ECSC – WFCC

WFCC Fujairah Grand Prix – Athens

By admin 27/04/2025 27/04/2025 ECSC

18. ECSC Athens

By admin 26/04/2025 03/05/2025 ECSC

13 teams and 77 individuals (3 unofficial without rating calculations) from 17 countries participated in the 18^th European Chess Solving Championship in Athens, that was also the 1^st leg of the new competition, the WFCC Fujairah Grand Prix 2025-26.

18. ECSC Final Results

The three top teams: Poland, Greece 1, Lithuania
The three top individuals: Eddy Van Beers, Piotr Murdzia, Martynas Limontas

Athens was the ECSC venue for the third time in the last ten years. Such an experience has contributed to the exceptionally high level of the organization, lead by Nikos and George Mendrinos. The gorgeous palace of the University of Athens offered memorable conditions for the weekend full of solving events.

My work on selecting the ECSC problems started on 9^th October 2024, in a perfect coordination with Axel Steinbrink. In January the complete selection was agreed, but on 19^th January one of the selected problems appeared in ISC, and had to be replaced. The final standings prove the optimal balance of difficulty: no problem went unsolved, and nobody reached the maximal 90 points. The average number of points (from zero to 81) was 44.3, and the solver in the middle of the standings (38. Audrey Kueh) gained 42.5 points. These numbers are optimal and I’m very pleased about them.

The ECSC results were counted for the 1^st leg of the WFCC Fujairah Grand Prix 2025-26. It asked for a more strict anti-cheating measures than before, including the use of metal-detector in two longest rounds, when going to the toilet was allowed. This was achieved with the help of the WFCC Secretary Mohammad Alhallak. Solvers reacted appropriately and no incidents or series remarks were registered.

I would like to stress cooperation with the “best assistant in the world” Axel Steinbrink, the expert No.1 in all solving matters. Without him I wouldn’t fulfill my role on the desired level. I was assisting him on the Open, when Nikos Mendrinos made an excellent selection, and the WFCC Honorary President Harry Fougiaxis was the best helper we could have, during the both competitions. We all enjoyed the perfect technical help from George Mendrinos.
Borislav Gadjanski, 18^th ECSC Director

Preliminary results after 1^st Round TEAM | INDIVIDUAL
Preliminary results after 2^nd Round TEAM | INDIVIDUAL
Preliminary results after 3^rd Round TEAM | INDIVIDUAL
Preliminary results after 4^th Round TEAM | INDIVIDUAL
Preliminary results after 5^th Round TEAM | INDIVIDUAL
Preliminary results (after 6^th Round) TEAM | INDIVIDUAL | Norms & Titles

ECSC 2025 – Open

By admin 25/04/2025 26/04/2025 ECSC

The first competition of the 18th ECSC was the traditional Open solving tournament, one of the most important legs of the WFCC World Solving Cup 2024-25, with 75 participants. The selection of the problems was made by Nikos Mendrinos.

Opening of the 18th ECSC

By admin 25/04/2025 25/04/2025 ECSC

In the impressive main hall of the old building of the Athens University, the 18th European Chess Solving Championship began with a press conference. Covered by Greek media, the conference announced the most important events of the week, including the 1st leg of the new competition, WFCC Fujairah Grand Prix cycle 2025-26. The first one to address the audience was Abdulla Ali Aal Barket, the Grand Prix Director, and the WFCC 1st Vice-President. He was joined by the highest representatives of the hosts, the WFCC Honorary President Harry Fougiaxis and the Greek Chess Federation President Stathis Efstathopoulos, who was also a Vice-Rector of the Athens University.

The conference, run by one of the 18th ECSC organizers George Mendrinos, ended with media questions replied by WFCC President Marjan Kovačević and the WFCC Secretary Mohammad Alhallak.

-> The full video of the press conference

Make sure to book your Athens tours in advance by following the instructions in the ‘Accommodation – Athens‘ section on the official event website!

18th ECSC: Last call for registration

By admin 07/03/2025 07/03/2025 ECSC

Important information: In order to get a discounted participation fee please submit the registration form by March 10^th !

The ECSC 2025 will be held from Friday, April 25^th to Sunday, April 27^th 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 | ECSC 2025 Official Website | Contact: 2025ecsc@gmail.com

18th ECSC: Invitation / Website

By admin 05/02/2025 05/02/2025 ECSC

The Official Website of the 18^th European Chess Solving Championship is launched!

