Registration: Seventy (70) countries registered until now for the World Youth Chess Championships 2003. A small number of Federations (about 15) asked for a short extension of their registration due to reasonable problems. The participation has increased about 20 % in comparison with the previous year and is expected a new participation record and one of the biggest chess events in the Chess History.

Accommodation: Accommodation for World Youth Chess Championships will be provided in G-Hotels Complex with total capacity of 1.200 rooms and 3000 beds. G-Hotels Complex will operate during the Games as a small Olympic Village and the Complex staff will serve exclusively the Chess Family. It is very important to notice the following information about Accreditation and Access to the Complex.

Accreditation : Every participant, coach, delegate and accompanying persons who has registered through the Organizing Committee will receive a special Accreditation card after the arrival in G-Hotels Complex, Kallithea Halkidiki. Accreditation service is provided by �GALANIS SPORTS DATA� the company, which provides the accreditation system for the test events of the Olympic Games.

This accreditation card will be absolutely necessary for the access to the playing, & congress halls, restaurants and in the whole Complex Area.

The National Federations are kindly requested to inform people who are traveling in Greece for the World Youth 2003, without informing the Organizing Committee through the official procedure, that the access in the playing, congress and hosting area, will not be possible.

Players Lists: The Organizing Committee announces that the players� list will be ready for publishing in the end of September, about one month before the start of the tournament.

Transportation: Transportation will be provided from the (new extended) International Airport of Thessaloniki 80 Km from the venue. The high-speed road between the airport and the venue reconstructed on 2003 ,for the purpose of European Union Meetings.

The Organizing Committee wants to thank the National Federations and all the chess friends for their support and promises a different chess experience 9 months before the start of the Olympic Games in Greece.

Additional note from the US Chess Federation: The US Chess Federation is pleased to announce that the following players will represent USCF in this event: Boys U-18: Aaron C. Pixton; Boys U-16: Lev Milman; Boys U-14: Alex Lenderman; Boys U-12: Robert Hess; Personal Right: Fabiano Caruana; Boys U-10: Parker Bi Guang Zhao; Girls U-18: Laura R. Ross; Girls U-16: Tateve Abrahamyan; Girls U-14: Katharine A. Pelletier; Girls U-12: Alisa Melekhina; Girls U-10: Jordana Cathryn Williams. The following are additional players: Boys U-18: Joshua E. Friedel; Boys U-14: Edward F. Coleman; Boys U-12: Evan D. Ju; Boys U-12: Marc Tyler Arnold; Girls U-12: Medina Parrilla. Coaches: Joel Benjamin and Aviv Friedman.

The United States Chess Federation, founded in 1939, serves as the governing body for chess in the United States and is devoted to extending the role of chess in American society. It promotes the study and knowledge of the game of chess, for its own sake as an art and enjoyment, and as a means for the improvement of society. The USCF is a not-for-profit membership organization with more than 90,000 members. For more information, please see http://www.uschess.org.