XII Polish Clergy Chess Championship in Siedlce

Seminary building in Siedlce.

The XII Polish Clergy Chess Championships were held in a hospitable hall of residence in Siedlce from 8th to 14th July.

19 priests, seminarians and deacons participated in the championships, representing England, Ukraine and Poland. They represented the following dioceses: Radom, Warsaw, Sandomierz, Gdańsk, Przemyśl, Siedlce, Drohiczyn, Koszalin and Kołobrzeg, Lviv and Łowicz.

They also represented the following congregations: Pallotines, Conventual Franciscans, Reformist Franciscans and Jesuits. The grand opening of the XII Polish Clergy Championships was made by Mayor Wojciech Kudelski who, as is traditional, made the first move. Many distinguished guests arrived for the opening: the Diocesan Treasurer Prelate Dr. Kazimierz Niemirka, President of Mazowiecki Chess Federation Andrzej Dobrowolski, Sławomir Kurpiewski, a chess organiser in Siedlce, Fr. Marcin Olek - Director of St. Stanislaus residence hall in Siedlce, representatives of the Catholic Radio Podlasie and the Portal Podlasie24.pl.

The grand opening ended with coffee for all. The Championships were held under the patronage of: Cardinal Stanisław Dziwisz, Bishop Zbigniew Kiernikowski, Bishop Marian Florczyk - the Delegate of the Polish Episcopate for Sport, Fr. Edward Pleń - the National Sports Chaplain, Fr. Tadeusz Lament – the Diocesan Sports Chaplain for the Siedlce Diocese, Wojciech Kudelski – Mayor of Siedlce, Tomasz Delega – President of the Polish Chess Federation, Andrzej Doborowolski – President of the Mazowiecki Chess Federation, MP Grzegorz Schreiber - Chairman the Parliamentary Chess Team, MP Andrzej Mikołaj Dera, MP Tadeusz Cymański, MP Grzegorz Matusiak, Grandmasters Mr and Ms Bartosz and Monika Soćko, Granmaster Radosław Wojtaszek and Grandmistress Marta Przeździecka.

On the first evening, on Monday, 8th July we hosted the new President of the Polish Chess Federation Mr Tomasz Delega, who greeted the participants and encouraged every parish in Poland to have chess classes. He played a very long simultaneous game on 19 chessboards, which lasted from 20.00 to 1.30 at night. Three players managed to defeat him, six achieved a draw, and the President won with ten. The winners received souvenir cups of the Polish Chess Federation. The Polish Chess Federation funded a yearly subscription of “Mat” for the three best player of the XII Polish Clergy Chess Championships in classic chess.

On the third evening, on Wednesday, 10th July we hosted Polish Champion Grandmistress Monika Soćko, who also played a simultaneous game. Her results were: one draw with Fr. Stanisław Bąk and the other games won. It is worth noting that last year the same player Fr. Stanisław Bąk beat grandmistress Marta Przeździecka.

On the fourth day od the Championships we went to Warsaw to the Parliament to play a chess match the Clergy vs. MPs on 10 chesboards at speed 2 x 15 minutes. The Clergy beat the MPs 16 to 4. Małgorzata Adamczak, Grzegorz Matusiak, Piotr Chmielowski, Robert Mamątow, Marek Martynowski, Wojciech Zubowski, Grzegorz Schreiber, Zbigniew Girzyński, Grzegorz Czelej, Krzysztof Zarębski, Marcin Bapsda, Michał Girzyński were on the MPs’ team. Traditionally two tournaments P’5 and P’15 were played. Fr. Zbigniew Wądrzyk of the Gdańsk Archdiocese won the P’5 tournament, Fr. Andrzej Kuzio of the Przemyśl Archdiocese came second, while Fr. Konrad Dyrda also of the Przemyśl Archdiocese won the third place. The cups for the winners were funded by MP Tadeusz Cymański.

Whereas in the P’15 tournament Fr. Stanisław Bąk of the Przemyśl Archdiocese triumphed. Fr. Konrad Dyrda also of the Przemyśl Archdiocese was second and the third place was taken by Fr. Franciszek Grela of the Sandomierz Diocese.

