Danailov running for ECU President; players protest against zero-tolerance rule

Besides round reports, currently the website of the European Championship in Rijeka has two interesting news items. It's reported that Silvio Danailov is running for President of the European Chess Union, and that 110 participants have protested against the zero-tolerance rule.

At the European Championship website we're informed of the following:

Mr. Silvio Danailov, vice-president of the Bulgarian Chess Federation will host a reception for delegates and guests of the ECU General Assembly on Saturday, 13th March at 9PM, in Opatija at the hotel Millenium (M. Tita 109).

At the reception Mr. Danailov will announce his candidacy for the President of the European Chess Union at the upcoming elections and will present the basic guidelines of his programme.

Danailov is executive director of the Grand Slam Chess Association and manager of Veselin Topalov and Ivan Cheparinov. By running for ECU President, Danailov is rivalling against the other candidates: Ali Nihat Yazici, President of the Turkish Chess Federation, and Boris Kutin, the reigning ECU President.

Chessdom posted part of the program that the Danailov team is preparing, which we quote below:

Dear friends in chess,

I speak to you as a person who spent his best years as a chess player, trainer, manager and organizer. Doing my job, I have always tried to make it as professional as possible, bringing new ideas and aspiring to higher standards.

I am proud of the fact that some of my ideas and standards of organizing competitions have been accepted even at the most important chess tournaments in the world.

I have accepted the initiative of my friends and I am running for the President of the European Chess Union, but this doesn't mean I am ready to give unrealistic promises.

My campaign to win your vote will be led under the slogan "I know..." In the highest interest of the progress of the European Chess Union and chess in Europe in general, I am prepared to implement all those ideas and results I have reached so far in the following areas:

- Training and management of the leading chess players - Organization of top-level chess competitions with the highest possible standards - Drawing undivided attention of the media and sponsors towards chess - Contacts with influential people for the prosperity of chess Including youth competitions in elite tournaments...

I will be happy if I win your support with this program and if you bring along any new ideas.

Sincerely yours,

Silvio Danailov

Another interesting item at the European Championship website is the protest of 110 players against the zero-tolerance rule:

The participants of the 11. European Individual Men and Women's Chess Championsh have submitted a petition to the Organizing commitee and Boris Kutin (the president of European Chess Union) in which they request changing the delay tolerance from 0 to 30 minutes. They require this measurement to be valid from the 4th round and was signed by 110 participants.

Due to request, on the behalf of Organizing commitee, the president of the Executive Commitee Damir Vrhovnik said:

“The organizers are trying to do their best for the sake of our players. In accordance to that, on the behalf of Organizing commitee and myself, I support the participants' request. However, this question is under the European Chess Union' jurisdiction and therefore, they are the ones who must make the decision.“

We first mentioned the zero-tolerance rule in our article on all new rules in the FIDE Laws of Chess which came into effect on July 1st, 2009. Later, in our column 'Too late to leave?' we commented on the forfeiting of Li Chao and Wang Yue for arriving a little too late for their second rapid game in round 3 of the World Cup in Khanty-Mansiysk. This column provoked 174 comments.

Links

• Tournament website