Following a board meeting by the ECU over the weekend (see here), the following has been decided:
The European Open Championship in Reykjavik, Iceland is rescheduled for 22nd May to 2nd June 2021 as the final dates to be held to be included in the current FIDE cycle.
The final decision about its conduct will be taken within February 2021, according to the deadlines set by the FIDE World Cup 2021 regulations.
If the pandemic conditions will not allow the organizers to issue an invitation by February or/and the situation in whole Europe will maintain restrictions to players travel, and so to postpone the EOC on a later period, the WC qualification stage will be organized in a hybrid-type rated event by May 2021 as was foreseen by the regulations for the FIDE World Cup 2021. ECU has already started the procedure to prepare the conditions and special regulations for such a competition if needed..
Parallel, ECU and Icelandic Chess Federation examine the possibility the European Championship 2021 in Reykjavik to be held in later dates in August/September 2021 and be included in the next FIDE WC cycle.
