The European School Chess Championship 2026 is underway in Trogir, Croatia!
Four rounds have been already played across six age categories: U7, U9, U11, U13, U15, and U17, and most of the sections got sole leaders.
In the U7 age category, Albert-Tudor Jacota (ROU) and Sophia Kaliskami (GRE), tie for the top scoring 3.5/4 points each, with the only drawn game they played between each other. The co-leaders are followed by four players who score 3/4 points each: Hakon Gudbjartsson (ISL), Finnur Arnason (ISL), Tomislav Marnika (CRO) and Mia Stojanovic (CRO).
Ela Sirekbasan (TUR, 1501) is the sole leader of the Girls U9 championship, as the only player in the group with the maximum score of 4/4 points. Anastasia Gvasalia (GEO, 1496), Kayal Vijay (ENG, 1615) and Elvin Mirac Erkanli (TUR) follow with 3/4 points each.
Deniz Irtes (TUR, 1838) emerged as the sole leader of the Open U9 category with the score of 3.5/4 points, and four players trail by half a point: Teodor-Nicolas Haimana (ROU, 1750), Luca-Stefan Cioboata (ROU, 1726), Maks Levacic (SLO, 1739) and Illia Krivtsov (UKR, 1449).
Three players tie for the top of the U11 age category, scoring 3.5/4 points each: Konstantin Mueller (GER, 2044), Meric Zeynel Aker (TUR, 1987), Leonid Ivanovic (SRB, 2181). Sara Saltkhutsishvili (GEO, 1713) and Mariam Rekhviashvili (GEO, 1750) follow with 3/4 points, as the best-ranked girls in the section after four played rounds.
Denys Farkash (UKR, 2158) is in the sole lead in the U13 age section, with the perfect score of 4/4 points. He has a full point edge over Irmak Somyurek (TUR, 1611), Alexandre Ghonghadze (GEO, 1816) and Anna Hrckova (CZE, 1778) who follow with 3/4 points. In the close race for the medals, Somyurek and Hrckova are currently top-ranked girls in this age category.
Leading in the U15 age category, Gabriel Gabadadze (GEO, 2012) scores 3.5/4 points, while Luka Kuntelia (GEO, 2048), Andria Kviriashvii (GEO, 2188), Beren Kalyoncu (TUR, 1840), and Lika Chkhartiashvili (GEO, 1870) closely follow, scoring 3/4 points each. Kalyoncu and Chkhartiashvili are also currently top-ranked girls in the section.
CM Uros Brankovic (SRB, 2072) is in the sole lead in the U17 championship, scoring 3.5/4 points, while WCM Lilian Schirmbeck (GER, 1879), Ela Mullakutukcu (TUR, 1724) and Roko Petric (CRO, 1996) score 2.5 points as the runner-ups. Lilian and Ela are also currently the best-ranked girls in the respective competition.
The European School Chess Championship 2026 commenced last week, and gathers players from 18 European federations. The opening ceremony of the event was held shortly before the start of the first round, on 27th of April. To inaugurate the event, the President of the Croatian Chess Federation Mr. Branimir Jukic, and Secretary of the ECU Events Commission Ms. Nina Rob, representative of the hosting hotel Medena Mr. Nado Tramontana, and Chief Arbiter Mr. Mladen Bratosevic, addressed the players and distinguished guests, wishing them a successful tournament and pleasant time in Croatia.
All rankings, results and pairings from the tournament can be found here.
Photos by Josko Herceg can be found on the Croatian Chess Federation Facebook page
