The youth chess Olympiad has brought 240 young chess players to Eindhoven. On the High Tech Campus these young players will compete against hundreds of players from all over the world.
The national teams are made up of boys and girls in the under 17 age group. Besides the Olympiad, there is a new bonus event: ten of the world’s best under 21 female chess players will compete against each other in a separate competition.This has been done in an effort to draw more women and girls to chess as a sport.
The chess event was assigned to The Netherlands by the World Chess Union because the Royal Dutch Chess Union, KNSB, is celebrating its one hundred and fifty years’ existence this year. This makes it the oldest Chess Union in the world.
“We are going to make this an unforgettable event”, KNSB president Bianca de Jong-Muhren says. “Many parties have made it possible that this summer a chess tournament can take place in Eindhoven.” Three of these parties are the ministry of Health, Welfare and Sport, the Eindhoven municipality and the province of Noord-Brabant.
Alderperson for sport Maes van Lanschot is looking forward to the tournament. “The city is delighted that the Youth Chess Olympiad has come to Eindhoven. For a whole week, children will meet eachother and challenge eachother on the chess board”, the alderperson says.
“Such an experience is valuable for everyone. Besides, chess fits our Brainport region. On the ‘smartest square kilometer’ in the world, our High Tech Campus, we will be delighted to welcome all the young chess players”, says Van Lanschot.
Subsidy
Eindhoven has made a budget of 50,000 euros available to finance the event.
The 240 under 17 chess players are ready to take eachother on in sixty teams of four players. The tournament, which started on 12 August, will finish on the 19th.
Source: Studio040
Translated and edited by Greta
