70-year-old Israeli Grandmaster Yehuda Gruenfeld Wins Two Gold Medals at the World Deaf Chess Championship

The 70-year-old Israeli grandmaster Yehuda Gruenfeld won two gold medals at the twentieth World Deaf Chess Championship in Spain. The athlete took first place in rapid and blitz disciplines and qualified for the 2027 Deaflympics in Austria.

The tournament took place during a political boycott: delegations from several countries refused to participate in the competitions because the Israeli national team participated in the event. Despite the pressure, the Israeli chess player outscored opponents from forty countries.

The multiple-time world and European champion confirmed the strong standard of the Israeli chess school. Evgeny Shevtsyuk added to the team’s success: he took bronze in his age category. Israel once again demonstrates strong results in sports, proving that age and external obstacles do not prevent athletes from taking first places in world championships.