Press Release 13th May 2014

Our Team announced its ticket for the upcoming ECU elections that will take place during the 41st Olympiad in Tromso, Norway.

Mr. Zurab Azmaiparashvili from is candidate for the post of ECU President.

Mr. Ion Serban Dobronauteanu from Romania is candidate for the post ECU Deputy President.

Mr. Finnbjørn Vang from Faroe Islands is candidate for the post of ECU Vice President.

Mr. Theodoros Tsorbatzoglou from Greece is candidate for the post of ECU General Secretary.

Mr. Martin Huba from Slovakia is candidate for the post of ECU Treasurer.

Ms Fiona Steil-Antoni from Luxembourg is the Campaign Press officer.

Zurab Azmaiparashvili

Candidate for ECU President

Born on 16th March 1960 in , father of two daughters and one son, grandfather of 6 children

Grandmaster since 1988 (Peak rating: 2702 in 2003)

European Champion in 2003 and bronze medallist in 2001

Bronze Medallist in the European team championship in 2003

5-times participant of the World Championship final stages, held by FIDE (1997, 1999-2001, 2004)

Participant in the from 1992-2004. In 1998 he scored the best individual performance.

Garry Kasparov’s second at the World championship matches (1987-94)

Trainer and second of many players and teams: in 1984, Judit Polgar in 1995/1996, before the match with Jun in 1995/1996, Etienne Bacrot in 1998/1999 and Teimur Radjabov in 2000-2002

Captain of the Azerbaijan team who won the European Team Chess Championship in Novi Sad in 2009

President of the Georgian Chess Federation from 1998-2000 and Co-President from 2000-04

President of the Chess Association of Black Sea countries from 1999-2004

Vice-President of FIDE from 2002-2010

Chief of the training programs of the Asean Chess Academy in Singapore from 2008-2012

Founder of the Tbilisi International Chess Academy

FIDE international organiser/FIDE senior trainer

Winner of the Botvinnik Tree in 2009 (best trainer of the year)

First Deputy Minister of Sport and Youth of Georgia since 2012 Ion Serban Dobronateanu Candidate for ECU Deputy President

Born in 1968, married, 2 children, domiciled in Bucharest, Romania

Licensed in Engineering and Economics, Phd in Economics Currently working in the wine and drinks industry National Master in chess and member of top level teams in the Romanian first league as a junior President of the Romanian Chess Federation from 2006-2009 Delegate of the RCF at FIDE and ECU since 2006 Vice-President of the ECU from 2010 – present.

Ion has significantly contributed to revitalising the domestic chess activity by sponsoring and organising several editions of the Bucharest Open in early 2000, the Grand Prix Open tournaments circuit and the Masters Final (with Lupulescu, Nevednichy, Corina Peptan and other participants). He was also the main sponsor and organiser of the matches Karpov vs. Istratescu in 2005 and between the World Champion Veselin Topalov and the European Champion Dieter Nisipeanu in 2006.

He was also a member of the organising committees of the 2008-2013 editions of the Turneul Regilor held in Bazna, Medias and Bucharest, of the European Youth Team Championship in 2011, the World Schools Championship in 2012 and the World Amateur Championship 2013 in the city of Iasi, Romania.

Ion is a co-founder of the Balkan Chess Association, the initiator of the Balkan Grand Prix Circuit and of the new editions of the Balkan Youth Team Championships.

“Chess was part of my family. My grandfather played chess, my father was an IA and an organiser of international open tournaments, my brother was a top youth player in Romania. I involved myself in different levels of chess management, trying to build a professional framework in this field and to create new opportunities for chess development. I strongly believe in the benefits of playing chess by the children and for that, in 2010, I have raised the idea of lobbying at the EU Parliament and Commission for supporting chess in schools. I will continue the work of promoting chess in my country and at international level.”

