'Gelfand's example could turn Israel into chess empire'

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Culture and Sport Minister Limor Livnat met runner-up world chess champion and grandmaster Boris Gelfand on Sunday, one week after the end of his dramatic match against reigning world champion Viswanathan Anand.

Gelfand lost the match, which took place in Moscow, only after consistently keeping pace with Anand for the first 12 games of the match and three additional playoff games.

Upon meeting Gelfand, Netanyahu remarked, "Between [government] meetings, I watched your games in an adjacent room. I am sure that many Israelis are proud of your achievements and many more Israelis now love the game of chess. Israel is an intellectual power and chess is an intellectual game. With help from people like you, we will turn Israel into a chess empire."

Gelfand, who played against Netanyahu, said the championship had helped raise the level of international interest in the game and the fact that an Israeli player made it to the finals boosted Israel's honor.

"It's important that we continue to develop this sport and initiate international competitions so that Israeli players will get the recognition they deserve," Gelfand said.

Netanyahu responded, "I am sure that the ability to play the game helps one's ability to make important decisions in other areas as well."

Livnat, who attended the meeting as well, told Gelfand: "Even though you didn't win the championship title, to us you are still a champion. You made a huge contribution to raising public awareness of the sport in Israel and we can definitely say that you placed the sport on the map."

Livnat was referring to a remark made by the famed Israeli basketball player Tal Brody after guiding the Maccabi Tel Aviv club to a win at the European Champions Cup in 1977. After the game, Brody told reporters, “We are on the map, and we are staying on the map."

At the meeting with Gelfand, Livnat said her ministry would invest NIS 1 million ($256,000) in dozens of chess clubs throughout the country. The investment, she said, was in addition to the NIS 1.2 million ($307,000) already granted to the game jointly by the Sport and Culture Ministry and the Israeli Commission for Sports Gambling.

טעינו? נתקן! אם מצאתם טעות בכתבה, נשמח שתשתפו אותנו