The III Polish Clergy Chess Championship marked the first time a Championship was held in a seminary, the host location being the Higher Theological Seminary in Radom. The decision to hold the Championship in a seminary was made for several reasons, the main reason being that doing so provided an opportunity to familiarize Championship participants with the heart of the diocese, which is the seminary, as well as with the diocese itself. Other positive considerations were ease of accommodation, proximity of the seminary chapel, and the availability of classrooms for the games.

The Championship was opened by seminary vice-rector Fr. Jarosław Wojtkun, PhD. In warm words he addressed the gathered priests and drew attention to the many useful traits developed at the chessboard and relevant to day-to-day pastoral duties, traits such as patience, self-control, thoughtful analysis and perseverance to the end. He also expressed the hope the participants would have long-lasting pleasant memories of their time at the seminary.

These wishes were seconded by Fr. Janusz Smerda, economic director of the seminary and priest of Christ the Priest parish, who expressed the hope a daily mass in the seminary church would be spiritually strengthening and that the seminary atmosphere would promote peaceful participation in the championship.

Equipment for the games was organised by Fr. Sławomir Fundowicz, the chancellor of the Radom curia, who also shared with the tournament participants his experiences and achievements in working with young chess players in Makowiec near Radom.

After the official opening of the Championship the first round began and, at the end, Fr. Andrzej Kuzio from Bezmiechowa archdiocese of Przemyśl was in the lead. However, after the second round, Fr. Dariusz Kowalczyk SJ from Warsaw took the lead. But in the third round the current Polish Champion, Fr. Zbigniew Wądrzyk from Gdańsk, took the lead and he kept the lead until the end of the tournament, winning the championship with 9 points. Subsequent standings were: 2nd place - Fr. Dariusz Kowalczyk SJ from Warsaw, 7 points; 3rd place - seminarist Krzysztof Heba from the Higher Theological Seminary in Gościków, diocese of. Zielona Góra – Gorzów, 6 points; 4th place - Fr. Stanisław Bąk from Iwla, archdiocese of Przemyśl, 6 points; 5th place - Fr. Andrzej Kuzio from Bezmiechowa archdiocese of Przemyśl, 4.5 points; 6th place - brother Marek Bartoś of the Albertine Order in Cracow, 4 points; 7th place - Fr. Piotr Kubicz from Dzwola diocese of Sandomierz, 3.5 points; 8th place - Fr. Stanisław Dębowski from Kałków diocese of Radom, 2.5 points; 9th place - Fr. Jan Słoma from Cyców archdiocese of Lublin,1.5 points; and 10th place - seminarist Piotr Ogrodowiak from the Higher Theological Seminary in Gościków, diocese of. Zielona Góra - Gorzów.

On Tuesday afternoon, the championship participants met in a simultaneous exhibition with a candidate for the champion’s title, Mr Zygmunt Wielecki, ranking Elo 2281, who refereed the championship and to whom we express our profound gratitude. The result was +8, –1 for Mr. Wielecki, only seminarist Krzysztof Heba winning his match against Mr. Wielecki.

Later, the same day, after 7 p.m., Radom seminary seminarians familiarised the Championship participants with opportunities at seminary for spiritual, intellectual and physical development. At the conclusion of the seminary tour Fr. Stanisław Bąk jokingly remarked that he wouldn’t like to return to a seminary, unless it was to the Radom seminary. Clearly, the Radom seminary made a positive impression on everyone’.

On Wednesday, 7 July, as is the tradition at Polish Clergy Chess Championships, a fast chess tournament P’5 took place. After a fierce battle Fr. Zbigniew Wądrzyk became the Polish Champion with 7 points, the first runner up being Fr. Dariusz Kowalczyk SJ, with 6.5 points and the second runner up being Fr. Piotr Kubicz, with 6.5 points. They were followed by: 4th place - Fr. Stanisław Bąk, 6 points; 5th place - Fr. Stanisław Dębowski, 5.5 points; 6th place - brother Marek Bartoś of the Albertine Order, 4.5 points; 7th place - seminarist Krzysztof Heba, 3 points; 8th place - Fr. Jan Słoma, 3 points; 9th place seminarist Piotr Ogrodowiak, 2 points; and 10th place - Fr. Andrzej Kuzio, 1 point.

On Thursday afternoon, tournament participants visited the Sanctuary of Our Lady of the Świętokrzyski Land in Kałków - Godów. After several hours of visiting the sanctuary and accompanying sites, after praying in the sanctuary in front of the miraculous image of Our Lady of Sorrows, and after the farewell dinner, participants left this hospitable place with words of gratitude to the Custodian prelate Fr. Czesław Wala. On the way back the participants visited the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Mercy in Skarżysko Kamienna and, after praying in front of the image, they attended a concert by the Polonia children’s choir „Stokrotki” from Hamilton, Canada under the direction of Mr. Kazimierz Chrapka.

In this year’s Championship we welcomed new participants, at the same time regretting that some of the previous participants could not be there.

The Championship was held in an atmosphere of friendship and kindness, although understandably with some mild psychological tension due to each participant’s desire to achieve the best results.

The organizers and participants expressed their gratitude to the Board of the Radom seminary, to Ordinary Bishop of the Diocese of Radom Zygmunt Zimowski who allowed the championship to be held at the Radom seminary and, apart from the tournament itself, to their hosts for the opportunity to become familiar with the seminary and the diocese of Radom.

At the end, having received preliminary consent from the rector of the seminary of the diocese of Lublin, it was agreed the next championship tournament would be held in Lublin from 4 - 9 July 2005.

Fr. Stanisław Dębowski - Diocese of Radom