Finnbjørn Vang

Candidate for ECU Vice President

Born on 8th November 1978

Player, FIDE Arbiter and International Organiser

Education: Business School Certificates in engineering and navigation

Primary School Teacher in 2014

Chess consultant from 2008-2010

President of the Faroese Chess Federation in 1997-98

Member of the board since 2005 and President since October 2010

Organiser and arbiter of numerous tournaments in The Faroe Islands

Languages: Faroese, Danish, Swedish, Norwegian, Icelandic, English and German

Finnbjørn was a first choice for the ticket since Zurab wanted to offer one position on the Board to a representative of the European Small Nations. This is a symbolic decision based on the principle that each Nation has the same value and the same rights.

Theodoros Tsorbatzoglou

Candidate for ECU General Secretary

Born on 4th February 1972 in Thessaloniki, Greece

Education and Training Master Degree of Engineering at "Aristotelian" Thessaloniki University. Paper in Business Administration. Diploma in 'Hermes" telecommunication system. (NATO's communication system) Certificate E-Trade & Internet Marketing. Special Training. European Union Programs and Funds Languages: Greek and English - Fair Knowledge: Russian

Work Experience 1996 - 2004: Work as Engineer in Studies- Supervisions in Constructions Programs 1998 - 2002: Consultant on EU Educational & Funding Projects - Instructor in European Training Programs 2003 -2008: E-Marketing and Conference Manager in Tourist sector 2008: Co- Producer and Host in Sports Educational TV Show: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ub1_R3iYi5E trailer 1: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lWIBSZy7c8M) trailer 2:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wnkTMq7eRZU) 2004: Established the Event Consulting Co, a marketing & Event Management Company. So far he organised more than 50 events, among them scientific conferences, corporate events, various sports events and a number of International Chess Events and World Championships. 2005: Started a huge annual event with the brand name Games Festival. 2013: Established Event Properties (http://www.event-properties.com), a Real Estate Agency which is under development and a new professional challenge.

Sports & Chess Activities

1987 - 1993: Fide Master Μember of Greek Chess National Teams 1993 - 1998: Chess Trainer - FIDE Trainer from 2010 2008 - today: Executive Vice President - Galaxias Sports & Cultural Club 6.000 m2 of own Sports and Cultural facilities Volleyball Basketball, Chess Teams and Academies 2006 - today: Member of FIDE Commissions. From 2010 on Secretary of FIDE Events Commission 2010 - today: Elected as an European Chess Union Board Member Martin Huba

Candidate for ECU Treasurer

Born in 1965

Martin graduated from the Faculty of Electrical Engineering at the Slovak University of Technology in Bratislava, Slovakia. He has worked as an IT expert, marketing and sales manager in a production company and has extensive experience in strategic planning.

He was working as a local representative and city Councillor in the city of Prievidza for six years and he was responsible for the coordination of development projects. In 1996, he co-founded IBS Slovakia, a consulting company. Since then, Martin has gained many experiences through his deep involvement in programming, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of European projects and programmes in Slovakia and abroad (Nicaragua, Czech Republic, Romania, Bulgaria, Macedonia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Albania, Serbia, , Kenya and South Sudan).

Until now, he has worked in international teams with experts from more than 30 countries. As an experienced trainer and facilitator he performed numerous training sessions and workshops, totalling a few thousands of participants.

As a chess player he became a junior champion of Slovakia before his university studies and professional career took over. For the last ten years he has financially supported his local chess club in Slovakia and its activities. Since 2009, he has been the president of the Slovak Chess Federation.

Fiona Steil-Antoni Campaign Press officer

Born on 10th January 1989 in Niederkorn, Luxembourg

Fiona started playing chess at the age of 9 and has since represented Luxembourg in all the Olympiads since 2002, where her best result was the gold medal on board 2 at the 2006 Olympiad in Turin.

In 2007 and 2008 she was part of the organising committee of the Kaupthing Open, the biggest and strongest international tournament ever to be held in Luxembourg.

She has been working for Chess Evolution since February 2012, where she translates and edits the weekly newsletter. She also wrote some of articles for Europe-Echecs and she is part of the Chess- Anyone team, a recent addition to the online chess media.

She was also part of the Media team at the Reykjavik Open 2014, where she was one of the official photographers and did the live commentary of the games.

Besides chess, Fiona is currently studying Events Management in London. She is fluent in English, French, German, Luxembourgish and has some knowledge of Spanish and Italian.