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2006 has been a quiet year for the
European Zone; therefore I’m planning to organize something of new
for 2007...
Let me just say a few words about what
has happened during last year.
Organization
There was no problem in the “Managing Team” (G-M Tani -ITA-, Zonal
Director, S.Ja. Grodzenskij -RUS-, Deputy Z.D., Carlos Flores
Gutiérrez -ESP-, Treasurer). The Tournament Office Commissioners (L.
Madonia -ITA- and R. Battistini -ITA-) are continuing their
excellent job, supported by a team of very capable Tournament
Directors (M. Caressa -ITA-, K. Metelmann -GER-, E. Neri -ITA-, T.
Silfver -SWE-, L. Tinture -FRA-).
European Team Championships
The Semifinals of 7.th E.T.C., played on ICCF web-server, were
started on 20.12.2005.
33 Member Federations entered their teams: there are 3 sections,
each with 11 teams. The Tournament Director is T. Klauner -LUX-.
The Final of 6.th E.T.C., started in 2004 and played by post, is
regularly going on (T.D.: J. Walther -GER-).
European Individual Championships
The Finals of 63.th E.I.C. (played by e-mail) and 64.th E.I.C. (played
by post), both started on 18.04.2005, are regularly going on (T.D.:
A. Rawlings -ENG-).
The Semifinals of 65.th E.I.C. (played on ICCF web-server; T.D.:
V.I. Myakutin -RUS-) and 66.th E.I.C. (played by post; T.D.: Carlos
Flores Gutiérrez -ESP-), both started on 1.09.2005, are also
regularly going on.
Friendly team matches
ICCF-Europa team got the 5.th place in “Chessfriends Rochade 5171 -
15.th Year Anniversary” tournament, won by Czech Republic. I think
it’s a good result, especially because many strong European players
were playing in their national teams or in other “assembled” teams,
as “ICCF Ambassadors”, “Rochade” and “Chess Mail”.
Many thanks to our Captain F. Geider -FRA- for his excellent work.
Three ICCF-Europa teams are playing in "Interzonal 2004" (Captains:
R. Battistini -ITA-, T. Silfver -SWE- and L. Tinture -FRA-).
Promotional tournaments
European players continue to be interested in Zonal Promotional
tournaments.
13 postal groups (3 “M”, 5 “H” and 5 “O”) and 4 e-mail groups (2
“M”, 2 “H”, no one “O”) have been started in the first months of
2006.
It’s interesting to notice that the most of players asks for postal
groups (probably because there is no difference to play by e-mail
against opponents from his own continent or all over the world!).
New members
I attended FIDE Congress (Torino, May 2006) with the official ICCF
Delegation and I contacted the o.t.b. Delegates of (former) Serbia
and Montenegro, Bosnia-Herzegovina and Macedonia, inviting them to
organize correspondence sections and to join ICCF.
The three delegates showed interest on my proposal; in the month of
June I sent them an official letter, but unfortunately I haven’t yet
got any answer. I’ll try to have a new contact in the next future.
Web-site
The numbers of visitors of our web-site, www.iccf-europa.com, has
decreased because the tournament tables have been moved to
www.iccf-webchess.com. Nevertheless we’ve an average of more than 90
visitors each day.
I think that one of the reasons of our success is the accurate work
of our web-master, G. Ruggeri Laderchi -ITA-.
A few ideas for 2007...
During summer holidays I arranged a
first draft for ICCF-Europa Statutes and I asked our Deputy
President, our Treasurer and a few experienced European Delegates
for their opinion on it.
Now I’m arranging a second draft and I’ll send it to the European
Delegates.
I’d like to discuss it during the meeting of European Delegates that
will be held at the end of the Congress and -by e-mail- in the next
months.
It will be so possible to have a final draft to submit to the
European Member Federations for their final approval. If the vote
will be in favour, the new European Statutes could be effective from
Spring.2007.
I’d like to organize a “Working Group”
to discuss the organization of the next European Team and Individual
Championships (To be played by e-mail and/or by post and/or on the
web-server? When to start them? And so on...)
During the meeting of European
Delegates we have to decide which tournaments to start in 2007: I’ll
propose to start two finals of E.I.C. (one by post and one by e-mail
or on the web-server) in Spring 2007, because there are already a
lot of players who got a valid qualification and are asking for
their Final.
Two or three European teams will play
in “Interzonal 2006”, the traditional team tournament that will
start in December 2006.
Finally, I’d like to organize a team
championship for players or “High” and/or “Open” class, who
otherwise would never have the chance to play in international team
tournaments of high level.
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As usually, I want to say my warmest
THANK YOU to all the friends, the volunteers, the national
delegates and the officials who have helped and are helping me in my
work as Zonal Director.
Amici sumus!
Torino, 30.09.2006. |
