Natalia Komarova: At the Olympiad in Khanty-Mansiysk we’ll do our best to meet all FIDE standards

In Batumi, where the World Chess Olympiad is taking place these days, the host of the next, the 44th chess Olympiad – Ugra had a reception. Many chess players, representatives of FIDE and national chess federations, judges and officials wanted to get acquainted with Khanty-Mansiysk autonomous okrug.

Among the guests were chess legends such as the fifth female world champion in the chess history, the first female international grandmaster, the first female international grandmaster among men Nona Gaprindashvili and Polgár sisters – Judit, Susan and Sofia.

The Governer of Ugra Natalia Komarova greeted everybody attended:

“We welcome participants of the 43rd World Chess Olympiad, colleagues, friends. Thanks to the host for the invitation and hospitality. In Batumi, we presented an expo panel about the accessibility and popularity of chess in Russia and Ugra, showed innovative developments related to the games, told about the 39th World Chess Olympiad held in 2010 in Khanty-Mansiysk.

A month later, Ugra will host the World Women’s Championship, in 2019 – the Chess World Cup, in 2020 – the 44th World Chess Olympiad.

We thank FIDE and the Russian Chess Federation for trusting us and choosing Khanty-Mansiysk as the city of the 44th World Chess Olympiad. In 2020, at the Olympiad in Khanty-Mansiysk, we will do our best to meet all FIDE standards and, I hope, will make this work slightly better than Batumi”.

According to the Georgian tradition, after the Governor of Ugra, the floor was taken by the representative of the hosts of the present Olympiad, the president of the Georgian Chess Federation, the chairman of the organizing committee of the World Chess Olympiad in Batumi Georgi Giorgadze:

“Khanty-Mansiysk is well-known to every chess player, because it holds a huge number of major international chess tournaments. I took part in the World Chess Olympiad in 2010, which also took place in Khanty-Mansiysk, and returned from there with the warmest and kindest memories. I can agree with Natalia Komarova in two points. First, chess is a confrontation, but it never goes beyond the chessboard. We, as organizers, should do everything we can to ensure that it has been and will always be so. Only chess will show who is the best and who is the winner. And secondly, I wholeheartedly wish Khanty-Mansiysk to hold the chess Olympiad even better than we do in Batumi, because everything that we do as organizers is done for chess. Good luck with your hard work! I’ll see you in Khanty-Mansiysk!”

President of the Russian Chess Federation Andrey Filatov admitted that Khanty-Mansiysk can be called the chess capital of Russia:

“I want to say thank you to Khanty-Mansiysk, that is now the chess capital of Russia. This is one of the few cities in the world that will host the World Chess Olympiad for the second time. It is a great honor for the Russian Chess Federation. We are grateful to FIDE for the fact that our country is given such an opportunity. As you know, Russia perfectly conducts sports events, such as the Winter Olympic Games in Sochi and the FIFA World Cup. I am sure that the chess Olympiad in Khanty-Mansiysk will be held at the same level!”

The fifth female world champion Nona Gaprindashvili talked about the Siberian hospitality of Khanty-Mansiysk and its inhabitants:

“Of course, the Olympiad is always a struggle, competition, sport. But beyond that, it’s friendship, respect and a warm relationship. I think this is the most important thing. Years are flying fast, Khanty-Mansiysk will host the World Chess Olympiad in just two years. I’ve already been to Ugra and I know how hospitable are the people living there. I wish you luck in doing of this difficult, but honorable work!”

It is to be reminded that the 44th World Chess Olympiad will be held in Khanty-Mansiysk in August 2020.