Rabbi Yehuda Greenfeld secured an impressive nine points, finishing the tournament undefeated.

By Pesach Benson, TPS

In a triumph for Israeli chess, Rabbi Yehuda Greenfeld clinched the title of World Champion for the Deaf in Belgrade on Sunday.

“The importance of the win intensified in light of October 7 and therefore the desire to put Israel on the map,” said Greenfield.

“The atmosphere here is good, Israelis are treated well. There are no manifestations of antisemitism in Belgrade, unlike other places in Western Europe,” he added.

The competition saw 38 participants from 20 different countries vying for the title. Competing over 11 rounds, Greenfeld secured an impressive nine points, finishing the tournament undefeated.

“This is a huge and impressive achievement by all accounts that continues to place the Israeli chess players at the top of the world. The achievement is intensified in a challenging and complex period that the State of Israel has experienced since October 7,” said Dr. Tzvika Barkai, chairman of the Israel Chess Federation.

Born in Poland, Greenfield lost his hearing at the age of six months due to antibiotic treatment.

In 1957, Greenfeld and his family immigrated to Israel from Poland as part of the “Gomulka Aliyah,” a small wave of Jewish immigration that took place from 1956-1960.

During that time, Poland’s Communist government allowed around 50,000 Jews to move to Israel.

The victory was particularly significant for the 68-year-old Grand Master, who was unable to defend his title at the Winter Olympics for the Deaf held in Turkey in March.

In October, Israel’s National Security Council advised Israelis in Turkey to leave immediately because of the country’s anti-war demonstrations.

In May, Israeli officials barred a wrestling delegation from competing in an Olympic-qualifying tournament in Istanbul, ending the team’s hopes of competing in the Paris Olympics in August.

“Yehuda’s enormous achievement only proves that we have world-class chess players here. Congratulations to Judah and the rest of the Israelis participating in the World Championship. The achievement is entirely dedicated to the State of Israel and the abductees who are in Gaza and our integration with them every moment,” said Shawn Levitan, chairman of the Israel Chess Association’s Handicap Committee.

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The International Chess Foundation currently ranks Levitan as the 5,098th best active player in the world.

By JNS

Caleb Levitan, an eighth-grader at King David High School Linksfield in Johannesburg, has set a new record, becoming the youngest person to make the elite chess team representing South Africa at the Chess Olympiad global tournament to be held in Budapest this September.

At the South African Closed Chess Championships of a dozen players from March 25 to April 2, the 13-year-old came in second, securing his spot on the team. He was likewise the youngest person ever invited to the competition.

His father, Shaun Levitan, said his son’s rating “puts him somewhere close to the top five in the country. With the benefits of this tournament, I think the rest of the country has seen just how strong he is.”

He added that “for Caleb, this was really his first experience of playing in such a senior competition and to finish second says a huge amount not only about his talent but his ability to play under pressure.”

He also noted that his son’s school has been accommodating of the competitions, which inevitably cause absences. “King David has been exceptionally supportive,” said Levitan. “He leads a dual lifestyle of being good enough to compete with the men’s team in South Africa in chess, but still has to go back and catch up with science and isiZulu.”

The International Chess Foundation currently ranks Levitan as the 5,098th best active player in the world and the 47th best on the African continent, bestowing upon him the title of “master,” the third-highest title that the sports body endows to the most advanced players.

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