FIDE Zone 1.10 was created by FIDE (World Chess Federation) in 2010, during Khanty-Mansiysk Chess Olympiad and it consists of ten European Small Nations. The first Zone President was Mr Christoforos Tornaritis from Cyprus.
The Association was named ”ESNA” – ”European Small Nations Association” after a meeting in 2014 during Tromso Chess Olympiad in Norway, where the first elections for Board Members were held.
ESNA is to be an association within FIDE and ECU, it should include only ten European Small Nations which were founder members and there should not be any new financial obligations for the member federations.
The objects and activities for which the Association is established are:
(a) to safeguard and further the interest of chess for FIDE Zone 1.10 (“the Zone”) and the members of ESNA,
(b) to provide an organisation for the promotion of chess activities including competitions and seminars within the Zone,
(c) to disseminate useful and instructive articles and ideas with respect to chess education,
(d) to raise funds by means of subscription of Members or otherwise for all the purposes and objects of the Association in such amounts and in such manner as may be authorised by the Association and
(e) to do all such other lawful things as are incidental or conducive to the attainment of the above objects.
The Association is a non-profit-making Association. The income and property of the Association shall only be applied to promote the objects of the Association. Members shall receive no dividend, bonus or any other kind of profit, directly or indirectly, from the Association. However, nothing herein shall prevent the payment, in good faith, of remuneration to any Member or to any servant or officer of the Association or to any other person for services actually rendered to the Association. If any Member of the Association pays or receives any dividend, bonus or any other profit in contravention of this stipulation its liability shall be unlimited.
The most important ESNA annual events
ESNA organizes every year prestigious events for its members. In even-numbered years it organizes the European Small Nations Individual Chess Championship and in odd-numbered years it organizes the European Small Nations Team Championship.
For the sake of history, it is worth mentioning that the first Team Championship was held in Andorra in 2009 and the first Individual Championship in Cyprus in 2014. Since then, this institution has continued with great success every year.
Additionally, The Max Euwe Chess Association from Monte Carlo, organized three editions of the tournament of small nations in 1993, 1995 and 1997 respectively, with financial support of Joop van Oosterom, famous millionaire and addicted chess patron. The venues were Metropole Hotel Mount-Carl, then l’ Mirabeau hotel (from which the famous curve of the circuit of Formula 1 took its name) and l’ Hotel de Méridien Beach Plaza. The tournament was worldwide with some exotic nations (Aruba, Seychelles) participating as well. The tournament winners were San Marino, Andorra and Liechtenstein while the number of participating nations grew up to 10. As the cycle expired in 1997, the San Marino Chess Federation took an effort to revive it to create biennial event played across the Europe. As it was mentioned above, the 2009 edition was hosted by Andorra. As for now, the tournament is open for European Small Nations.
