0 5 , ▁under ▁the ▁aus p ices ▁of ▁organ ising ▁body , ▁the ▁European ▁Ch ess ▁Union ▁( EC U ). ▁The ▁event ▁is ▁open ▁to ▁members ▁of ▁ch ess ▁feder ations ▁within ▁the ▁European ▁Union . ▁Exception ally , ▁at ▁the ▁dis cret ion ▁of ▁the ▁organis ers , ▁guest ▁players ▁have ▁also ▁been ▁allowed ▁to ▁comp ete ; ▁for ▁example , ▁when ▁the ▁host ▁nation ▁has ▁non - E U ▁neighb ours . ▁▁ ▁The ▁fifth ▁championship , ▁held ▁in ▁Ar vier ▁in ▁ 2 0 1 0 , ▁was ▁its ▁last ▁edition . ▁ ▁Background ▁ ▁The ▁tournament ▁has ▁been ▁held ▁ann ually ▁between ▁ 2 0 0 5 ▁and ▁ 2 0 0 8 , ▁and ▁again ▁in ▁ 2 0 1 0 , ▁sometimes ▁in ▁conj unction ▁with ▁the ▁celebr ations ▁of ▁cities ▁awarded ▁European ▁Capital ▁of ▁Culture ▁status . ▁Fin an cial ▁backing ▁has ▁not ▁been ▁consist ently ▁high , ▁but ▁in ▁the ▁case ▁of ▁Liverpool ▁ 2 0 0 8 , ▁the ▁prize ▁fund ▁total led ▁£ 3 0 , 0 0 0 , ▁which ▁was ▁large ▁enough ▁to ▁attract ▁many ▁of ▁the ▁EU ' s ▁strong est ▁players . ▁ ▁The ▁events ▁were ▁run ▁on ▁an ▁inclus ive ▁format , ▁open ▁to ▁a ▁range ▁of ▁players ▁of ▁varying ▁standard , ▁typically ▁from ▁E lo ▁ 1 6 0 0 ▁to ▁ 2 7 0 0 ▁or ▁more , ▁but ▁un r ated ▁players ▁are ▁also ▁el ig ible ▁to ▁play . ▁Sub st ant