The cups were funded by the Power Company in Siedlce. The Fair Play Cup was founded for the second time. The sponsor of this award was Mazowiecki Chess Federation. Fr. Piotr Kubicz of the of Sandomierz Diocese won this award. He played two longest games in one day: P15 tournament and at 23.00 he agreed to play the last round, due to the fact that his opponent had to leave at night for pastoral reasons.

Also, the cup for the most spectacular game was funded. It was funded by the “Penelopa” Publishing House represented by Mr Jerzy Moraś. This award was won by Fr. Stanisław Bąk of the Przemyśl Archdiocese and his opponent was Vice-champion of Poland, Fr. Zbigniew Wądrzyk of the Gdańsk Archdiocese.

For the first time there was a team classification. Classic, rapid and blitz chess results were included in the team classification. The two best results of the players were taken into account. The first place was taken by the clergy of the Przemyśl Archdiocese, the second place by the clergy of the Sandomierz Diocese, the third place of the Drohiczyn Diocese, the fourth of the Warsaw Archdiocese. The cups were funded MP Andrzej Mikołaj Dera.

We did not live on chess only during the Championships. Mayor of Siedlce Wojciech Kudelski invited us for a sightseeing trip around the town. He showed us the beauty of the town, sports facilities, churches, a library, schools and colleges, the lake and the White Room – the place of the meeting with the Holy Father.

On Wednesday we visited the Catholic Radio Podlesie, on Thursday the Parliament and on Friday the Diocesan Museum with the famous El Greco painting “Ecstasy of St. Francis”.

In the general classification in classic chess Fr. Stanisław Bąk of the Przemyśl Archdiocese Polish became Champion of Poland for the fifth time, the title of Vice-champion of Poland and second place was won by Fr. Zbigniew Wądrzyk of the Gdańsk Archdiocese. Third place was won for the third time by Fr. Andrzej Kuzio of the Przemyśl Archdiocese. The fourth place went to Fr. Piotr Kubicz of the Sandomierz Diocese, the fifth to the host Fr. Karol Jakubiak of the Siedlce Diocese, the sixth to a rookie, Professor of KUL Fr. Sławomir Pawłowski a Pallottine from Lublin, Grzegorz, the seventh to Fr Grzegorz Wiejak from Zamość, the eighth also to a rookie, seminarian Tomasz Moczulski of the Drohiczyn Diocese, the ninth to the creator and longtime organiser Fr. Stanisław Dębowski of the Radom Diocese. The tenth place was taken by Fr. Franciszek Grela of the Sandomierz Diocese, the eleventh by Fr. Konrad Dyrda of the Przemyśl Archdiocese, the twefth by Fr. Jan Kalenik of the Koszalin-Kołobrzeg Diocese. The thirteenth was Fr. Krzysztof Domaraczeńko of Drohiczyn Diocese, the fourteenth Fr. Robert Rembecki of Warsaw Archdiocese, the fifteenth Fr. Stanisław Gibziński from Portsmouth, UK representing the Warsaw Archdiocese, the sixteenth a rookie, Fr. Jan Mazur Jesuite from Częstochowa, the seventeenth seminarian Oleg Rybczak of the Lviev Archdiocese, Ukraine, the eighteenth Br. Kamil Szadkowski, the nineteenth a rookie, Fr. Zbigniew Przerwa of the Łowicz Diocese. The cups were sponsored by MP Grzegorz Schreiber, Chairman of the Parliamentary Chess Team.

Fr. Stanisław Bąk of the Przemyśl Archdiocese fulfilled the norm for chess category I, Fr. Stanisław Gibziński and Fr. Jan Mazur won chess category IV.

