European team chess championship begins Nov 2

Chess blog for latest chess news and chess trivia (c) Alexandra Kosteniuk, 2011

Hi everyone,

One of the most-awaited team chess events is round the corner. The European Team Chess Championship will take place 2nd to 11th of November in Porto Carras, Greece. 38 countries participate in the open section, with 135 GMs and 175 titled players. The countries participating in the women section are 28, with 11 GMs, 40 WGMs, 27 IMs and a total of 123 players. You can access the official website for all the updates and right here at www.chessblog.com through the tournament. 

The European Team Championship will be held on the Swiss system in 9 rounds, with one open section and one section for the women’s teams, considered as separate competitions. According to ECU and FIDE rules, the time control will be 90 min for 40 moves + 30 min for the rest of the game + 30 sec increment for every move played starting from the first move.

The games of the European Team Chess Championships 2011 will take place in the Olympic Hall Congress Center (1500 sq. m.), within the 5-star Porto Carras Grand Resort. The luxury Porto Carras Grand Resort is situated in an enchantingly verdant landscape in Halkidiki, Greece.
Videos from the venue here

Past winners of the event

1957: USSR
1961: USSR
1965: USSR
1970: USSR
1973: USSR
1977: USSR
1980: USSR
1983: USSR
1989: USSR
1992: Russia
1997: England
1999: Armenia
2001: Netherlands
2003: Russia
2005: Netherlands
2007: Russia
2009: Azerbaijan

As seen above, up to 1992 the ETCC was always won by the ex-USSR but from 1997 the title has been won by other European countries as well: Russia, England, Armenia, Netherlands and Azerbaijan had all a “gold” title!

In the women’s event (it started in 1992) only Russia has won the title twice, and both of them in the last 2 events! All the past winners:

1992: Ukraine
1997: Georgia
1999: Slovakia
2001: France
2003: Armenia
2005: Poland
2007: Russia
2009: Russia

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From Alexandra Kosteniuk's

www.chessblog.com

Also see her personal blog at

www.chessqueen.com

Chess in the country of Our Lady of Meritxell!

Alexandra Kosteniuk's Chess News & Trivia (c) 2010

Footloose in Andorra

Hello Everyone,

There is a small country between France and Spain whose patron saint is Our Lady of Meritxell (Mare de Déu de Meritxell in Catalan). There's a Roman Catholic statue depicting an apparition of the Virgin Mary.

Our Lady of Meritxell is the patron saint of Andorra. The original statue dates from the late 12th century. However, the chapel in which it was housed burned down on September 8 and 9, 1972, and the statue was destroyed. A replica can be found in the new Meritxell Chapel, designed in 1976 by Ricardo Bofill.

We just received an email stating that Andorra is bidding for the European Team Chess Championship of 2013. You can check the Andorra chess federation website here. If Andorra gets to host the championships then it would become the first of the small states in Europe to host such a big event. That's nice.

The Andorra la Vella Congress Centre

The Government of Andorra is directly backing the event, which counts as well with the unwavering support from the Comú (City Council) of Andorra la Vella. The Plaza Hotels and the playing hall, the Congress Centre, will be located in the capital of the state.

Andorra la Vella Congress Centre is a modern building. Five-star hotels to accommodate players - Carlton Plaza, Crowne Plaza and Plaza - and a modern shopping centre are just nearby.

Imagining chess variations by the mountains.

If Andorra gets to host the event then players would be able to enjoy the nice weather in June, 2013. Andorra does not have an airport but you could go their via Barcelona International Airport. The Organising Committee will provide all tournament participants with shuttle buses for transfer from Barcelona to Andorra. It's an initiative like in 2009 during the Small European Countries Chess Olympics.

The bid will be officially presented during the Khanty-Mansiysk Olympiad.

Interesting.

IM Dan Zoeler had won the XXVIII Obert Internacional d'Escacs d'Andorra earlier this year in July. It was one of the strongest Opens in Europe.

You can find some nice photos of the tournament here.

From Alexandra Kosteniuk's

www.chessblog.com

Also see her personal blog at

www.chessqueen.com