The Greek Chess Composition Committee has the honour to invite all delegates of the FIDE Permanent Commission for Chess Composition (PCCC), national teams and individual solvers, chess composers and all those interested in problem chess, to attend the 47th World Congress of Chess Composition (WCCC) and 28th World Chess Solving Championship (WCSC). The Congress will be held from Saturday 4th September (arrival) to Saturday 11th September, 2004 (departure) at the Athos Palace and Pallini Beach hotels of the G-Hotels Complex at Kallithea, Halkidiki, with the WCSC on Tuesday and Wednesday, 7th and 8th September.

Getting there

Kallithea and the G-Hotels complex are located on the eastern shore of Kassandra, the westernmost of the three peninsulas that form Halkidiki. Kallithea is about 90 kilometres from Thessaloniki, Greece's second city, or about 80 kilometres from the "Macedonia" International Airport.

The two hotels stand beside a sandy beach, set in colourful gardens and located only 2 kilometres from the lively town of Kallithea. Distance between the two hotels is only 150 metres. The World Youth Chess Championship 2003 and the 74th FIDE Congress were held at this venue last October.

Further information about the resort and conference facilities can be found in the G-Hotels website at http://www.g-hotels.gr/gh/index.asp?Lang=En

Halkidiki is served by the "Macedonia" International Airport of Thessaloniki, with several airlines providing direct connections to major European destinations. Olympic Airways and Aegean Airlines each provide an almost hourly service linking Thessaloniki with Athens and also connect Greece's second city with other major domestic destinations.

Thessaloniki also has an international rail service linking Greece with Skopje, Belgrade, Budapest, Sofia, Bucharest and Istanbul. Several daily Intercity trains link Thessaloniki with Athens. International buses from Thessaloniki run to destinations in the Balkans and further afield.

Transportation between the Thessaloniki International Airport and the venue must be arranged by the participants themselves. The 80-kilometre highway has been newly reconstructed on the occasion of the 2003 European Union summit. The taxi fare for this trip costs appx. 50-60 EUR and takes about an hour. Public buses run daily, almost every hour, between Thessaloniki and Kallithea, some passing by the G-Hotels Complex and continuing further south along the east coast of the Kassandra peninsula. Buses may be somewhat crowded during this period of the year, and to reach the bus station for Halkidiki from the airport a taxi ride is necessary, which would cost appx. 10-15 EUR.

Numerous car-hire outlets (including all the major multi-national companies) can be found at locations in Halkidiki and at the Thessaloniki International Airport.

Accommodation

Prices are the same for Athos Palace and Pallini Beach (both **** hotels) and are as follows:

• Double Room: 55 EUR (per person per day, half board, drinks not included).
• Single Room: 68 EUR (per person per day, half board, drinks not included).

All rooms have sea and garden view, balcony or terrace, shower with WC, air-conditioning, heating, satellite TV, direct dial phone, mini-bar and room-safe.

These prices remain the same one week before and after the congress for the participants only.

• Tourist tax and VAT included.
• Additional meal costs 8 EUR per person.
• Third person in a double room has 20% discount.
• Children from 5 to 12 years old with two adults in the room have 50% discount.
• Children up to 4 years old are free (5 EUR per day if full board and 20 EUR for the closing banquet).

Prices include breakfast, dinner, excursion, closing banquet, free access to hotel facilities, as well as all regular congress activities (PCCC sessions, participation in the composing and solving competitions, solving show, mini-lectures, final bulletin, etc). All payments should be made to the organisers, upon arrival, in cash (EUR).

Participation fee for those not staying at the G-Hotels is 100 EUR and includes registration, congress material, participation in all solving and composing tournaments, excursion and closing banquet.

Beaches, Sightseeing & Excursions

Kallithea offers some of the finest beaches of Halkidiki, but also boasts several important archaeological highlights, including the remains of the Doric sanctuary to Ammon Zeus, a sanctuary to Dionysus and the Nymphs and a small Christian chapel to Aghios Panteleimon. Kallithea is an excellent base for excursions to the hinterland, where archaeological sites and a multitude of monuments and museums in Thessaloniki attract thousands of visitors each year.

Contact

Please send your application before July 1st 2004 to:

Harry Fougiaxis, Megistis 22-24, GR-11361 Athens, Greece
E-mail: harryfou@ath.forthnet.gr
Tel: +30-210-9491442 (09:30 – 17:30, work), +30-210-8653077 (19:30 – 21:00, home)
Fax: +30-210-9491610 (Asprofos Engineering, c/o H. Fougiaxis)

also indicating the date of your arrival and departure.

This invitation and all important information will be also published on the PCCC official website.