Historic Game: Israeli teen beats Iraqi teen in chess

Maariv ^ | 11/22/2004 | Asaf Zlinger

[yonif]

Translation from Hebrew to English by me

First competition held between Israel and the new Iraq: at the end of the week an Israeli teen faced off with an Iraqi teen in the world chess championship for teens.

Yisrael Caspi of 15, was able to beat Eibraheim Gilan the Iraqi in a competition held in Carteim.

On top of the final games there was no doubt that the game between the two brought much attention: "For me it was just a regular game but there was more excitement around me. It was important for me to play and I didn't think about politics," said Caspi at the end of the game.

Kaspi contined telling the story: "A few minutes before the game, the captain of our team shook hands with the Iraqi competitor and this was really the symbol that the game would occur. It didn't happen that I talked to him (the Iraqi teen), he just asked me my last name, and hardly shook my hand."

The Israeli chess organization looks at this game seriously and hope it is a symbol to what will come: "It is great to see that instead of fighting with missiles we are fighting an intellectual-sportish war, instead of soldiers with uniforms we have today soldiers of chess," said Yonan Boyim the head of the Israeli chess organization.

Boyim added: "If Sino-American relations started with ping pong, maybe the relations between us will thaw because of chess"

The game between the two countries is unusual because Arab countries demanded no games be held with Israel and postponed Israeli competitors from entering an international chess tournament last held in Libya.

[IAF ThunderPilot]

Myabe the Arabs are just jelious because the Jews are better in chess?

Libya jump me.

Iraq good luck!