Şahul ţine mintea verde-Cerc de şah Alexandru

The Erasmus+ “Chess Without Age” mobility has been successfully completed

From 16 to 22 August 2026, representatives of the Romanian Chess Federation took part in Spain in the mobility activity carried out within the Erasmus+ project “Chess Without Age – Mobility for Active Aging and Intergenerational Inclusion Through Sport”, Project No. 2026-1-RO01-KA182-SPO-000394714.

The mobility was hosted by Club Ajedrez 64 Villalba and brought together 10 participants from the Romanian Chess Federation across two distinct types of activities: job shadowing and coaching/training assignments.

It was an intensive, productive, and highly valuable week for the future development of chess programs for seniors and intergenerational activities.

Over the course of the seven days, we followed a progressively structured learning journey: from understanding activity models designed for seniors and adapting teaching methods, to exploring the psychological dimension of working with older adults, practical and demonstrative activities, collaboration between seniors and juniors, and finally, analysing opportunities to transfer these practices to Romania.

However, the mobility does not represent the end of the project. It marks the beginning of the transfer and implementation phase.

The reflection, feedback, and professional exchange sessions helped us identify methods, activities, and principles that can be adapted and applied in chess clubs across Romania.

The next step is to transform the experience gained into methodological tools, practical resources, and activity models for seniors and intergenerational groups.

This is particularly important as one of the project’s objectives is to develop sustainable programs for people aged 60+, integrated into the regular activities of sports clubs, as well as to create educational materials and good-practice guides.

In the coming period, we will continue to analyse the feedback, observations, and materials collected by the participants, document the learning outcomes, and prepare the transfer of good practices across the network of chess clubs in Romania.

We would like to thank Club Ajedrez 64 Villalba for their hospitality, openness, support, and generous exchange of experience throughout the entire mobility.

We also thank all participants for their involvement, professionalism, questions, ideas, and contributions to the activities. A mobility experience becomes truly valuable not only through what we see and learn during one week, but especially through what we are able to build afterwards using the knowledge and experience gained.

We thank the European Union and the Erasmus+ Programme for the opportunity to develop new competences, create professional connections, and bring European models and good practices to Romania that can contribute to active ageing, social inclusion, and intergenerational dialogue through sport.

The experience in Spain has come to an end. The work for “Chess Without Age” continues in Romania.

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Project: “Chess Without Age – Mobility for Active Aging and Intergenerational Inclusion Through Sport”

Programme Erasmus+ | KA182-SPO – Mobility of staff in the field of sport
Project No.2026-1-RO01-KA182-SPO-000394714
Beneficiary Romanian Chess Federation
Host organisation:Club Ajedrez 64 Villalba, Spain

Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA). Neither the European Union nor EACEA can be held responsible for them.

Russia is out of the 2026 Chess Olympiad.

After months of uncertainty, lobbying and debate, FIDE has drawn a line: Russian national teams will not compete in Samarkand.

It’s a significant decision for an Olympiad that will bring a record 208 Open teams and 192 Women’s teams together but it also leaves a much bigger question hanging over chess.

FIDE’s position on Russia has shifted several times in recent years. This decision suggests the door is not opening as quickly as some expected.

For Ukraine, it is a major victory. For Russia, another Olympiad will pass without its national teams.

But is this the right call for international chess and what should happen next?
Full story, link in commments.


Photo: Pavel Dvorkovich/FIDE.

♟️ Un șah mai bine organizat începe cu reguli și procese mai clare.

Șahul înseamnă logică, structură, decizii asumate și încredere. Aceleași principii sunt importante și în modul în care este organizată activitatea șahistă.

Prin proiectul Competențe și Educație Superioară prin Șah – C.E.S.S., Federația Română de Șah dezvoltă Sistemul Informatic Integrat C.E.S.S., care va susține educația prin șah, competițiile și serviciile dedicate comunității șahiste.

Sistemul va contribui la organizarea mai coerentă a proceselor, la simplificarea accesului la informații și servicii și la consolidarea unei relații mai transparente între Federație și comunitate.

Pentru cluburi, jucători, antrenori, arbitri, profesori și elevi, mai multă claritate înseamnă servicii mai ușor de utilizat și mai multă încredere.

Iar încrederea este esențială pentru dezvoltarea pe termen lung a șahului românesc.

♟️ Să fie șah!

How do you connect schoolchildren living on remote islands and in isolated mountainous regions?
Vera Avramidou, President of the School Chess Committee of the Greek Chess Federation, shares a success story from Greece:
🌐 The School Chess Committee of the Ελληνική Σκακιστική Ομοσπονδία - Greek Chess Federation just proved that chess is the ultimate digital and social connector with the successful completion of the "Chess Bridges 2026" initiative!
This year, the program achieved explosive growth, making a true "checkmate to distance": 📈 +313.85% increase in student participation (growing from 65 to 204 students!) 🏝️ 17 remote Greek islands connected (from Mykonos and Crete to Rhodes and Lesvos) ⛰️ 3 key mainland regions integrated (Igoumenitsa, Pyrgos, and Oropos) 🏫 39 schools joined forces to build this incredible digital bridge
Through 7 specialised training sessions and exciting online tournaments, "Chess Bridges 2026" has successfully broken down barriers to isolation, offering equal opportunities in sports, education and culture to every child, no matter how remote their home is.
👏 Huge congratulations to the organisers, coordinators, teachers, and especially the young players, who showed us that their passion for chess knows no boundaries!
🏆 Outstanding recognition goes to Mr. Dimitrios Ntountaniotis, the General Supervisor and Coordinator, for his meticulous design, flawless implementation, and dedication to coordinating these impactful actions across Greece!
🔗 Read more about the initiative and its results on the official website of the Greek Chess Federation: https://www.chessfed.gr/archives/20483
European Chess Union

https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029Va4Jwl8Fy727mD6tHb2L/3691

" I like the moment i break a man's ego"

Bobby Fischer