World Chess Composition, Solving Championships 2014 in Berne Aug 23-30

Hello chess blog friends, the 57th World Congress of Chess Composition and the 38th World Chess Solving Championship to be held from August 23-30, 2014 in Berne have been announced!

The Schweizerische Vereinigung der Kunstschachfreunde and the Organizing Committee "OK WCCC 2014", are hosting all delegates of the WFCC, national teams, individual chess solvers and composers and all those interested in problem chess, to attend the 57th World Congress of Chess Composition (WCCC) and 38th World Chess Solving Championship (WCSC).

The congress will be held in the Hotel Novotel Bern Expo, in Berne - Switzerland, part of the Novotel Hotel complex, from Saturday August 23rd (arrival) to Saturday August 30th (departure) with the Open Solving on Monday, August 25 and the WCSC on Tuesday and Wednesday, August 26 and 27.

The Hotel Novotel Bern Expo is a 4*-Hotel, located opposite the BERNEXPO exhibition center, the ice hockey stadium, the national horse riding center and 200 m from the Stade de Suisse (football stadium) and the Zentrum Paul Klee. There is a tram station right in front of the hotel, from where it only takes 7 minutes to the old city. The hotel features a restaurant, bar, Internet corner and free Wi-Fi in the whole hotel, private pay parking and a fitness center.

In the same Building there are two more Hotels, the Hotel ibis Bern Expo and the Hotel ibis budget Bern Expo.
Accommodation

Prices are payable in CHF:
double room
per person / daysingle room
per day
Hotel Ibis Bern Budget CHF 70 / ~€ 56 CHF 140 / ~€112
Hotel Ibis Bern Expo CHF 100 / ~€ 80 CHF 165 / ~€132
Novotel Expo Hotel CHF 120 / ~€ 96 CHF 200 / ~€160

These rates include accommodation with breakfast (including tourist tax and VAT), free Wi-Fi, free use of all trams and buses within Berne and all chess activities as well as the excursion. Please check back with us for kid's rates.
As for now, the closing banquet will be extra, but we are still working hard on this.
The participation fee for those not staying in the hotels is CHF 120 / ~€100 and includes registration, the excursion and participation in the solving tournaments.

The Novotel Expo Hotel offers rooms with one queen size double bed. A couch can be converted into a second queen size bed.
The Hotel Ibis Bern Expo has mainly double rooms, only two twin rooms are available, with an optional additional bed.
The Hotel Ibis Bern Budget offers both, double rooms (additional bed possible, but the room will be very small) and twin rooms.

Participants who want to share a twin room and do not have a roommate are asked to inform the organisers. 

Berne is situated in the heart of Western Europe, very well reachable by plane (from the international airports Zurich and Geneva, where there are direct train services to Berne; and Berne itself has a tiny international airport), trains from all over Europe and by car.

Activities
Berne and its vicinity have a lot to offer. Franziska will publish a few ideas for activities and excursion on the web site in the next months. Please check the web site in the future to obtain more information.

Sheridan Handloser has offered to lead a few walks in and around Berne if participants and particularly accompanying persons are interested.

Please send your reservation before June 30th 2014 to:
Email: wccc2014@kunstschach.ch
WCCC2014, Thomas Maeder, Frohbergweg 6, 3012 Bern, Switzerland

With your reservation you need to send the following information:
Your name and the names of all participants travelling with you
Arrival and departure dates
Name of the Hotel you prefer
Type of room (if applicable)
Type of payment (cash or credit card)

You will get confirmation of your reservation and we will forward your reservation to the hotels.

Official website

From Alexandra Kosteniuk's
www.chessblog.com
Also see her personal chess blog
at www.chessqueen.com
Don't miss Chess Queen™
YouTube Channel
 

RIP Hans Suri and Lucio Barvas - Strengths of the Swiss Chess World (Photos Updated)

Chess blog for latest chess news and chess trivia (c) Alexandra Kosteniuk, 2013

Hi everyone,

June 14, 2013 was a sad day for the chess world. Two leading figures of the Swiss chess world have left us. Hans Suri, Studen, has died at the age of 85. Lucio Barvas, living in Uster, has passed away at the age of 78. 

Memories to Inspire: 12th Women's World Chess Champion Alexandra Kosteniuk remembers strengths of the Swiss chess world Lucio Barvas (in photo) and Hans Suri.

GM Alexandra Kosteniuk and Lucio were always happy to meet at chess tournaments where Lucio was either arbiter, or newsletter editor, or internet transmission manager. GM Kosteniuk says, "I will greatly miss my dear friend Lucio."

Lucio Barvas Photios was well known in the chess world - particularly Switzerland and of course Biel. For many years, he remained the arbiter and newsletter editor of the international festival and also for the Swiss Championship (CSI). He was known nationally as Swiss representative of ChessBase, a position he held for two decades and earned him the nickname "Mister ChessBase". His love for computers started in the 80s, when he won the first official championship of computer correspondence, organised by the former Swiss working Chess Federation (FOSE).

Unforgettable Friends: 12th Women's World Chess Champion Alexandra Kosteniuk flanked by Hans Suri (Left) and Lucio Barvas.

The name of Hans Suri is inseparable from the Biel Chess Festival. He organised the event for the first time in the summer of 1968 in a small hotel. There was no looking back. Hans Suri remained the festival's director for three decades as the chess festival grew in stature and reputation. Today, the festival as an important part of the international calendar.

In 1976, 1985 and 1993, Hans Suri even brought the Interzonal tournament to Biel. To his great commitment, the Swiss Chess Federation of the time and his club SG Biel had elected him as a honorary member. After retiring from the tournament, Hans Suri has regularly played the tournament. He participated in the 45 th edition in July 2012.

Hans Suri in 1985 sitting next to Jan Timman and Timman's wife. Han Suri is speaking to Jean Py (hidden by Timman's wife).

We offer our deepest sympathy on the passing of Hans Suri and Lucio Barvas. We salute them for their contribution to the chess world and their great chess legacy. May their families find peace and comfort in knowing that their loss is felt by all who knew and loved him. May the Lord give strength to their families and peace upon the departed souls.

Hans Suri in 2011 - New Horizons into the Light

From Alexandra Kosteniuk's
www.chessblog.com
Also see her personal blog at
www.chessqueen.com
Don't miss Chess Queen™
YouTube Channel