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Communique of the ECU Board Meeting – CL No.1/2023

ECU Board

The second quarterly meeting of the ECU Board was held in Rhodes, Greece, on April 21 and 22. The Municipality of Rhodes hosted the event under excellent conditions. ECU expresses its thanks and appreciation to the Mayor of Rhodes, Mr. Andonis Cambourakis. The opening of the meeting was attended by the FIDE and Greek Chess Federation Vice President Mr. Georgios Makropoulos

Main information and Decisions:

  1. The ECU Board has decided to form a group to to develop a proposal to update the FIDE Transfer Rules for players in coordination with the respective FIDE Task force. The ECU Board is considering the following:
    a. strengthening the national chess federations,
    b. motivating them to develop programs for talented players at the national level,
    c. the harmonisation of the FIDE rules with the transfer rules of the major International Sports federations.
  2. The ECU Board discussed the next qualification cycle for the World Championship Cycle 2024-2025 and will send its proposals to FIDE.
  3. ECU Board has decided to further explain and strictly apply the ECU Fair Play Policy through special webinars and guidelines for European Chess Championships for technical officials and players. ECU Fair Play regulations: https://www.european-games.org/side-events/chess/
  4. Parallel to the Board meeting the ECU Media Commission made its first meeting in person, presenting new marketing initiatives and a modern approach to the ECU media strategy.
  5. ECU notes the proposals of ECU Trainers Commission and the new developments and sunergies. Proposals to be included in the ECU tournament rules will be forwarded to ECU General Assembly.

European Championships and events

  1. The European Pairs Chess Championship will be launched in Krakow on 19th of June, as an official side event of the European Games Krakow-Malopolska 2023. The European Games is the major event of the European Olympic Committees. https://www.european-games.org/side-events/chess/
  2. European Chess Union and the ASEAN Chess Confederation are co-hosting a chess symposium for Trainers, Arbiters and Organizers on June 19-24 in Bangkok, Thailand.
  3. The option for The European Women Rapid and Blitz Chess Championship 2023 is awarded to the Monaco Chess Federation to be held on 8-10 December 2023. Monaco shall confirm the event within May.
  4. The European Union Youth Chess Championship 2023 will take place in August in Czech Republic, as an ECU affiliated event.
  5. The European Amateur Chess Championship 2023 in Sardinia, Italy was cancelled. Turkish Chess federation express its interest to organize it. ECU will have a final information till end of May. The dates and venue for the European Amateur Championship 2023 will be announced as soon as possible.
  6. ECU Board decided to reschedule the venue and dates of European Youth Rapid & Blitz Chess Championship 2023.  The tournament was initially scheduled for June 2023 in Bosnia & Herzegovina. The dates and new venue will be announced as soon as possible in cooperation with a National Chess federation.

    ECU Board additional notes that have lost any official communication with the Bosnia & Herzegovina Chess Federation and FIDE will be addressed whether there is a legitimate chess administration in the country has been elected by a recent (last years) General Assembly.

Bids have been received for the year 2025-2026

The following European Chess Championships have sole bidders and are awarded by the ECU Board conditionally that an inspection will be made where needed to confirm the eligibility of the venue as also that all main financial conditions are met.

  1. The European Amateur Chess Championship 2025 is awarded to Malta.
  2. The European Youth Rapid Blitz Chess Championship 2025 is awarded to Thessaloniki, Greece.
  3. The European Teams Chess Championship 2025 is awarded to Batumi, Georgia.
  4. The European Women’s Individual Chess Championship 2026 is awarded to Batumi, Georgia.
  5. The European Individual Chess Championship 2025 and the European Club Cup 2026 are awarded to Budva, Montenegro as a combined bid.
  6. The European Women Individual Chess Championship 2025 and the European Youth Chess Championship 2027 are awarded to Rhodes, Greece as a combined bid.
  7. All the valid bids received by the deadline of 14th of April and the events remain still open for proposals are published on the ECU Website: https://www.europechess.org/bids-2025/

 Sincerely,
 Theodoros Tsorbatzoglou
 ECU Secretary General

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