From 1 – 8 May 2022, our first week for chess players 50+ took place. The Orthofer Guesthouse offered us a perfect ambience in wooded Eastern Styria. We were given a familiar welcome and spoiled with excellent food. The highlight was the gala evening with a five-course menu accompanied by wine.

In the morning, exciting competitions in tournament form were on the agenda. After a hard fight, Manfred Brod won ahead of Peter Bruhn and Leopold Smounig. It was nice to see how many participants became stronger day by day after a longer break from chess and found joy in tournament chess again.

The chess programme was rounded off by a clock handicap against the International Master Harald Schneider-Zinner, as well as lectures on Bobby Fischer’s games and game analyses from the tournament. Rapid chess and blitz chess were also on the programme.

In addition to chess, there was a varied leisure programme, so that accompanying persons also experienced a varied week. There was hiking, a visit to the beautiful Vorau Abbey and the world of forces in St. Jakob, a bridge course, a schnapps tournament (winner: Walter Hebenstreit), regeneration in the wellness oasis and celebrating together.

The date for next year is already fixed: 30.4. to 7.5. 2023 at Gasthof Orthofer: https://www.orthofer.at