With the wonderful opening ceremony, the WYCO16 started on Friday. From five continent 38 countries entries – this is a record in the event’s history.
The opening ceremony was held in the National Theatre in Győr. First ph. D. Miklos Sesztak, the president of the Hungarian Chess Federation and Minister of National Development greeted the participants with the words of Benjamin Franklin and confirmed: the Hungarian Federation would apply for the organization of the adult chess olympiad in 2020.
Theodoros Tsorbatzoglou, secretary of the European Chess Union (ECU), declared in the name of the World Chess Federation: knowing the preparation he was sure that Hungary and Győr would be an excellent host of the competiton of the youth.
Zsolt Borkai, the mayor of Győr, said, he was sure that the European Youth Olympic Festival would be the first olympiad in Hungray, but now the WYCO „predated” it. Borkai, who became Olympic champion in Seoul in pommel horse spoke especially to the youth.
After the unique performance of the Botafogo Dance Ensemble Judit Polgar stepped on the stage, who, speaking with kind words, greeted Csaba Balogh, Zoltan Almási, the silver medalists the Hungarian chess team that finished second in the chess olympiad in Tromsö this year. Polgar noted that this was her first chess olympiad she took part in not as a player. After this she drew the colour of the first board for the opening round.
The first day of the ten round event will start on Saturday at 14pm in the gym of the University of West Hungary Apáczai Csere János Faculty.
SCHEDULE
– Arrival 12th December 2014 Friday
– Opening Ceremony 12th December 2014 Friday 20:00
– Technical meeting 13th December 2014 Saturday 9:00
– Round 1 13th December 2014 Saturday 14:00
– Round 2 14th December 2014 Sunday 10:00
– Round 3 14th December 2014 Sunday 16:30
– Round 4 15th December 2014 Monday 14:00
– Round 5 16th December 2014 Tuesday 14:00
– Day off 17th December 2014 Wednesday
– Round 6 18th December 2014 Thursday 10:00
– Round 7 18th December 2014 Thursday 16:30
– Round 8 19th December 2014 Friday 14:00
– Round 9 20th December 2014 Saturday 14:00
– Round 10 21st December 2014 Sunday 10:00
– Closing Ceremony 21st December 2014 Sunday 17.00
– Departure 22nd December 2014 Monday
Fantastic!