Winners crowned at 21st European Union Youth Chess Championship
The 21st European Union Youth Championship in Kouty nad Desnou (CZE) culminated on Thursday, August 24. The last rounds saw a lot of intense battles as the winners were determined in all eight categories. In the category Boys U8, Atanas Taskov (BUL) took first place with a perfect score of 9/9, Jean Desfosses (FRA) finished second, and Kyriakos Skouroupathis (CYP) claimed bronze. In the category Girls U8, Karina Ser (LTU) emerged as the winner, Agathe Gastaldo (FRA) came second, and Melania-Cristina Grigore (ROU) took third place. Vladimir Sofronie (ROU) clinched the title in the Boys U10, silver goes to Paul David Peglau (GER) and Vojtech Velim (CZE) completed the podium. Aleksandra Pehlivanova (BUL) came out on top in the Girls U10, followed by Aida Paunescu (CYP) and Milda Alejunaite (LTU). Bastien Muller-Moingt (FRA) won gold in the Boys U12 category, Alexandru Ioan Constantinoiu (ROU) finished second, and Filip Ochedzan (POL) came third. Tamae Severina Jakubse (CZE) became the champion among Girls U12, Levanah Alcantara (FRA) took second place, while Charlene Ge (FRA) finished third. Louis Auribault (FRA) is the winner in the Boys U14 category, Daniel Ser (LTU) came second, and Mark Csernyik (HUN) is third. Bianca-Alexandra Ciocirlan (ROU) claimed the title in the category Girls U14, while Olivia Sekova (SVK) and Maria Ioanna Haapsal (EST) took silver and bronze respectively. The top three finishers in each category received a cup and diploma. Every participant of EUYCC got a medal. All eight champions EU are leaving Kouty nad Desnou with a notebook. The next five finishers, following the medalist in each category, also got valuable prizes. Every player got a T-shirt with the logo of EUYCC. The prizes were given by the director of the event Zdenek Fiala, together with the tournament director of ECU, Petr Pisk and the chairman of the Czech Chess Federation, GM Martin Petr. EU Youth Chess Championship 2023, under the patronage of the ECU, was organized by Sachovy klub Svetla nad Sazavou in cooperation with the Czech Chess Federation. Boys and girls played in the same tournaments but were ranked separately. The Championship brought together 100 players from 15 federations. All games were broadcast online. For all participants and accompanying persons, organizers had prepared chess and non-chess leisure time activities (simultaneous games with IM Pisk, blitz tournament, trips). On Tuesday morning, IM Petr Pisk gave a simul to 12 players, who had 30 minutes, and Petr Pisk had 40 minutes on his clocks. The experienced IM won by 8-4, but Hana Bartova (CZE), Kyriakos Skouroupathis (CYP) and Oliver Nieminen (FIN) won their games, while Vojtech Zvolanek and Petr Broz (both CZE) made draws. The organizers would like to thank all players for their performance and fair play, all parents and coaches for cooperation, arbiters for running the tournament and all cooperators for their work. Complete results Photos: official website Official website: chess.cz/mistrovstvi-evropske-unie/
FIDE World Rapid & Blitz Championships 2024 – Call for bids
1.1 The International Chess Federation (FIDE) will hold the World Rapid and Blitz Championships (R&B) and World Women’s Rapid and Blitz Championships (WR&B) in the second half of 2024 (see the Tournaments Regulations for World Rapid and Blitz Championship and World Women’s Rapid and Blitz Championship). 1.2 FIDE is opening a bidding procedure to invite any federation member of FIDE or any organiser approved by the national federation to host the event. The federation’s letter of support may be provided later, when the bid’s evaluation procedure is launched. 1.2 The bid may contain special proposals on financial and commercial conditions. The FIDE Council shall decide whether these conditions are admissible. 1.4 The Bidding Form shall be filled in by an Applicant. A signed copy shall be submitted as e-mail messages to the FIDE Secretariat to office@fide.com from 24 August to 25 September 2023 by 23:59 Lausanne time (FIDE has a right to extend this deadline). All the documents shall be submitted in English. Additional documents may be requested by the FIDE Global Strategy Commission (GSC) for further evaluation. 1.5 Bid Evaluation Report shall be presented by GSC for an approval of FIDE Council. Priority shall be given to an Organiser applying for both events – R&B and WR&B. 1.6 Once the Organiser is granted the right to organise the event, a relevant announcement shall be made on the FIDE website. FIDE Technical Delegate (FIDE TD) may be appointed at the same time to supervise the event on behalf of FIDE in consultation with GSC.