FIDE World Youth Rapid & Blitz Chess Championships (U14, U16, U18 boys/open & girls) in Halkidiki

16 - 20 October 2018

1. INVITATION

This is the official invitation to all national chess federations of FIDE to participate in the 2nd FIDE World Youth U14, U16, U18 Rapid & Blitz Chess Championships. The championships will be held in Porto Carras, Halkidiki, Greece. The dates are 16th of October (arrivals) to 20th of October 2018 (departures).

2. VENUE & SCHEDULE

The championships will be held in the conference center of the Porto Carras Grand Resort (*****) in Halkidiki, Greece with the following schedule:

Tuesday, 16 October 2018 11:00 Arrival Day & Registration, 19:00 Technical Meeting

Wednesday, 17 October 2018 15:30 Opening Ceremony, 16:00 Rounds 1-4 of Rapid Championship

Thursday, 18 October 2018 16:00 Rounds 5‐9 of Rapid Championship

Friday, 19 October 2018 10:00 Rounds 1‐9 of Blitz Championship, 17:00 Closing Ceremony

Saturday, 20 October 2018 11:00 Departures or Round 1 of FIDE World Youth Championships 2018

3. PARTICIPATION

Each federation can register unlimited number of players in each of the categories ‐ under 14, 16 and 18 (open and girls). A player must not have reached his 14th, 16th or 18th birthday, respectively, before 1 January 2018.

• A player registered in a lower category of age due to a mistake in specifying his/her birthday will have his/her registration suspended until rectification.

• All persons, besides the players, shall be classified as Accompanying Persons.

• Access to the playing areas, venues and the hotel will be allowed only to persons accredited by the organizer.

4. REGISTRATION and ENTRY FEES - PAYMENTS

4.1. FIDE Entry fee per players is 70 € (euros) for both competitions or 35 € (euros) for each competition.

4.2. The registration fee per player is 30 € (euros) paid to the organizers for both events. The transportation fee from and to Thessaloniki airport is 70 € (euros).

4.3 For the players and accompanying persons participating immediately afterwards in the FIDE World Youth Championships as well, the registration fee of 100 € (euros) is paid only once and is valid for all Championships covering transportation and registration for all events.

4.4. Entries must be submitted through the registration forms by 17 August 2018.

4.5. When registering (by 17 August 2018), the registration fee of 100 € (euros) and a 30% prepayment of the cost for board and lodging shall be paid through the organizing agency’s bank account below. The prepayment is not refundable in case of any cancelation.

Account beneficiary holder: AT HOLIDAYS SMPC

Account holder address: Apollonos 4, Athens 10557, Greece

IBAN account number: CY74 0020 0195 0000 3570 2279 5355

Bank name & address: Bank of Cyprus, Esperidon 12 Nicosia

BIC/SWIFT code: BCYPCY2N

The deadline for registration and receipt of the above payments is 17 August 2018.

Players registering also for the FIDE World Youth Chess Championships can use the same registration forms.

4.6. Each National Federation will be invoiced by the official travel agency “AT Holidays”. When payments are confirmed, the Organizing Committee will send to the participating Federation the confirmation of the hotel reservations. All confirmed registrations would be declared on the official web site, where Federations may check their participants' status on a daily basis.

4.7. All payments must be finalized upon arrival. Players will not be paired until all payments and fees are affected to the Organizing Committee.

5. TRAVEL INFORMATION

The participants or their Federation must pay all the travel expenses. The Organizing Committee will provide transfer for all participants from Thessaloniki International airport (IATA code SKG to the hotel. The transport services will be available on 16th October 2018 (arrival) and 19th 20th and 31st October 2018 (departures). If the Organizing Committee is able, it will accept special requests from guests regarding the transfer dates. The transfer cost is included to the registration fee. The participants are responsible for their own travel costs to airport.

6. HOTEL and MEALS

6.1 The official hotel and venue of the event is the 5-star Porto Carras Resort & Congress Center.

6.2. As per FIDE regulations, all players and accompanying persons must be accredited and stay at the official hotel of the event. Bookings and accreditation are possible only through the procedure described in articles 4.1 to 4.7 above.

Hotel Rates for additional extra players and accompanying persons:

a) in quadruple family rooms: 58 euros per person per day, full board included.

b) in triple rooms: 59 euros per person per day, full board included.

c) in double rooms: 63 euros per person per day, full board included.

d) in single rooms: 89 euros per person per day, full board included.

6.3. Each delegation shall distribute their delegation in an equal proportion of double and triple rooms. One quadruple family room of four persons shall also be used for each single room requested.

6.4. If needed, the final distribution of hotel rooms is decided by the Organizing Committee.

7. TECHNICAL REGULATIONS

The tournaments will be played using the Swiss System with 9 rounds. If a player does not have an existing FIDE rapid or blitz rating, then his/her classical rating will be used, where applicable.

The time control for the rapid championships will be 10 minutes plus 5 seconds per move increment from white’s first move. The time control for the blitz championships will be 5 minutes plus 2 seconds per move increment from white’s first move.

Tie break criteria:

a) the direct game/s between the tied players (only if all tied have played each other),

b) buchholz cut 1,

c) buchholz,

d) the greater number of games with black (unplayed games count as played with white),

e) the greater number of wins.

8. APPEALS COMMITTEE

The Chairman and two members of the Appeals Committee will be announced before the start of the Championship.

9. PROCEDURE FOR SUBMISSION OF APPEALS

Protests against the decisions of the Chief Arbiter must be submitted in writing within 15 minutes after the end of the respective game.

• The protest must be accompanied by the payment of the amount of 200 euros as deposit from the appellant. The money and appeal must be given to the Chairman of the Appeals Committee. If the appeal is granted, then this amount will be returned. If the appeal is rejected, then this deposit may be forfeited in favor of the Organizers of the Championship.

• An appeal must be submitted by the player or the head of delegation.

• The decisions of the Appeals Committee are final. 

10. PRIZES

10.1. Each participant will receive a certificate of participation.

10.2. Titles Prizes for Players of each of the 6 Playing Groups (Open/Boys and Girls)

1) Title of World Champion for the respective event + Cup + Gold Medal

2) Title of Vice World Champion for the respective event + Cup + Silver Medal

3) Cup + Bronze medal

10.3. Special prizes for the category winners.

11. CONTACT INFORMATION

Tournament Director: FIDE IO Nikos Kalesis, Tel: (+30) 2109212684, (+30) 6938326161

Official Website: http://www.worldyouth2018.com

Email: chess.at.holidays@gmail.com