On Tuesday August 19th, in the Hotel Energetic in Roznov pod Radhostem in the Czech Republic, the 23rd European Union Youth Chess Championship U8, U10, U12 and U14 has started. European Union Youth Chess Championship 2025 under the patronage of the European Chess Union is organized again by Sachovy klub Svetla nad Sazavou in cooperation with the Czech Chess Federation and continue in previous successful years. The event is supported by the Zlin Region.
Boys and girls in each category play the same tournament. Eventually boys and girls will be evaluated separately. The rate of play is 90 min for the whole game + 30 sec increment for each move played. There will be 9 rounds, one round every day. This prestigious event attracted many chess players. This year’s participation is record-breaking. 127 players from 16 national ECU federations are going to participate in the championship!
In the U-8 category, we have 27 players on the starting list, including 10 girls, in the U10 there are 35 players, including 16 girls, in the U12 there is 37 players, including 17 girls, and in the oldest category we will welcome 28 players, including 14 girls. The highest-seeded player in the 23rd European Union Youth Chess Championship 2025 is the Polish representative Andrii Diachek (2223), who starts in the U14 category. The highest-seeded girl is the Polish representative Lila Rzadkowska (1964), who will starts in the U12 girls category.
For player’s parents and all chess fans the organizers prepared chess and non-chess activities, plus on-line transmissions of all the games! All participants can use the hotel’s facilities for active rest and recreation. Roznov and its mountainous surroundings are famous for their versatile sports activities. Participants will certainly enjoy visiting the Wallachian Open Air Museum with the largest open-air museum in Central Europe.
On Wednesday August 27th we are going to know eight new champions of EU for the year 2025. For the winners of each category of boys and girls, there are prepared notebooks and for the 2nd and 3rd places in each category digital chess clocks are prepared. The next three players in each category will receive a valuable chess prize. All participants will receive memorial diploma and medal. Every player will receive at least one price because everyone will be awarded with a T-shirt with the logo of the championship. After each round there will be announced the best game of every category awarded with a material price.
On the website of Czech Chess Federation we will be releasing the news as the championship continues. Among others (results, live games etc.) you can await a rich photo gallery.
Zdenek Fiala, director
Sachovy klub Svetla nad Sazavou
Official Website of the Championship
Live game broadcast: