Located in Cadiz, an ancient port city in the Andalucia region of southwestern Spain, Alfil Invidente Chess Club promotes the game of chess – a board game whose history can be traced back nearly 1,500 years.
Alfil Invidente was founded on April 11, 2019, and this year celebrates its 5th anniversary. The club is dedicated to the idea of creating an inclusive chess place where people with any kind of disability feel welcomed. Led by the club’s President Mr. Antonio Joaquin Quintero Gemio, the club counts 80 members today, and regularly organizes different types of events. Among the distinguished members of the club are GM Damian Lemos from Argentina and IM Yasel Borges Ferias from Cuba.
One of the first things that the Alfil Invidente Chess Club developed was a chess school that gathered 40 students between the age of 5 and 81. The school now has 50 students who compete in different chess tournaments and achieve great results.
The chess school opens its doors from October to June, when the club organizes a celebration with various activities for children, parents and club members. Thanks to the activity of the club, the city of Cadiz got six street chess tables located on different sight points in the city such as: the city’s promenade, Brasil Street, Santa Maria beach, La Caleta, and PEPA bridge.
In the summer of last year, the Alfil Invidente Chess Club signed a collaboration agreement with Cadiz C.F. Football Club, introducing chess into the football world. At the Puerto Real camp organized by Cadiz CF, the members of the chess club got to meet new friends from another sport and share their experiences and knowledge. Recognizing the importance of the project, the Cadiz CF presented a commemorative plaque to the representatives of the Alfil Invidente.
On 4th of November, 2023, the club organized the 1st Gaditano Chess Open for players aged 5-16 at the Nuevo Mirandilla football stadium, with the participation of 100 kids. It was the first chess tournament ever organized at the Nuevo Mirandilla.
Among the other activities of the club in 2023, Alfil Invidente members went to Cadiz schools demonstrating that visually impaired persons can play chess. The Club also organized plenty of tournaments, such as Alfil-Canonazo which took place in August, Charity Christmas chess tournament where kids raised more than 50 toys, and the 2nd International City Chess Open of Cadiz which set a participation record with 118 players.
To present their work to the world, the Club developed a monthly digital Magazine which is completely free. The Magazine includes chess articles, games, photographs from chess events. The December 2023 edition came out with 218 pages and you can check it out through the link below.
Alfil Invidente – Facebook page
Ajedrez Alfil Invidente – Magazine December 2023
Detailed information about the club can be found here
