Anahuac University: One of the Top 8 World Best Chess Teams

Our University teachers stood out at the first World Corporate Chess Championship.

In February 19-21, 2021, the first World Corporate Chess Championship took place with 286 participating teams. Anahuac University in Mexico City was among the top 8 teams in the competition and the first one of the Americas.

The University team included the International Master Oscar Sánchez, Official Coach at Anahuac Mayab University on the first board. The second board was led by FIDE Master Isaac Garcia, from the south campus. The third board featured the International Master Pablo Della Morte, coach at the north campus. The fourth board was led by Woman FIDE Master Paulina Carreras, Professor of the Chess Workshop on several campuses; and the International Master Zenia Corrales, as substitute.

It is important to say this is the first time that the chess team coaches participate as players on behalf of Anahuac University in a competition, which was broadcasted live on the University official sites and with students as commentators.

It was a very fun time for students, because for the first--and perhaps only one--they were able to judge the movements of their teachers. As they said, it was impossible to express something negative about their teachers as the coaches took the opportunity to show them how to win a world championship.

During the first two days of the tournament, the 286 teams were divided into eight groups. Only the best of each group could classify for the final matches, which took place on Sunday, February 21st, 2021. This first stage of the competition involved a six-round Swiss tournament with three games a day. Anahuac was part of the West A group, for companies in the Americas, including US Microsoft, and Amazon Canada.

The winner of the Swiss tournament would be the team getting the highest score after adding the victories or draws of all the members. Teams get a point if they win, half a point if they draw, and zero points if they lose. Our University ended the first day of the competition with seven wins, two draws, and two loses, resulting in nine points. With this result, the Mexican team achieved the fourth place, got the second place with other three companies and got half a point less than Microsoft, the first place.  

On the second day, nevertheless, everything was different: coaches showed their students a winning attitude and achieved 12 out of 12 points. In other words, they lost no game and beat the rivals round after round, with no tie. Anahuac University in Mexico City won the championship of the Americas and classified for the quarter-finals.

On Sunday, the competition modality switched to direct matches and the loser was eliminated. Only the team that added more points (4-1, 3.5-1.5, 3-1 or 2.5–1.5) classified for the next round. In case of tie (2-2), they would play an Armageddon tiebreaker game. Anahuac competed against the German company Grenke Bank, represented by a Grandmaster, a Woman Grandmaster, and two International Masters. After four very difficult and close games, the Germans won 2.5-1.5 and the Mexican team needed half point more to reach a tie and classify for the next stage.

After this lose, the University was unable to continue in the championship, and the German company won the World Championship after winning the next two games. Anahuac only lost to the first place of the competition and, no doubt, had a great performance.

We highlight the participation of the International Master Pablo Della Morte, who won all his games and was the best third board of the 286 teams that joined this international tournament. He considered that playing the championship on behalf of Anahuac and Mexico was a great experience. “This is the first time that teachers have been able to represent the University as players and it was a great satisfaction to have contributed to this achievement by winning all my games,” he concluded.  

*Collaboration of Sheila Rodríguez Silva, student of the University chess team.