained by Kramnik and Polgar along with a coaching staff that includes the current top-rated female player, Hou Yifan, the reigning Women’s World Champion, Ju Wenjun, and four other esteemed players and coaches.
Kramnik, who snatched the title of World Champion from Garry Kasparov at the turn of the century, believes the Julius Baer Challengers Chess Tour will feature many of the future chess elite in action.
“It is very special and meaningful to me that after many years and face-to-face battles across the chess board, Judit and I will be competing again as our teams go up against each other, helping the new generation of chess players reach the top,” says Kramnik.
The new Tour starts on April 8th and includes four tournaments leading up to a final which takes place from September 9th to 13th. The players will be competing for a prize pool of $100,000, as well as educational prizes and experiences.
The winner of each tournament in the Julius Baer Challengers Chess Tour will also earn a wildcard invitation to the next Meltwater Champions Chess Tour event, where they will get the opportunity to advance their game by competing against World Chess Champion Magnus Carlsen and other top players.
Julius Baer, the Swiss private bank that also supports the Meltwater Champions Chess Tour, is this new Tour’s title partner. Larissa Alghisi Rubner, Chief Communications Officer, Bank Julius Baer, said: “We are thrilled by this concept and fully support both advancing gender equality in chess and supporting rising stars in the game.”
On 26 January 2021, Play Magnus Group announced Judit Polgar would join the company as Educational Ambassador to promote chess in education and gender equality in the sport.
“Play Magnus Group and I are building a platform for young talent to bring the next generation of elite players into the spotlight. The Julius Baer Challengers Chess Tour will be full of drama and exciting chess. We hope you tune in to watch it!”
For further comments, contact:
- Andreas Thome, CEO, Play Magnus AS: [email protected]
- Arne Horvei, Tour Director, Play Magnus AS: [email protected]
About 2021 Julius Baer Challengers Chess Tour
The 2021 Julius Baer Challengers Chess Tour will, for the first time in history, promote an even balance of young male and female talent over a full competitive season of online chess. Beginning in April 2021, the Julius Baer Challengers Chess Tour features monthly tournaments culminating in a final in September 2021. The rising stars of chess will compete individually for teams captained by chess legends Judit Polgar and Vladimir Kramnik over a total of five tournaments of rapid chess. All games will be played online on www.chess24.com.
About Play Magnus Group
Play Magnus Group is a global leader in the chess industry focused on providing premier digital experiences for millions of chess players and students. The company offers e-learning and entertainment services via its market leading brands: chess24, Chessable, iChess, CoChess, New In Chess, the Play Magnus App Suite, and the Meltwater Champions Chess Tour. The Group’s mission is to grow chess to make the world a smarter place by encouraging more people to play, watch, study, and earn a living from chess.
About Julius Baer
Julius Baer is the leading Swiss wealth management group and a premium brand in this global sector, with a focus on servicing and advising sophisticated private clients. At the end of 2020, assets under management amounted to CHF 434 billion. Bank Julius Baer & Co. Ltd., the renowned Swiss private bank with origins dating back to 1890, is the principal operating company of Julius Baer Group Ltd., whose shares are listed on the SIX Swiss Exchange (ticker symbol: BAER) and are included in the Swiss Leader Index (SLI), comprising the 30 largest and most liquid Swiss stocks.
Julius Baer is present in over 20 countries and more than 50 locations. Headquartered in Zurich, we have offices in key locations including Dubai, Frankfurt, Geneva, Hong Kong, London, Luxembourg, Mexico City, Milan, Monaco, Montevideo, Moscow, Mumbai, São Paulo, Singapore and Tokyo. Our client-centric approach, our objective advice based on the Julius Baer open product platform, our solid financial base and our entrepreneurial management culture make us the international reference in wealth management.
For more information visit our website at www.juliusbaer.com
