The Association “Živojin Mišić“, in cooperation with the Military Academy and Military Grammar School, has successfully implemented the seventh tournament under the title of “ New Hopes of Chess 2019“!
Over 130 chess players had the chance to win first three places in five categories on April 7th, 2019. There were among them the teams of preschoolers, children aged up to 14 who played in a team tournament of cities, children aged up to 18, Serbian Army, IT companies and chess amateurs.
Before the opening ceremony, the children competing in the city team tournament had the opportunity to visit the Military Academy with the representatives of the Association “Živojin Mišič“.
The host at the Military Academy was Lieutenant-Colonel Dr Davorin Mikluc who has been helping in the implementation of the tournament for years and who, with the teachers at the Academy, showed the children what the schooling at the Military Academy looked like, introduced them to the capacity, gyms, mechanical engineering offices, military vehicles.
Second Lieutenant Filip Nikolić solemnly opened the tournament “New Hopes of Chess“. He addressed competitors, representatives of the chess association, grand masters, mass audience and greeted the actors of the Military Academy, Andreu Ržaničanin and Đorđe Stojković, who have supported the tournament this year as well and played the match with the youngest participants of the tournament. Second Lieutenant Nikolić expressed gratitude on behalf of the Association “Živojin Mišić“, to a team of the children from Kosovo and Metohija, who have managed to come this year to compete in the tournament.
This year we have had the opportunity to host, beside the team from Kosovo and Metohija, the chess teams from Niš, Novi Sad, Kosovska Mitrovica, Novi Banovci, Paraćin, Kragujevac, Zemun and New Belgrade.
The choir of a preschool institution “11. april“ sang traditionally the anthem about chess, which they had composed by themselves, under the title of “Šah je prava čarolija“ (Chess is real magic). This anthem has traditionally been sung for years at the opening of the tournament “New Hopes of Chess“. The audience joined the youngest and together they applauded and sang the anthem.
On behalf of the Serbian Army, which was also the host of the chess manifestation, apart from the Association, Lieuteunant-Colonel Dr Davorin Mikluc gave all competitors warm welcome, wished them good time full of the intellect of a child. Once more he expressed gratitude to the children who had come to visit the Military Academy and all attending such an important ceremony and wished that the joy of children and chess won that day!
At the opening ceremony Lieutenant-Colonel Veljko Bućković also addressed the audience, the officer who has been with “New Hopes of Chess“ since their beginning.
Ivona Jovanović, the coordinator of the Association “Živojin Mišić“ addressed the audience and looked back on the foundation of the Association “Živojin Mišić“ and the year 2013 when Mr Vladimir Prelovac, the founder and head of the Association, and also a team of employees decided to invest part of the profit of the then “Devana“ company in entrepreneurship and education through the projects of the Association, in other words – to invest in our young people and chess as one of the oldest strategic games.
She also pointed out that at the competition “New Hopes of Chess“ we had the opportunity to be judged by the best referees in Serbia and in the world. She especially thanked Nebojša Baralić who is most credited with the implementation of the tournaments for seven years in a row and for their being better from year to year.
After a rapturous applause, the vocal and instrumental ensemble of Military Grammar School “VOGI“ introduced itself to us, formed by the students of the 43rd class of the Military Academy and we had the opportunity to listen to Marko Živković and Ilija Vujković. They presented us a song by Milutin Popadić under the title of “Odakle smo došli“ (From where did we come).
The first chess move was made by Lieutenant-Colonel Dr Davorin Mikluc and Ivona Jovanović and thereby the tournament “New Hopes of Chess“ had been opened solemnly for the seventh year in a row.
The team city tournament of children aged up to 14 was played according to Berger's system – each team fought against all other teams. The winning team travelled to Niš. They were more successful than two Belgrade teams from New Belgrade and Zemun.
The tournament up to 18 gathered 10 competitiors who competed according to Berger's system in nine rounds. FIDE chess master Miloš Milošević won first place with 8 points. Second place was won by Marko Milovanović with 6 points same as third-placed Miloš M. Stanković.
After the five-year competition of military teams, it has been played in individual competition in the past two years. 34 competitors fought for the “Trophy of Duke Živojin Mišić“, a renowned Serbian army leader. Uncompromising fights from the first round until the last one, the eleventh. The trophy was given to Lieutenant-Colonel Davor Mikluc who won with maximum points – 11 points from 11 games of chess. Lieutenant Tomislav Radivojević won second place with 9 points same as third-placed under-sixteen Ilija Bulatović.
Six programmer teams have accepted the invitation to take part in the fifth tournament of IT companies. Two members in a team according to the rule everyone with everyone. MICROSOFT 1 was the best (grand master Bojan Vučković and Andrija Jandrlić“, the second-placed was ENDAVA teamed by Dušan Dimitrijević and Vladan Konstantinović, which has been the most successful company in the past four years. The team KVANTOKS (Aleksandar Kostić and Bojan Ivanac) won third place.
All participants of the tournament “New Hopes of Chess“ received valuable presents and the best ones were given the awards in the form of trophies, medals, certificates, books about Živojin Mišić, chess equipment and literature...
You can see all results here.
We thank the Central Military Club of Serbia, Military Academy and members of Military Grammar School for cooperation. In addition, we owe gratitude to Second Lieutenant Filip Nikolić, actors of the Military Academy, Andrea Ržaničanin and Đorđe Stojković, preschool institution “11. april“, Lieutenant-Colonel Veljko Bućković, vocal and instrumental ensemble of Military Grammar School “VOGI“, referees with Nebojša Baralić at the head and all fellow workers and friends who make this tournament special.
Take a look at more photos here.
