More than a thousand players will compete in the European Blitz and Rapid Chess Championship, which begins on Friday in Spodek in Katowice. The starting list in blitz chess is opened by the chess World Cup winner Jan-Krzysztof Duda.
One of his rivals will be grandmaster Daniel Sadzikowski from Katowice.
“I will compete in blitz chess. This pace suits me better and I hope to be one of the favorites. This game is more about intuition, concentration, and reflex – contrary to the stereotype of a chess player,” said the competitor.
The championships were held in Spodek in 2017, and a year ago Katowice formally hosted the ME in blitz chess, but the competition took place online. Duda then had to withdraw due to technical problems.
“Time plays a key role in this rivalry. In rapid chess, the time per game is 15 minutes per player and 10 seconds per move made, and in blitz chess, it is only three minutes, and two seconds per move. It is very interesting to watch even for a layman,” explained World Chess Federation Vice President Łukasz Turlej.
European Blitz and Rapid Chess Championship takes place in Spodek in Katowice between 17th and 19th December.