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Last update: Friday June 3, 2005 9:44
1. Opening
President Boris Kutin welcomed the delegates and ECU Board Members. He expressed his special greetings to FIDE Deputy President Georgios Makropoulos and FIDE Executive Director Emmanuel Omuku. He thanked the Hungarian Chess Federation and the ad-hoc committee Chairman Peter Rajcsanyi for their invitation and for the good preparations.
In general, he is satisfied with the results of the work of ECU during the last four years. Looking to the future, ECU needs more professionalism in its work.
Georgios Makropoulos pointed out that there were a lot of activities within ECU and that ECU has very good relations to FIDE. ECU has reached a satisfied level and has the chance to grow up in the future. All Board Members did a good job and the European federations should support their ideas.
Emmanuel Omuku gave his greetings and wish a successful meeting.
Boris Kutin said that ECU will go its own way within FIDE and together with FIDE. Financial problems coming from the past should be solved and a new way should be found.
Horst Metzing started with a roll call: from 53 federations 22 were present, and in addition 10 proxies, altogether 32.
2. Change of Statutes
As a motion of the ECU Board, Art 1.1 of the ECU Statutes should be changed
as follows:
“… and has its seat in Lausanne, Switzerland”.
The change was accepted unanimously.
Horst Metzing informed that the office of ECU will stay in Berlin. We only need
an address in Lausanne which will be FIDE’s address.
3. Strategy results of the discussion of the ad hoc committee
Chairman of the ad-hoc committee Peter Rajcsanyi gave a summary of its work:
- how to continue after 4-year work
- compliance with ECU
- role of ECU in the chess world
- review of ECU finances
- European tournament calendar with fixed windows
- create European sport programs for chess education in school, for training
of arbiters and coaches
- find better services for the national federations
Tournament calendar
Israel Gelfer pointed out that FIDE often does not follow its own calendar. To have a fixed calendar of minimum 20 month, is the basis for a good work, for players and for organizers. ECU should have a fixed calendar and should force FIDE to follow its calendar.
Mikko Markkula said that due to financial problems in the past, development
activities are missing.
John Glendinning said that ECU should use new technologies (the internet) much
more and programs for chess in schools should be very useful.
Ali Nihat Yazici underlined that this year two ECU tournaments will be organized
at the same time. To increase efficiency would be very helpful for talks to
sponsors.
Gerry Walsh asked for contacts with European Union.
Peter Rajcsanyi informed that they had checked the opportunities and that they
will work on a proposal.
Georgios Makropoulos said that any development will be only possible if FIDE,
ECU and all European federations follow the same way. FIDE is ready to help
ECU.
Egon Ditt proposed to set up a Calendar Committee.
Dirk De Ridder informed about the main ideas of ECU calendar:
- Windows for FIDE tournaments, ECU tournaments and national tournaments
- Criteria for inclusion of tournaments
- Priority to some tournaments according to their strength, tradition etc.
A further problem is how to handle with late entries or late withdrawals.
A discussion started on the dates for youth tournaments. During July/August, there is no school, but it is high tourist season and therefore prices for accommodation are high.
Peter Rajcsanyi said that the aim of this meeting was not to decide on dates for particular tournaments, but only to decide how to go forward and to create the calendar.
It was decided that ECU needs a committee to work on a tournament calendar and to discuss with FIDE. President Boris Kutin nominated as members Horst Metzing and Dirk De Ridder.
Finances
Egon Ditt said that the goal of ECU is to get 80% of the entry fees of European
tournaments and FIDE only 20%. At the moment it is reversed.
Georgios Makropoulos proposed to arrange a meeting in Lausanne together with
David Jarrett and himself. Boris Kutin appointed Egon Ditt und Peter Rajcsanyi
to represent ECU.
Chess in School
The main problem is to have good material for teachers. A second problem is
that books written for one country sometimes are not good for another country.
The Netherlands have started a project in their primary and secondary schools.
EU is mainly interested in “All European” educations.
Alexander Kostyev reported on his activities in International School Chess Union.
Teachers were taught and they start to work at Moscow State Social University.
European Union
Peter Rajcsanyi said that contacts with EU should be established to prove the
possibilities for getting financial support for ECU programs.
Ali Nihat Yazici pointed out that according to his experience, EU covers all
costs for technical support, most of the costs for education and a part of costs
for people involved.
