Vangelis Patrelakis and Maria Tsakona crowned Greek champions
IM Vangelis Patrelakis and WFM Maria Tsakona emerged as the winners of the Panhellenic Individual Championship in the open and women’s categories, respectively, each claiming their maiden national title. The 74th Panhellenic Championship and the 47th Panhellenic Women’s Championship were held concurrently in Aigio, Western Greece, from December 3 to 11. Both events followed a 10-player round-robin format under classical time controls. The 74th Panhellenic Championship was one of the most exciting in recent years, marked by an exceptionally close contest. Notably, no player finished the tournament unbeaten, with three participants—GMs Vasilios Kotronias, defending champion Stamatis Kourkoulos-Arditis, along with IM Vangelis Patrelakis—entering the final round tied for first place on 5/9 points. Kotronias and Kourkoulos-Arditis drew their final games, while the 21-year-old Patrelakis secured a crucial victory over Konstantinos Tsarsitalidis to clinch the title. Kotronias and Kourkoulos-Arditis shared second place with 5.5/9 points, with Kotronias taking silver on the basis of a superior Sonneborn–Berger score (the third tiebreaker). Final standings – Open In the 47th Panhellenic Women’s Championship, 19-year-old WFM Maria Tsakona dominated the field, securing the title with a round to spare and an impressive score of 7.5/9. Andrianna Anastasopoulou finished two points behind the champion to earn silver, while last year’s winner, WFM Georgia Grapsa, completed the podium with 5/9 points, reaffirming her consistent presence among Greece’s top female players. Final standings – Women “This year’s Championship was a true celebration of Greek chess—high-stakes, intensely competitive, with new talents dynamically vying for their place among the country’s top players. ESO will continue to support the young generation and take initiatives to elevate chess across Greece,” said Professor Stathis Evstathopoulos, President of the Greek Chess Federation, at the closing ceremony. Photos: Greek Chess Federation
FIDE World Cadet and Youth Rapid & Blitz Championships 2026: Registration now open
All FIDE member federations are invited to participate in the FIDE World Cadet U8, U10, U12 and FIDE World Youth U14, U16, U18 Rapid & Blitz Chess Championships 2026 to be held in Vrnjachka Banja, Serbia, from April 14 (arrival) to April 21 (departure) 2026. Gold medal winners from the 2025 World Cadet & Youth Rapid and Blitz Championships of the corresponding (or higher), age category have personal rights to participate provided they meet age requirements specified in the Invitation Letter. These participants will receive free full-board accommodation in double rooms. The participants, who need to apply for Serbian visa, shall submit their request for Invitation Letter no later than February 10, 2026. All registrations must be submitted exclusively through national federations. The registration deadline for participants and accompanying persons is March 20, 2026. Registration form (XLSX) Regulations and Invitation Letter (PDF) Email: wcyrb@fide.com Official website (coming soon): wcyrb2026.fide.com