July 20th Today is International Chess Day

The day is celebrated by many of the 605 million regular chess players around the world.^[5][6] A 2012 Yougov poll showed that "a surprisingly stable 70% of the adult population has played chess at some point during their lives".^[5] This number holds at approximately the same level in countries as diverse as the US, UK, Germany, Russia, and India.^[5]

- Source: Wikipedia : https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_Chess_Day

In 2019, the UN General Assembly unanimously adopted resolution 74/22 designating the 20th of July as World Chess Day. The resolution acknowledges the important opportunities offered by chess in the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the SDGs, such as strengthening education, promoting empowerment of women and girls, global cooperation and culture of peace through chess as an affordable and inclusive activity.

https://www.un.org/en/observances/world-chess-day

So to celebrate this years first World Chess Day - the UN are promoting an event for all to join - on Zoom:

The invitation can be found at : https://www.un.org/sites/un2.un.org/files/articlefile/invitation_to_high-level_virtual_event_in_observance_of_world_chess_day.pdf

Summary of details:

Permanent Mission of Armenia to the United Nations Invites you to the

High-level Virtual Event in Observance of World Chess Day “Chess for Recovering Better”

Date and Time: Monday, 20 July 2020, from 03:00pm. to 05:00pm. (BST)

VTC Platform: Zoom https://us02web.zoom.us/j/85170875457?pwd=WWRhV1pqZXdRSDlOV2cvd2xMRURBUT09

Meeting ID: 851 7087 5457 Meeting Password: 039563

On the Occasion of the Inaugural Commemoration of the World Chess Day 20 July 2020, ( all times converted to BST).

from 3:00pm. to 5:00 pm. (BST) Annotated Programme

03:05-03:20 Welcome remarks H.E. Mr. Mher Margaryan, Permanent Representative of Armenia to the UN Mr. Arkady Dvorkovich, President of FIDE

03:20 – 04:10 Panel discussion

Keynote address by Ms. Melissa Fleming, Under-Secretary-General of the United Nations for Global Communications

Mr. Viswanathan Anand, 15th World Chess Champion

Mr. Magnus Carlsen, 16th World Chess Champion (tbc)

Ms. Hou Yifan, 13th Women's World Champion

Mr. Levon Aronian, Two-time World Cup winner, three-time Olympic Champion, 4 th highest-rated player in history

Mr. Vladimir Kramnik, 14th World Chess Champion

04:10 – 04:30 Interventions by UN delegations and other stakeholders (speakers are requested to indicate their interest to take the floor in the Chat box of the Zoom portal or by using the “raise hand” function)

04:30 – 05:00 Q&A session and closing remarks