PRESS RELEASE 17 Wednesday 4 February 2015

Minister for Tourism Samantha Sacramento ‘live’ on the Tradewise show

CAPTION: Tourism Minister Samantha Sacramento visits the main hall of the Gibraltar Masters for the first time. She showed interest in some of the top boards and here she is looking at the game between Natalia Zhukova (Ukraine) and TamirNabaty (Israel). Pic: Sophie Triay.

Gibraltar’s new Minister for Tourism Samantha Sacramento was shown round the Tradewise Chess Festival today by Organiser Brian Callaghan and Tournament Director Stuart Conquest. With Round 9 in full swing Ms Sacramento showed great interest in some of the top boards with our elite players.

This was her first visit to the competition proper. However, she already experienced the social side of the tournament last Saturday when she made the first move for the ladies team in the Battle of the Sexes.

CAPTION: Tourism Minister Samantha Sacramento is interviewed by Stuart Conquest live on our show from the Archie Suite.

Live on our web show she was interviewed by Stuart Conquest.

Ms Sacramento was impressed by the number of players in this tournament from all over the world.

As Minister for Tourism she said it was great to hear from everyone this week just how fantastic the tournament is and how different it is to other chess events.

“I have spoken to as many people as possible. With my new portfolio I am very interested and keen to see what their impression is, not just of the event itself and the wonderful location, but their comments on Gibraltar as a destination,” she said.

But she emphasised it was clear how everyone enjoyed this tournament and how it maintained its good reputation internationally.

CAPTION: Minister Sacramento is shown how young Andrea Henderson de la Fuente (with mum Pino) is analyzing her game after her morning session. Pic: Sophie Triay.

Ms Sacramento was particularly impressed with the technology used for the tournament and how it reaches out toso many thousands of chess players across the world.

Not a chess player herself she assured her visit had inspired to learn how to play the game.

Alice Mascarenhas, John Saunders and Leontxo Garcia, Tradewise Press Chess Officers

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Steve Connor, Webmaster.

All 2015 Tradewise Festival reports are also on our Facebook page. Follow us on Twitter @GibraltarChess #GibChess or @Stuthefox with TD Stuart Conquest.