MINSK, 28 March (BelTA) – Over 600 chess players will take part in two big tournaments that are due to take place in Minsk in late May and early June, BelTA learned from the press service of the Belarusian Sports and Tourism Ministry.
The Minsk Sports Palace will host the European Individual Chess Championship 2017 on 29 May-11 June. The 1st FIDE World Cadets Rapid & Blitz Chess Championships 2017 will take place on 1-5 June.
The competitions will be held under the aegis of the European Chess Union (ECU) and the World Chess Federation (FIDE).
The European Individual Chess Championship 2017 will be played in 11-round Swiss system, in line with the FIDE and ECU rules. The championship is a qualification event for the next World Cup. According to FIDE regulations and the decision of the ECU Board, 22 players will qualify.
The 1st FIDE World Cadets Rapid & Blitz Chess Championships 2017 is organized by the Sports and Tourism Ministry of Belarus, Minsk City Hall, the National Olympic Committee, the Belarusian Chess Federation, and the FIDE Chess School in Belarus.
The Belarusian capital hosted the European Rapid and Blitz Chess Championships in December 2015. Minsk gathered chess players from 31 countries, including leading grandmasters, participants and finalists of the world and European chess championships, world cups.