1st World Cadet Chess Solving Championship

The youngest players are more interested in chess composition

Two weeks after the 1st FIDE & WFCC World Youth Chess Solving Championships in Brazil (U14, U16, and U18 years), we were hoping that younger categories of players (U8, U10 and U12), participants of the World Chess Championships in Italy (Montesilvano, November 14-27), will be less pressed with OTB ambitions and more curious to try themselves in solving. In Brazil, the numbers of solvers per group were inversely proportional to their age, and the same tendency was shown in Italy, where each age category had more solvers than all three groups in Florianópolis together!

The 1st World Cadet Chess Solving Championship took place on 21st November, with 228 solvers, including 87 girls. →read more (show/hide)…

We hope the new tradition of joint FIDE & WFCC solving events will be growing in quantity and quality from 2025 on.

Marjan Kovačević, WFCC president

(See a wider FIDE report: https://www.fide.com/news/3326)

Photos: Patricia Claros Aguilar

WCCI 2022-2024: Announcement

The WFCC is inviting composers of all countries to participate in the 2022-24 WCCI. The tourney director is Narayan Shankar Ram (email: wccixx24@gmail.com). The competition will be held according to the General Rules as published on WFCC website. For the convenience of participants, the main rules are included in this Announcement, but the General Rules remain valid for anything not specifically defined herein.

Participants may submit their entries by January 20, 2025

Quick links: WCCI | Announcement (page) | Announcement (PDF)


18th European Chess Solving Championship: Invitation

Invitation to the 18th European Chess Solving Championship

Τhe Greek Chess Composition Committee has the honor to invite the European national teams and individual solvers to participate in the 18th European Chess Solving Championship. The event will be held from Friday, April 25th to Sunday, April 27th in the center of Athens in Greece.

VENUE: The main hall of University of Athens (https://maps.app.goo.gl/qeE2r84YG7ZWpHwS8)
Address: Panepistimiou Street 30, right outside the “Panepistimio” metro station.

PDF Announcement | You can reach us at: 2025ecsc@gmail.com
Official website with participant registration form will soon be available.


Bern 09.11.2024 – World Solving Cup 2024/2025

39th Open Swiss Solving Championship 2024 | 1st tournament of World Solving Cup 2024/2025:
Participants: 24 | Winner: Roland Baier (SUI – Swiss Champion) ahead of Thomas Maeder (SUI) and Marek Kolčák (SVK).
1st FM norm of Igor Yarmonov (UKR) and 1st FM norm and IM norm of Roland Ott (SUI)
Average rating of top ten solvers: 2453.70 | WSC category: 4
Top 5 WSC Standings: 1. Roland Baier (SUI) 31 points, 2. Thomas Maeder (SUI) 27 points, 3. Marek Kolčák (SVK) 23 points, 4. Roland Ott (SUI) 19 points, 5. Ulrich Voigt (GER) 16 points.
More details: Competitions→Solving→World Solving Cup & NormsSolving Portal

photos by Franziska Iseli


1st World Youth Chess Solving Championship

Girls outsmarted boys in Brazil

Florianópolis, the capital of southern Brazil’s Santa Catarina state, was the venue of the 1st FIDE & WFCC World Youth Chess Solving Championships in the Open and Girls categories for participants up to 14, 16 & 18 years. The solving competitions in these six categories were held in the context of the World OTB Championships in the same age and gender categories, during the free day in the OTB events, on 4th November 2024.

→read more (show/hide)…

Before turning thoughts to 21st November and the 1st World Cadets Chess Solving Championships (U8, U10 & U12) in Montesilvano (Italy), you may read the report from Florianópolis, by Marcos Roland, one of the main organizers of the 1st WYCSC:

Solving in Floripa: 1st WYCSC reapproximates chess composition and OTB chess


WFCC online meeting, 25th October 2024

  • ECSC 2025 in Athens,
  • WCCC & WCSC in Alba Iulia

An online WFCC Meeting took part via Zoom connection on 25th October 2024, organized and executed by WFCC secretary Mohammad Alhallak. Among 35 participants there were delegates or deputies of 28 countries: Argentine, Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Great Britain, Greece, India, Israel, Italy, Japan, Latvia, Lithuania, Netherlands, Poland, Romania, Russia, Serbia, Slovakia, Sweden, Switzerland, and Ukraine.