Horst Metzing reported about the EU Budget for sporting activities in the area
of youth. It is possible to organize a congress for chess in schools, there
is a total budget of € 4,000.000 and the minimum amount of subsidy will
be € 80,000. As subsidy will not exceed 60% of the total costs, it is necessary
to find about € 50,000. The applicant has to be one of the 15 member states
of EU and partners of at least 5 EU member states have to be included. Deadline
for an application is September 20th, 2002.
Boris Kutin said that we should take such an opportunity. Most of the delegates
are in favour of such a congress and agreed to participate. Until September
10th at the latest Secretary General of ECU should be informed which federation
is ready to organize the congress and to apply for the subsidy to EU and which
federation is prepared to join this programme.
To save time, the ad-hoc committee will prepare the application for EU and the
agenda. Ideas and remarks should be sent to Peter Rajcsanyi.
4. Modification of the current tournament regulations
Dirk De Ridder reported on the new version of all the European tournament regulations
worked out by himself and Werner Stubenvoll.
The main changes are as follows:
- regulations are split in two parts: general regulations for all tournaments
and special regulations for specific tournaments
- for all ECU championships we have the same tie-break system
- it is proposed to delete the U-20 tournament and to call the U-18 championship
“Juniors”. The main reasons are to save money for the federations
and that the top-U-20 players mainly are not interested in this tournament.
Georgios Makropoulos said that FIDE still has U-20 championships as “Juniors”.
Therefore, ECU should call U-18 championships as one of the youth tournaments
and the winner should be the European Junior Champion. ECU should send a letter
to FIDE to ask the other Continents about their opinion to delete U-20 championships.
Final decision should be taken in Bled. Dirk De Ridder will send out a questionnaire
to all federations.
Andrzej Filipowicz proposed to have no sudden death match and he will send a
written proposal within one month.
A discussion started about late entries and late withdrawals. Egon Ditt informed
that in case of late withdrawals, the entry fee has to be paid and not given
back. The only exception is any kind of force-majeur.
It was agreed that an organizer is entitled not to accept a late entry.
Per Ofstad claimed that the definition of ECU age groups for senior tournaments
should be equal to FIDE.
As senior tournaments are not official ECU tournaments, it has been up to the
organizers to define age groups.
For the future ECU recommends that it should be the same as in FIDE.
5. World Championship
Georgios Makropoulos said that for Europe it is very important to have qualifications
for the World Championship, but at the moment nobody knows how it goes on. The
final decisions have to be made before the congress in Bled and there the GA
of ECU will be informed.
For the women’s championship, there are no changes. In 2003 there will
be a world championship with 64 women.
6. Miscellaneous
The auditors of ECU, Israel Gelfer and Gerry Walsh gave their report for 2000
and 2001.
All the books are very well kept by the Treasurer Mr. Egon Ditt reflected the
financial situation of ECU. They propose that for any debts coming from Grand
Prix or from European Club Cup, the respective federations should be responsible
and the clubs should not be allowed to participate in the following year.
The final decision on the discharge of the Board Members will be made by the
GA in Bled were a written report will be given to the federations.
Agostino Scalfi reported on the current situation of European Grand Prix. Ten tournaments are included this year, but at the moment only one of them (Antalya) has paid the entry fee. There will be a meeting of all Grand Prix organizers and interested organizers in St. Vincent from October 4th to 6th 2002.
Peter Rajcsanyi informed about the European Festival for boys and girls U-8
in Budapest from 15 to 17 March 2003. All federations are invited to send participants.
From each federation one boy, one girl and one accompanying person is invited.
Most of the delegates are against an extension of youth tournaments in the ECU
calendar. Therefore, this tournament cannot be held as European Championship.
For the elections in Bled, we have received three applications for president: Boris Kutin, Javier Ochoa and Jan Ehlvest. British Chess Federation has sent an application for Gerry Walsh as a Board Member. Applications for Board Members can be presented until the start of the elections.
Javier Ochoa informed about the work on Olympiad 2004 in Mallorca. The community
of Mallorca asked FIDE to reduce the number of days from 17 to 12, but they
have not received any response from FIDE.
Georgios Makropoulos pointed out that in Kallithea, he made a proposal that
each participating federation should pay for their accommodation during Olympiad.
Horst Metzing proposed to ask all federations for their opinion in written form.
ECU President Boris Kutin closed the General Assembly at 18.30 hrs and thanked all the representatives for their work and the Hungarian federation as the host.
Budapest, 24 August 2002
Werner Stubenvoll