Monday, October 24, 2011

2011 FIDE Women's World Team Chess Championship

Turkey, which has stepped up to the plate over the past several years to host a number of FIDE women's events (thank you, Turkey), will be the site (at Mardin, Turkey) of the upcoming 2011 Women's World Team Chess Championship, December 17 - 28, 2011.
There is already an official website up and running - excellent!  I really like the chess graphic that was put together as part of the banner introducing the website - the conjunction of chess pieces with the female maze, with the timeless town in the background marching up the mountain!  Turkey, of course, is the site of some of the oldest evidence of organized settlements in the world (Catahoyuk, for instance).  The town in the background could be that place, coming to us out of the mists of time.  I love it!

The teams that will be competing (I don't know the make-up of the individual teams yet) are from the Official Regulations:

Continental Champions:  Algeria, Peru, Ukraine, Vietnam
5 Qualifiers from Olympiad:
Russia, China, Georgia, Cuba, United States of AmericaThe team representing the hosting Federation: Turkey
Are there issues with this event?  You tell me.  I was looking through the official regulations for prizes and compensation for the TEAMS.  There was plenty written about what the officials would receive - and those who accompany them - as well as what the arbiters would receive - but only this about the TEAMS themselves:

4.5 Provision for teams
4.5.1 Travelling expenses
shall be met by the individual Federations.
4.5.2 Expenses for accommodation and meals shall be met by the individual federations.
• The quality of accommodation and meals shall match the standards and importance of the Championship.
4.5.3 Prizes
shall be provided by the administrator.

So, what ARE the prizes, exactly?  The TEAMS are responsible for their own travel expenses, food and housing!  What, exactly, are they PLAYING FOR MONEY WISE????  Inquiring minds want to know.

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