Super girl

12-year-old Kfar Sava girl defeats 20 men (in chess tournament)
By Jack Khoury

Thousands of chess aficionados from all over the world learned something new this week. The games of the Israel International Championship in chess were broadcast on the Internet directly from the community center in Ma’alot-Tarshiha.

But chess fans around the world could not really see the Galilee panoramas. The Net cameras were focused mainly on the chessboards where the black and white pieces moved, but the organizers noted with satisfaction that the prestigious competition exposed the city to the entire world.

Rami Tal, the tournament’s organizer for the Israel Chess Federation, did not over the last few days conceal his excitement about the fact that the international competition was indeed taking place in an outlying area. Tal related that the last such tournament in this format held in Israel was 15 years ago.

“We’re used to international tournaments taking place in the center of the country, but it was no coincidence that Ma’alot-Tarshiha was chosen: The quiet character of the city, unlike the major cities in the center of the country, is suited to the nature of the game,” said Tal.

“And, anybody who followed the tournament over the Internet also happened to read about the place where it was being held, a city in the western Galilee where Jews and Arabs coexist.”

Here is the full story.