The Greek Chess Federation (ESO) convened an extraordinary meeting on 16th of September 2026, following the passing of the Federation’s Honorary President, and former President, Mr. Georgios Makropoulos. The Greek Chess Federation’s full resolution of Honour and Remembrance for Mr. Georgios Makropoulos is below.
The Board of Directors of the Greek Chess Federation (ESO) convened in an extraordinary meeting on Wednesday, 16 September 2026, following the passing of the Federation’s Honorary President, Georgios Makropoulos, and unanimously expresses its profound sorrow at the loss of an outstanding personality who linked his name with the history, development and international standing of Greek and world chess.
There are people who serve an institution. There are also people who leave such a profound mark
upon it that the history of that institution cannot be written without mentioning their name. Georgios Makropoulos belongs to the latter category.
A leading Greek chess player, an International Master (IM) since 1979 and seven-time Greek Champion, he represented our country at three Chess Olympiads, twice playing on the first board.
Later, as President of the Greek Chess Federation, he made a decisive contribution to Greece’s
undertaking and organisation of the Thessaloniki Chess Olympiads in 1984 and 1988. His
competitive career, however, was only the first chapter of a much greater journey.
For decades, he served Greek chess in senior administrative positions and, from 1986 onwards,
became a constant and influential presence in the leadership of the World Chess Federation
(FIDE), serving, among other positions, as Deputy President and Vice President. His extensive
experience, organisational ability, profound knowledge of the international chess world and vast
network of relationships he had built made him one of the most distinguished figures in global
chess administration.
Yet Georgios was not defined solely by his titles, positions and achievements. Above all, he was a
fighter—and not only over the chessboard. He faced other, quieter battles in his life. He confronted
serious health challenges with dignity and strength, without allowing these difficulties to become
visible to others and without ever turning them into a personal excuse. He continued to attend, to
work, to plan and to strive, with the same intellectual alertness and determination. Perhaps this was
one of the most characteristic aspects of his personality: he did not focus on the difficulty of the
position, but on finding the best possible move.
And here, perhaps without anyone consciously seeking it, his life meets the game of chess he loved
so deeply. In chess, a game is not decided by a single move. There are variations to be calculated,
difficult positions to withstand, plans to maintain and, above all, the ability to continue searching
for the best move when the position appears lost. Georgios Makropoulos knew these things. He
knew them on the chessboard. He knew them in life as well. He was a man who did not readily
abandon a position and was not afraid of difficult variations. He knew that great games are not
always won through spectacular moves, but through endurance, patience, foresight and faith in the
plan. Perhaps that is why his absence today feels so profound. Because Georgios was not simply
another person who passed through the world of chess.
He lived chess as an athlete, served it as an administrator, represented it internationally and worked
for its development for many decades. It is no coincidence that FIDE bids farewell to him as one of
the most important figures in Greek and international chess, recognising his unique contribution to
the administration and development of the sport.
The chess community is called upon to continue without a man who for decades stood at the centre
of major decisions, major events and critical moments. Yet his legacy does not disappear. It remains
in the institutions he served, in the events he envisioned and brought to fruition, in the relationships
he built, in the people who worked alongside him and in the generations of chess players and
administrators who will know his name. For great players leave behind more than a game. They
leave a position, a plan and a legacy.
Today, the Board of Directors of the Greek Chess Federation (ESO), fully aware of the immeasurable value of his contribution, bids farewell with deep emotion and the utmost respect not only to its Honorary President, but to a man who linked his name with the entire modern era of Greek and international chess. His loss leaves a void that can never be filled within the Greek chess family and the international chess community. His memory will, of course, remain alive through his work, the institutions he served, the major events he helped bring to fruition and, above all, through the indelible mark he leaves on Greek and world chess.
For these reasons, the Board of Directors unanimously resolves:
- To express its profound sorrow at the loss of the Honorary President of the Greek Chess
Federation, Georgios Makropoulos, and its sincere condolences to our dear Marina and his
family, relatives and friends. - To send a letter of condolence to the family of the deceased on behalf of the Board of
Directors. - To cover the funeral expenses of the deceased.
- To lay a wreath at the funeral of the deceased on behalf of the Greek Chess Federation
(ESO). - To attend the funeral service with a delegation representing the Federation.
- To have the President of the ESO deliver the eulogy on behalf of the Federation
- To observe one (1) minute of silence in memory of the deceased:
(a) at the first official event organised by the ESO;
(b) at the first meeting of the Board of Directors; and
(c) during the matches to be held by the Unions, Local Committees and chess clubs on the weekend of 19 and 20 September 2026. - To have members of the National Teams wear black mourning armbands during their
matches and to request from the World Chess Federation (FIDE), prior to the start of
the fourth round of the Olympiad, that one minute of silence be observed in the playing
hall, as a minimum tribute to his memory. - To name the Board of Directors’ meeting room the “Georgios Makropoulos Meeting
Room.” - To send this Resolution of Honour and Remembrance to the family of the deceased and to communicate it to the Unions, Local Committees and chess clubs of the Greek Chess Federation (ESO), the European Chess Union (ECU), the World Chess Federation (FIDE), and the General Secretariat of Sports (GGA) of the Ministry of Education, Religious Affairs and Sports.
- To publish this Resolution on the ESO website and social media channels.
- To consider the establishment of an annual event and/or other institutional initiative in memory of Georgios Makropoulos, as a tangible recognition of his many years of valuable service and as a means of preserving his legacy for future generations.