July 20 is the International Chess Day. The sixth FIDE President Kirsan Ilyumzhinov congratulated chess players and chess fans on this holiday:

“Dear friends! I am very happy that exactly 55 years ago UNESCO declared July 20 International Chess Day. Of all the sports holidays, only the International Chess Day has become an international and celebrated at the initiative of UNESCO holiday! I congratulate all chess players and chess fans on this wonderful celebration! Today, chess is played by millions of people in all corners of our planet, in all countries, and I wish that billions of people would play chess. The world needs smart people, and smart people need chess, not wars.

It is chess, I am sure, that will save the world. If the number of people playing chess in the whole world increases to at least a billion, then the critical mass of smart people will also increase. And the likelihood will increase that it is the smart ones who will be elected to parliaments, become mayors, presidents or kings.