Agenda with all the details

The first topic to discuss and decide on was selection of the hosts for the two regular yearly events in 2025, 18th European Chess Solving Championship and 67th World Congress of Chess Composition (including 48th World Chess Solving Championship).

The only bid for ECSC 2025 came from Greece and was accepted by acclamation. The 18th ECSC will be held in University of Athens, from 25th to 27th April 2025.

During discussion about the three bids for WCCC & WCSC 2025, Honorary Member Hannu Harkola commented expressed opinion that according to the Statutes only the bids from member countries should be taken in consideration, and not the Montenegro bid. Since we have had exceptions before (Turkey ECSC 2008 and Montenegro ECSC 2014), the case was put on voting, and the bid wasn’t accepted, with 15 votes against it, 8 for, and 5 abstentions.

→read more (show/hide)…

Marjan Kovačević suggested that in the current situation, with four WFCC member countries involved in wars, the WFCC needs to establish an Ethic Committee to work on Ethic Codex. Upon his proposal, Honorary Presidents Klaus Wenda and Harry Fouigiaxis, as well as the delegate of India Narayan Shankar Ram accepted to be the members if the working group, with Mr. Fougiaxis as the leader.

Marjan Kovačević, WFCC president


Solvers’ ratings October 1st 2024

Solvers’ ratings as of October 1st 2024 produced by the Solving Tournament Manager are published on the WFCC Solving Portal.
Only 3 tournaments of the 3rd quarter 2024 are included: 6th Ukrainian Cup 2024, Open Solving Tournament of WCCC 2024, 47th World Chess Solving Championship 2024.
Ranking of the top 10 solvers: 1. Danila Pavlov (FID) 2818.95, 2. Kacper Piorun (POL) 2717.28, 3. Piotr Murdzia (POL) 2700.12, 4. John Nunn (GBR) 2654.46, 5. Ural Khasanov (FID) 2653.87, 6. Nikos Sidiropoulos (GRE) 2590.25, 7. Bojan Vučković (SRB) 2585.61, 8. Aleksey Popov (FID) 2577.85, 9. Eddy Van Beers (BEL) 2577.04, 10. Ilija Serafimović (SRB) 2560.25.
Nikos Sidiropoulos and Ilija Serafimović among the top 10 solvers for the first time!
Largest five gains: women junior Anna Ličková (CZE) +123.52, junior Chinguun Sumiya (MGL) +91.88, junior Alexandru Mihalcescu (ROU) +83.16, Modris Rāviņš (LAT) +73.54, Lev Glanzspiegel (ISR) +64.06


World Solving Cup season 2024/2025

According to the Rules for the World Solving Cup (WSC) member countries of the FIDE can register for the WSC until one month after the end of the WFCC congress. By the end of this period, 17 countries had registered for the 2024/2025 season. The Open Solvings of the ECSC and the next WCCC will also count for it.
Information on announcements, results, problems and solutions will be published on the WFCC Solving Portal at this link: https://solving.wfcc.ch/wsc/2024-2025/info.html

Roland Ott, director WSC season 2024/2025


Invitation to the 21st  ISC

The International Solving Contest next year will take place on Sunday 19.01.2025. The event is happening simultaneously in all participating countries.

There will be three categories: one for experienced solvers. The second category is intended for weaker, inexperienced solvers. This second category is not open for solvers with a rating (or half-rating or non-active-rating) of more than 2000.
The third category is intended for youngsters born after 31.12.2011.

According the WFCC sanctions against Russia and Belarus because of the war in Ukraine only tournaments in category-3 are possible in Russia/Belarus.
According to the decision at the WCCC in Jūrmala, no cash prizes are permitted for all participating countries.

Separate results are recorded for youth, females and seniors. For Categories 1 and 2 the results of solvers will be rated. However for all solvers no norms for titles are possible.

The name of the locally appointed controller must reach the central controller by e-mail not later than 31.12.2024.

Announcement of 21st ISC | Rules of ISC

Thank you for your cooperation,
Arvydas Mockus
Central controller of ISC 2025


66th WCCC – Highlights and Decisions

30 member countries were present, 4 of them via Zoom connection.

Upcoming events 2024:

21st International Solving Contest (ISC) on 19.01.2025, Director Arvydas Mockus.

The deadlines for bids for 67th WCCC, 48th WCSC & 18th ECSC were extended till October 5 2024, the final decisions will be made in an online Meeting after that. The only bid presented before the Congress, to hold WCCC & WCSC 2025 in Moscow, wasn’t supported by the assembly.