There has never been an Irish team in FIDE’s European or World Senior Team Championships but we hope to put that right in 2016. Informal efforts have been under way for some time to build a squad but there is still time for other eligible players to declare their availability.

The key date for eligibility next year is 31 December 2016, so anybody born in 1951 or earlier can play on a 65+ team (or enter 65+ individual events) and anybody born in 1966 or earlier can play 50+ tournaments. FIDE has changed from the previous 60+ age groups but there are still some nationally organised 60+ events on the continent, for which a birth year of 1956 is the cut-off.

Both team events will be played over nine rounds on successive days. Teams consist of four boards with an optional reserve, and countries may enter multiple teams. Both venues are luxury hotels with the playing venue nearby. Firm information about schedules and pricing are now available from the organisers for both the 2016 European and World Senior team tournaments. Here are the links from which PDF documents giving details of dates, entry fees and accommodation may be downloaded.

http://www.europechess.org/european-senior-team-chess-championship-2016/

http://www.schachfestival.de/world-senior-team-championship-2016.html

The World Senior Team Championships will be played from 26 June to 4 July in the Radisson BLU Hotel and convention centre at Radebeul, a town just outside Dresden in eastern Germany with good local transport links to that historic city. Play will be in the mornings except for the first round. The closing date for this tournament is the end of April. Changes to team nominations can be made as late as the captains’ meeting a few hours before play begins, but accommodation and flights of course need to be booked well in advance.

Dresden, pictured right - a cultural, educational and economic center of Germany.

It seems very likely that Ireland can enter at least two, maybe three, teams for the 65+ tournament because eight players have already indicated firm interest in it. Depending on the number of players who eventually want to play, the I.C.U. may need to establish some kind of selection process to decide on team composition, but probably nobody need be disappointed.

The venue for the European Senior Team Championships is the 5-star Sithonia resort on the Halkidiki peninsula of northern Greece from 18-28 April; the first round is on the 19th. Play will be in the afternoons except for the last round. So far one of our stronger 65+ players has indicated he would like to play this event, but the other players interested in Dresden are unavailable. So we need at least three more players. Any team, if there is one, will probably be self-selecting and since the closing date for entries is in mid-February there is not much time to lose.

The Sithonia Resort in Northern Greece, pictured left.

Will players interested in playing on a 65+ team please contact either myself (email: [email protected]) or the ICU Secretary, if they have not done so already. It should also be noted that 65+ players can play on 50+ teams and of course women can also be included. There are separate prizes for female-only teams in both age groups but very few entered in 2015.

It would be helpful to know your availability and any preferences for both events by mid-January at latest. Possibly the ICU may coordinate the upfront payments of entry fees but everyone must expect to pay their own travel and accommodation expenses.

I apologise to anybody not already contacted but in some cases age information was unavailable or has proved to be incorrect. The ICU recently posted ranked tables for senior players. Will anyone who sees themselves listed in the wrong age group by the ICU, or whose birth year on the FIDE ratings site is absent or incorrect, please send the Secretary their correct information as soon as possible.

Depending on age and current playing strengths, it is possible some players may prefer to go as reserve for a holiday, only substituting once for each of the main players and providing cover for illness. If you see yourself in that category, please make that clear when responding. Otherwise the games could be shared out equally, meaning that one team member would get eight games and the others seven each.

Personally I am not interested in arranging any 50+ teams, so anyone wishing to play those Championships should also contact the ICU Secretary, and it would be good if a volunteer or two would come forward to assist in organising such teams.