ECU BOARD MEETING BATUMI 2018 – INFORMATION AND DECISIONS

The 1st European Chess Union Board meeting in 2018 took place on the 26^th and the 27^th of March in Batumi, Georgia, after the kind invitation of the Georgian Chess Federation. The meeting was held under excellent conditions in the hotel Sheraton during the European Individual Chess Championship 2018.  The President of the Georgian Chess Federation, Mr. Giorgi Giorgadze, opened the meeting and welcomed the ECU Board in Batumi.

Main information and decisions:

1. ECU Board approved the financial results and the closing of the year 2017. The income for 2017 was the highest ever for the European Chess Union while the organization’s reserves funds increasing annually.
2. ECU signed a contract with the UK based company “ChessPlus,” concerning training services for chess teachers and related Educational chess material.
3. The deadline of the bidding procedure for the ECU official championships is the 30^th of April 2018.
4. A budget of 30.000 € was approved for the ECU Educational Commission and its actions.
5. ECU Board and the Faroese Chess Federation will organise the European Small Nations Individual Chess Championship 2018 from 13^rd to 23^rd of April.
6. ECU Board have been informed and approved the ECU Smart Kids projects.
7. An invitation will be sent to the National Federations for partnership in the upcoming Erasmus applications.

The ECU Board invites the European National federations:

1. To send their proposals for arbiters for the 43^rd Chess Olympiad till the 30^th of April 2018.  The European Chess Union had the right to propose to FIDE up to 15 arbiters for the 2016 Chess Olympiad in Baku and similar number is expected and for this year, thus  the proposals coming to the European Chess Union should be for no more than one arbiter per federation.
2. To submit proposals for the organisation of the European Fischer Random Championship in a classical time control.

The ECU Board and European National Federations representatives visited the Olympic venue and were informed about the constructions and preparations for the upcoming World Chess Olympiad in Batumi.

 On 28^th of March, the Turkish Chess Federation invited Georgian Officials and representatives of the ECU Board for a business lunch with the Turkish General Consul in Batumi, Ms. Makbule Koçak.