In the second half of June, I participated in the 35th edition of the International Chess Championship of Małopolska. It was held once again at the Galaxy Hotel in Kraków. This marked my third appearance at the tournament, following my previous participations in 2022 and 2024. The organization was excellent, just like in past editions, … Continue reading Małoposka international chess championship 2025
Tag: chess tournament
A Personal Duathlon: Running and Chess in Bucharest
A traditional duathlon typically combines running and cycling. It’s less well-known than the triathlon, which includes swimming, cycling, and running—in that order. In both formats, the winner is the person who crosses the finish line first. While I was in Bucharest this May, I experienced a rare coincidence. Two major sporting events were scheduled for … Continue reading A Personal Duathlon: Running and Chess in Bucharest
Grenke chess tournament 2024
Five years after playing in the Grenke chess tournament, it finally resumed after being canceled due to COVID-19. With around 2600 participants, it became the largest chess tournament globally, thanks to the rising popularity of chess. The festival featured four tournaments catering to players of different skill levels. The event's unique atmosphere was highlighted as players from various backgrounds gathered to compete. Notably, the tournament had outstanding playing conditions but suffered from noise issues. Although the author felt satisfied with their performance, they offered constructive criticism to the organizers. Ultimately, they expressed a desire to return due to the tournament's positive energy and atmosphere.
European Rapid and Blitz Chess Championship 2022
This year’s edition of the European Rapid and Blitz Chess Championship was a great success. The event was hosted in the same location as in 2021, the Spodek Arena in Katowice. What makes this tournament special is the combination of a big arena, band music, and over 900 competitors playing each other for a weekend. … Continue reading European Rapid and Blitz Chess Championship 2022
Run around the house and chess in Bucharest
During WWII, while working in Bletchley Park to break the Enigma code, Alan Turing invented a game that combined chess and running. The contest rules: You sit with your opponent in front of a chess table. You make your move and run around the house. The other player has to move before you return. Once you … Continue reading Run around the house and chess in Bucharest
European Rapid and Blitz Chess Tournament 2021
The European Rapid and Blitz Chess Tournament venue, Katowice, is a Polish city with modern urban architecture. It looks more like an American city, and it has tall buildings in the center and wide streets and boulevards. It also has a vast sports arena called Spodek, which translates to "saucer". The Spodek Arena was the … Continue reading European Rapid and Blitz Chess Tournament 2021
Krakow International Chess Festival 2020
Traditionally, at the end of the year, there are many chess tournaments around the world. At that time, most chess players are on vacation. The most famous example is Hastings International Chess Congress, which had its first edition in 1895. This year, because of the Covid pandemic, tournaments decades older moved online or got canceled. … Continue reading Krakow International Chess Festival 2020
National Chess Championship Semifinal in Bucharest
It's been a while since I haven't written about chess on this blog, and I think it's time to cover a chess tournament. In Romania, if you are not a chess grandmaster, international or FIDE master you have to play in a semifinal tournament to qualify for the final phase of the National Chess Championship. … Continue reading National Chess Championship Semifinal in Bucharest
Playing chess in Arad
Arad chess open is the most important chess tournament in Romania. This year it was it's twelfth edition. The tournament was very well organized with players coming from all over the world. The venue for the tournament was the Continental Forum Hotel. International chess festival - July 24-31- Arad I took a few pictures from … Continue reading Playing chess in Arad
GRENKE chess festival
I thought to write down some of my impressions as a participant in Europe's biggest chess festival. It was indeed a great tournament and a special experience for me being in the same place with other 2000 chess players, including the best players in the world. The venue, as in the previous years, was the … Continue reading GRENKE chess festival



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