ECU Seniors 2026 First Round

ECU Senior Chess Championship 2026: Record Entry & First Round Underway in Acqui Terme

First Round Begins at 2026 ECU Senior Chess Championship – Largest Edition Ever

Fifteen days after registration closed, as scheduled, the first round of the 2026 ECU Senior Chess Championship 50+ and 65+ began today, Tuesday, June 2^nd , at 3:15PM, just a few minutes late. It was a record-breaking edition: 237 players from 35 Federations.

The players were divided into four tournaments: Open 65+ with 125 participants; Open 50+ with 89 participants; Women 50+ with 11 participants; and Women 65+ with 12 participants

The first round was preceded by a welcome from Michele Cordara and Cristina Rigo to all the players, followed by the Italian national anthem and the ECU anthem. Monegasque Jean-Michel Rapaire, Chief of appeal committee ECU, and Rossana Benazzo, Deputy Mayor of Acqui with responsibility for Tourism, then spoke.

The floor was then given to Chief Arbiter Panagiotis Nikoloupoulos, "Takis" (Greece), who, in addition to the usual explanations, outlined the latest regulations that came into force, particularly those regarding anti-cheating and how they will be applied in this championship.

He then introduced the arbiters team, composed of:

• Deputy Chief Arbiter Andra Cimina (Latvia)

• Sergii Larkin (Ukraine)

• Johan Berntsen (Sweden)

• Brunetto Casalini (Italy)

• Roberto Mancin (Italy)

• Domenico Buffa (Italy)

• Francesco De Sio (Italy)

• Orlando De Lorenzis (Italy)

• Melih Cicek (Turchia)

• Iulia Ionica (Romania)

and Fiala Zdenek (Czech Republic) Martin Drobovka (Slovakia) for the electronic chessboard.

Thursday evening June 4^th at 21:15 English GM Keith Arkell will host a simultaneous event against 20 players in the city center “Piazza della Bollente”

Registration at the Organization desk.
Saturday evening June 6^th at 21:15 the blitz tournament.
It will be played in the same play venue
and is open to all players, even those outside the tournament.
Registration at the Organization desk.

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ECU Seniors 2026 First Round

First Round Begins at 2026 ECU Senior Chess Championship – Largest Edition Ever

Thursday evening June 4th at 21:15 English GM Keith Arkell will host a simultaneous event against 20 players in the city center “Piazza della Bollente”

Thursday evening June 4^th at 21:15 English GM Keith Arkell will host a simultaneous event against 20 players in the city center “Piazza della Bollente”