Flash Chess Tournament in cooperation with ASD Laboratorio Scacchi at Elettra

On the occasion of 30 years since the first electron accumulation and first experiment, Elettra Sincrotrone Trieste in collaboration with ASD Laboratorio Scacchi hosted a “flash” chess tournament, in which players of all ages faced each among the beamlines in the exhibition hall of Elettra.

Before the tournament, players and accompanying persons were welcomed by Dr Giuseppe Maria Penco, Head of Operations at FERMI, who explained how synchrotron light is generated, its fundamentals and the main applications. The guests continued their tour on two experimental stations, illustrated by Dr Nicola Sodini, SYRMEP researcher, and Dr Michele Zacchigna, from the IOM-CNR laboratory.

After the visit, master Augusto Caruso of the Chess Laboratory called the start of the tournament with the usual "white is on the move!" formula: the 40 players, including some Elettra and FERMI researchers, divided into beginners and experts, had 5 minutes (+ 3 seconds bonus per move) to checkmate their opponent. The tournament took place over 7 rounds and the games were broadcast live in the conference hall, so that the participants' accompanying persons could follow them in real time.