Start thinking about Mind Sports Championship in Poland!

Even as the world of university sport is gearing up for the biggest spectacle of them all – the Summer Universiade in Napoli, Organising Committees around the world are also busy preparing for the 2020 World University Championships season. 

An inspection visit to the WUC Mind Sports just concluded in Poland, where the inaugural edition of the Mind Sports Championship will be held. Mind Sports will bring together the best university chess players and bridge players from all over the world, in the city of Bydgoszcz.

The KU AZS UKW, Organising Committee of the WUC in Bydgoszcz presented their preparations to the FISU inspection team, 15 months ahead of the event. A press conference was also held later, at the University Club of Academic Sports Association of Kazimierz Wielki University, to announce the same to the local media.

The inspection team included Fiona Testuz of the Championship department, FISU Technical Committee Chair for Chess Georg Kradolfer and Geert Magerman, the FISU Technical Committee Chair for Bridge. Also present was Łukasz Turlej, Vice President of FIDE, the world’s governing body for Chess.

“We expect a very well-organized Championship in Bydgoszcz next year,” said Testuz. “The elite players from all over our globe will come here, it will be great.”

“Poland belongs to the world’s elite in Bridge,” said TCC Brigdge, Magerman. “Polish chess also has a good tradition and their players often win medals at the most important events,” added TCC Chess, Kradolfer.

“It is evident that FISU chose a strong centre like Bydgoszcz to organise these two events at the same time,” said Turlej on behalf on FIDE. “I am convinced that this event will be organized at a very high level.”

L-R: Georg Kradolfer, Fiona Testuz, Geert Magerman, Łukasz TurlejThis inspection will be the last such visit for some time, until after Napoli 2019. FISU teams have already visited 12 out of the 24 Organising Committees for next year, and the process will continue after the Summer Universiade.