On the 6th of May FIDE President Kirsan Ilyumzhinov arrived in Tbilisi, Georgia where European Individual Women's Chess Championship 2011 is taking place on 6-19 May. There he attended the Opening Ceremony of the Championship which was held in the hotel "Sheraton Metechi Palace". In his greeting speech FIDE President noted that it is remarkable that the tournament is conducted in the land of such titled and strongest chess players as Nona Gaprindashvili, Maia Chiburdanidze, Nana Alexandria, Nino Gurieli, Nana Ioseliani, Maia Lomieshvili, Nana Dzagnidze and many others. Kirsan Ilyumzhinov also thanked the Organizing Committee of the Championship, i.e. Mr. Giorgi Ugulava, Mayor of Tbilisi, Mr. Lado Vardzelashvili, Minister of Youth and Sport, Mr. Mair Mamedov, general sponsor and Director General of SOCAR Energy Georgia and Mr. Giorgi Giorgadze, President of the Georgian chess federation.


FIDE President Kirsan Ilyumzhinov


Ms. Sava Stoisavljevic, General Secretary of ECU


Mr. Mair Mamedov, Director General of SOCAR Energy Georgia


Mr. Lado Vardzelashvili, Minister of Youth and Sport


Mr. Giorgi Ugulava, Mayor of Tbilisi


Mr. Giorgi Giorgadze, President of the Georgian chess federation