The ECSC 2025 will be held from Friday, April 25^th to Sunday, April 27^th 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 | ECSC 2025 Official Website | Contact: 2025ecsc@gmail.com

WFCC Fujairah Grand Prix 2025-26

By admin 23/12/2024 24/12/2024 ECSC, Other, WCCC/WCSC

WFCC Presidium has the pleasure of presenting an important project to popularize chess composition and assure better conditions for our most important solving competitions.

Upon a personal initiative of HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Hamad Al Sharqi, Crown Prince of Fujairah, our UAE members, WFCC Vice-President Abdulla Ali Aal Barket, and WFCC Secretary Mohammad Alhallak, have realized the project of the WFCC Fujairah Grand Prix cycle 2025-26, the first cycle of what is planned to be a traditional competition.

See the detailed WFCC Fujairah Grand Prix Regulations

The Grand Prix 2025-26 consists of (at least) four qualifying solving competitions, leading to the final competition in Fujairah, at the end of 2026. →read more (show/hide)…

The qualifying stages may be any strong solving competitions, but the highest points in qualifications and the highest prizes will be earned in two strongest competitions: WCSC & ECSC.

The organizers of WCSC & ECSC 2025 have confirmed they would join the Grand Prix cycle, so the results from these two competitions will complete qualifications in 2025. If the 2026 hosts of ECSC or WCSC decide not to be a part of the Grand Prix cycle, the results of two other 2026 solving events will be counted instead of the results of ECSC/WCSC. Thus, the 2025-26 cycle may consist of 4, 5 or 6 qualifying stages.

Each ECSC leg will have a budget of 12,000 €, including 2,000 € allocated to the host for covering the expenses of judges, solving halls, etc. The remaining 10,000 € will be distributed to the winners in general standings; to the most successful women, seniors, domestic participants and juniors in different age categories (U23, U18 & U14), as well as to the best participants in different rating categories. The highest individual prize is 1,000 € – for the individual ECSC winner.

The budget for the WCSC leg is 15,000 €, including 3,000 € allocated to the organizing expenses. The fund for solvers of 12,000 € will be distributed to proportionally increased prizes for the same categories of solvers as in the ECSC leg. The highest prize is 1,250 €, for the individual WCSC winner.

In the Fujairah Final, the prize fund will be 27,000 € for solvers, and 3,000 € for composers. The problems and endgames to be solved in the Final will be originals, each composed by a different author. The Top Ten solvers in the final standings will vote for the best problem/endgame in each of the six rounds.

The part of the Grand Prix budget allocated to organizing costs should allow better overall conditions and a dignified status of judges and competitors (adequate solving hall, coffee breaks, appropriate closing ceremony with cups and medals, etc). With the lack of human resources we’ve been facing (including organizers and judges), and with a constant rise of prices, the budget for organizing costs comes as a very valuable support to the WFCC.

The Grand Prix budget isn’t related to the WFCC budget. The competitions using the Grand Prix budget are obliged to promote the official logo of the Grand Prix in official presentations, such as websites, banners and rolls up:

WFCC Presidium welcomes this generous initiative of the UAE members to assure continuation of our most important competitions and to lift them to a higher level. We trust the WFCC Fujairah Grand Prix 2025-26 will be a great success and the beginning of a long lasting tradition.

Merry Christmas to all lovers of chess composition!

18th European Chess Solving Championship: Invitation

By admin 24/11/2024 24/11/2024 ECSC

Invitation to the 18^th 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 25^th to Sunday, April 27^th 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.

ECSC 2024, Hagen: ceremony & winners

By admin 21/04/2024 21/04/2024 ECSC

20-21.04.24. 17^th European Chess Solving Championship in Hagen, Germany.
Directors: Axel Steinbrink & Luc Palmans.
Individual winners: Kacper Piorun (Poland), Bojan Vučković (Serbia), Jakub Marciniszyn (Poland)
Team winners: Poland, Serbia, Lithuania

Open ECSC 2024. Directors: Axel Steinbrink & Luc Palmans.
Winners: Piotr Murdzia (Poland), Kacper Piorun (Poland), Kari Karhunen (Finland)

Fairy Solving. Main Judge: Torsten Linß | Problems Selected by: Juraj Lörinc
Winners: Thomas Maeder (Switzerland), Vlaicu Crișan (Romania), Vidmantas Satkus (Lithuania)

Retro Solving. Main Judge: Thomas Brand | Problems Selected by: Thomas Brand
Winners: Michel Caillaud (France), Audrey Kueh (Great Britain), Vlaicu Crișan (Romania)