The XII Polish Clergy Chess Championships would not have taken place if they had not had benefactors and sponsors. On behalf of the Honorary Committee of the XII Polish Clergy Chess Championship we would like to thank benefactors and sponsors: Mr Wojciech Kudelski, Mayor of Siedlce, Mr Tomasz Delega, President of the Polish Chess Federation, Mr Andrzej Dobrowolski, President of the Mazowiecki Chess Federation, Mr Grzegorz Schreiber, Chairman of the Parliamentary Chess Team, MP Andrzej Mikołaj Dera, MP Tadeusz Cymański, MP Grzegorz Matusiak, Ms Monika Soćko and Mr Bartosz Soćko, Mr Radosław Wojtaszek, Ms Marta Przeździecka, editorial offices of: „Panorama Szachowa” „Mat” „Szachista”, sponsors: “Sebo Polska” company from Piaseczno, “Prema”, Power Company in Siedlce, publishing houses: „Rafael”, „Instytut Wydawniczy Pax”.

To all sponsors and benefactors of XII Polish Clergy Chess Championship: God bless you. The next XIII Polish Clergy Chess Championship will be held in Tarnów in 2014, XIV in Zamość in 2015, XV - Jubilee in Rzeszów in 2016.

The Patronage:

The Patronage of honour:

Mr. Andrzej Mikołaj Dera
Member of Parliament.




Mr. Tadeusz Cymański
Member of European Parliament.




Mr. Grzegorz Matusiak
Member of Parliament.




Mr & Mrs Socko,
Grandmasters.




Mr Radosław Wojtaszek,
Grandmaster.




Miss Marta Przezdziecka,
Woman Grandmaster.

The Media Patronage:

The Siedlce Weekly - www.tygodniksiedlecki.com





Szachista - chess magazine - www.szachista.com





Echo Katolickie - catholic weekly - www.echokatolickie





Catholic Radio Podlasie - www.radiopodlasie.pl





Portal Podlasie24 - www.podlasie24.pl





The Catholic Weekly Niedziela - www.niedziela.pl

Sponsors:

SEBO Poland
vacuum cleaners and polishers for sacred buildings.





Prema
Producer - Importer - www.prema.sklep.pl





The Electric Company in Siedlce - www.pec-siedlce.com.pl





The Rafael Publishing House - www.rafael.pl





Mr. Tomasz Delega,
the new President of the Polish Chess Federation.





Mr. Grzegorz Schreiber
Member of Parliament,
Chairman of the Parliamentary Chess Team.




Mr. Andrzej Mikołaj Dera
Member of Parliament.




Mr. Tadeusz Cymański
Member of European Parliament.




The PAX Publishing House - www.iwpax.pl





Echo Katolickie - catholic weekly - www.echokatolickie





The Pallotinum - The Publishing House of Pallotine Fathers - www.pallotinum.pl





The WAM Publishing House of Jesuit Fathers in Krakow
- www.wydawnictwowam.pl





The Destino Mexico - organizer of pilgrimages. www.destino.pl





The Diocese Publishing House and The Printing House in Sandomierz - www.wds.pl





CAISSA Chess Shop - www.caissa-chess.com.pl/shop





The Benedictine Publishing House in Tyniec
- www.tyniec.com.pl





The Publishing House and The Printing House of Sisters of Loretto - www.loretanki.pl/sklep





Norbertinum.
The Publishing House, The Printing House and The Bookshop - www.norbertinum.pl





The Publishing House of Redemptorist Fathers - www.homodei.com.pl





The ADAM Publishing and Printing House - www.oficyna-adam.com.pl





The Christian Publishing House „The Civilization of Love” - www.wcm2006.com.pl





Religious online bookstore - The gloria24.pl - www.gloria24.pl





The Publishing House Penelopa - www.penelopa.pl





Conservative T-shirts Wielka Wola - www.wielkawola.pl





RAJMEDIA PORZEZINSCY S.J. - www.rajmedia.pl





Christiana Dabrowscy - www.christiana-dabrowscy.com





The Serpone Polska - Vestments and Sacred Vessels etc. - www.sakro.pl





Pope John Paul II Institute - www.ipjp2.pl





P. H. Jakobczak.
Vestments and Sacred Vessels etc. Czestochowa www.jakobczak.pl





W drodze.
The Dominican Publishing House in Poznan - www.wdrodze.pl



              www.milujciesie.org.pl

The AGAPE Publishing House - www.agape.org.pl





Publishing House: Światło - Życie - www.wydawnictwo-oaza.pl





The FIDEI Publishing House - www.fidei.pl