Following several initiatives in the chess world, ChessVibes takes the one-time opportunity to ask your help for the victims of the recent earthquake in Haïti.

The website of the United States Chess Federation reports a simultaneous exhibition in Charlotte, NC at Myers Park High School, where people who donated to Haïti could play against FM Mike Klein. Over on The Chess Drum, there are several articles on the earthquake in Haïti. Editor Daaim Shabazz wrote to colleague chess journalists:

I met the Haitian team at the 2006 Olympiad and they were very genuine and were enthusiastic about chess. They missed the 2008 Olympiad because of a series of hurricanes. They had a small, but thriving chess community and a chess academy before the earthquake struck. Although FIDE has not made a personal statement of support, I would hope they will make some plea to help re-establish the community once things have stabilized. In the meantime, words of support and financial donations will help. I have been unable to make contact with anyone in the Haitian chess community thus far, but I’m still waiting to hear from several people.

Here at ChessVibes headquarters, too, we feel the situation in Haïti is so extreme that a little extra support won't hurt. Therefore, we ask all readers to make a donation to a relief organization.

For Dutch residents, we recommend a donation to Giro 555. For all others, we like The Red Cross and Partners in Health. If you're not sure what will happen to your money, whether it will be well spent and other such questions, this recent article on Slate may help you decide. Even though there currently is a lot of chaos in Haïti, help is more needed than ever - not just for now, but also in the future. As the Slate article says:

Much of the life-saving happens before the international agencies even arrive. While soliciting donations to help in the immediate aftermath of a disaster may be easier, funding ways for communities to respond to disasters and take efforts to reduce the risks of future disasters (e.g., hurricane awareness programs, flood warning systems) could save more lives in the long run.

We hope more chess players and chess sites will call for action and help the victims of the disaster in Haïti. Thank you for your support!