Chess was one of the sports that kept going during COVID, but some of the important chess traditions, like handshakes, were banned. Also, to ensure safety, photographers were banned from attendig the events.

World Chess felt that it’s important to preserve the tradition. We produced miniature copies of the players of the Candidates Tournaments — they instantly became the stars of the show, always avaiable for a photo shoot.

This COVID-inspired innovation became a hit in the media and helped us all enjoy chess when most sports shot down.