Yahli Sokolovsky does not stop: the newly crowned European champion faces Israel's top chess players
Just after his impressive win at the European U20 Championship, the 19-year-old chess player from the Kiryat Ono club returns to the local scene and will take part in the Israeli Rapid Chess Championship, which will be held next week in Holon with a prize pool of 60,000 shekels. Sokolovsky: "I am coming with great motivation, I want to compete for first place."
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The next generation of Israeli chess — and the heir apparent to Boris Gelfand. After recording the greatest achievement of his career and winning the European U20 Chess Championship, Grandmaster Yahli Sokolovsky returns to the local scene.
The 19-year-old chess player from the Kiryat Ono club will participate in the Israeli Rapid Chess Championship, which will be held on September 3 and 4 at the Ariel Sharon School in Holon — a championship that will be another highlight in the event calendar of the Israel Chess Federation.
For the local audience, this will be an opportunity to see up close the newly crowned European champion competing against Israel's top chess players — this time in rapid games, where every decision on the board can change the picture within seconds.
19-year-old Sokolovsky arrives at the championship in excellent form and with significant momentum after winning the European Championship held just a week ago in Cetinje, Montenegro. The Israeli finished the tournament in first place with 7 points out of a possible 9, after five wins and four draws, finishing the championship undefeated.
The European achievement places Sokolovsky as one of the most prominent names in the young generation of Israeli chess. He arrived at the European Championship ranked first in the starting list with a rating of 2541, and finished it with a performance rating of 2584. Now he will try to translate that high form to the local scene, against Israel's top players and in a format completely different from classical chess.
The Israeli Rapid Chess Championship, which will be held in cooperation with the Israel Chess Federation and the Holon Municipality, will bring together grandmasters, international masters, and other leading players who will compete for the title of Israeli champion and a prize pool of 60,000 shekels. Unlike the classical time control in which Sokolovsky competed at the European Championship, in rapid chess each player will have 15 minutes, with an increment of five seconds per move — a format that requires quick decision-making, precision, and the ability to deal with time pressure.
For Sokolovsky, this is another opportunity to continue his professional momentum, just before the continuation of the season and the next tasks with the Israeli national team.
"I am happy to participate in the tournament. After winning the European Championship, I am coming to the competition in Holon with great motivation. It is a very fast-paced tournament where you have to make decisions and be focused at every moment, and I want to come and compete for first place against the top Israeli players," stated the 19-year-old Grandmaster.
