In the Valamar “Diamant” Hotel, the FIDE Arbiters’ Seminar is under way. The aim of the seminar is to provide norms and FIDE Arbiter titles (in accordance with Article 3.10 of the regulations for awarding the title of FIDE Arbiter) to the participants who pass the exam with 80% or better success.

We asked the Chief Coach of the Russian Chess Federation Sergey Yanovskiy to give us his opinion about the organisation of the 25th European Youth Chess Championship in Porec. Russian delegation is the biggest at this European Youth Chess Championship, 107 players and more than 200 person total.

I have been present at the European Youth Chess Championships for 15 years, in the role of trainer and other functions. I must tell you that until now the best organized European Youth Chess Championship was held in Sibenik in 2007. There, the Croatian Chess Federation provided great accommodation, excellent food and good playing conditions, but here in Porec, everything is at an even higher level. I would especially point out the playing conditions in the beautiful “Zatika” hall.

It is calm today at the European Youth Chess Championship in Porec. The officers, heavy artillery, light cavalry and infantry withdrew to their barracks because Saturday September 26 is a free day. This presents an opportunity for the warriors to recuperate and prepare for the decisive battle in their campaign to win the European chess throne. It is also an opportunity to, after 5 rounds, do a small summary of the competition so far.

Ivan Mandekic: You have worked as a trainer in many countries, most recently in Slovenia. What can you say about the talents and the training work outside Russia? Adrian Mikhalchishin: In Russia and the former Soviet Union there were even trainers’ faculties. I know a few people from this region who studied in Moscow, Zsuzsa Polgar in Minsk, and at these institutions an enviable level of trainers was created, but now the number of these institutions is getting smaller. In the West there is a big problem with the basic level of education. In this sense Yugoslavia was always better…