"The idea behind the European Capital of Culture is to enable Europeans to get to know each other and to share the values of regional cultures. We compete for this title, as we have something to take pride in and to share with others. Europeans may find our culture fascinating. Lublin, located on the border between the East and West of Europe, displays varieties and similarities of the European cultures. It is, therefore, a perfect place for dialogue and stimulation of conscious identification with the European community. Lublin is the city of the Lublin Union that is considered an important and historic attempt to integrate Europe, or even regarded as the germ of the European Union. So where else could the Union of Lublin Grandmaster Chess Tournament take place? Chess has been shaping Polish and European cultures for centuries, and already Jan Kochanowski called it a royal game. The patron of the International Tournament is Jan Zukertort - a multicultural and very interesting person and one of the best chess players of the first half of the 19th century. The European Chess Festival reflects the ideas of the European Capital of Culture and therefore it is an important event in Lublin´s attempts to win this title."