User:Chess Tea/sandbox

European Golden Pawn

Chess Award
Created by: Tea Kipshidze, Zurab Azmaiparashvili (President of the European Chess Union)
Awarded for: Excellence in chess achievements
Country: Monaco
First awarded: November 30, 2019
Presented by: European Chess Union
Prize designed by Zviad Tsikolia
Diamond Sponsor: Georgian Industrial Holding AiGroup

First-year of the award ceremony was dedicated to European legends and their achievements. It was a sort of an honorary award ceremony with special nominations. First Year Winners: 1. Best European Chess Magazine - “New in Chess”
2. Best European Chess Journalist - Leontxo Garcia
3. Best European Chess Organizer - Bessel Kok
4. Best European Chess Project - Frederic Friedel
5. Best European Chess Arbiter - Geurt Gijssen
6. European Pioneer of Chess Development in Schools - Alexander Kostyev
7. Youngest European World Chess Champion of All Time - Maya Chiburdanidze
8. Lifetime Achievement - Nona Gaprindashvili
9. Chess Legend (Female) - Judit Polgar
10. Chess Legend (Male) - Garry Kasparov

Without Competition
1. Best European Book (Fiction) - Rubén David González Gallego “Chess”
2. Best European Movie (Fiction) "The Chess Game" (Director: Yves Hanchar, Starring: Catherine Deneuve, Denis Lavant, Pier Richard)

In the very first year, the European Chess Union gave away its first special gift-medal and this prize was awarded to His Serene Highness Albert II, Sovereign Prince of Monaco as chess is a royal game.
As Mr. Joel Bouzou was the representer of H.S.H Prince Albert II of Monaco Mr. Zurab Azmaiparashvili had the honour to give him this special award.

The European Chess Union decided to establish a prize, which from now on will be given to that Outstanding Sponsor who finds it important to support the popularization of chess and how that promotes intellectual development.

This medal was given the name of Prince Andria Dadiani, who sponsored several chess championships in Monte-Carlo at the beginning of the 20th century and established the prize fund himself as well. The European Chess Union expressed profound appreciation to the Diamond Sponsor of the European Golden Pawn, Georgian industrial holding– AiGroup – and personally its founder, Mr. Dimitri Abdushelishvili, who was the first person to support the European Chess Union and made 1st European Golden Pawn award ceremony possible and gave Outstanding Sponsor Medal to the chairman of the board of directors of AiGroup Mr. Kakhaber Guledani.
For the support, the European Chess Union thanked to: Mr. Veselin Drašković; Mr. Moshe Slav; Mr. & Mrs. Vagman; Mr. Sergey Egorov; Company Ave-Kontakt and Mr. Jiri Petruzalek; Company Ave-Kontakt and Mr. Dr. Jan Mazuch; Winery Khareba and Mr. Tengiz Kharebava.
The 1st European Golden Pawn's hosts were Jamaican-American Chess GM Maurice Ashley and Georgian singer and TV-host Helen Kalandadze.
Director of the 1st European Golden Pawn - Basa Potskhishvili Art-director – Tamar Potskhishvili Production – Studio 1,2,3