The countdown has begun for the European Senior Individual Chess Championship 2026, scheduled to take place from June 1 to June 11 in the thermal resort town of Acqui Terme, Piedmont, Italy.
During the press conference held on Wednesday, organizers officially presented the upcoming tournament, which will be hosted at the Centro Congressi Aquae Statiellae, a venue highly experienced in staging top-tier chess events. With the iconic “La Bollente” hot spring fountain serving as the backdrop for the town, this year’s edition is shaping up to be a historic landmark for senior chess.
The 2026 championship is on track to smash all previous attendance milestones, boasting 240 pre-registered players from 35 different nations. This completely eclipses the tournament’s previous record of 182 participants, which was also set in Acqui Terme back in 2023 under the exact same organizing committee: Scaccomattissimo and Arcoworldchess.
The strength of the field is equally impressive, featuring over 100 FIDE-titled players, including a stellar lineup of Grandmasters, International Masters, and FIDE Masters.
As per tradition, the event will feature four separate tournaments divided into two age brackets: Over 50 and Over 65, with both sections further split into Open and Women’s categories. Consequently, four prestigious European titles will be crowned by the end of the 11-day competition.
The player field features some of the most respected names in continental chess:
Over 50 Open: Leading the starting rank by Elo rating is Grandmaster Jean-Marc Degraeve of France. The top-rated Italian contender in this category is Duilio Collutiis.
Over 50 Women: Romania’s Elena Luminita-Cosma enters as the top seed, though strong competition is expected from Italy’s highly competitive Elena Sedina.
Over 65 Open: Georgian Grandmaster Zurab Sturua leads the pack, while Renzo Mantovani stands out as the highest-rated Italian representative.
Over 65 Women: Highlighting the entire event is the absolute legend of world chess, Nona Gaprindashvili. The Georgian icon is a former Women’s World Champion and a multi-time World Senior Champion, making her the undisputed favorite and star attraction of the tournament.
Every single day of the competition, all games will be broadcast live online, utilizing a massive setup of 120 electronic chessboards running simultaneously. This ensures that fans, families, and chess enthusiasts worldwide can follow every move of the 240 competitors in real-time.
For pre-tournament updates, articles, photos, and live coverage during the event, fans can visit the official Facebook page at this link. Comprehensive tournament details, pairings, and standings will also be hosted on the official website: www.scaccomattissimo.com/ecu-senior2026/.
