ECU 2030

"You could see it in the eyes of young Sindarov" European Chess Union (ECU) President and former 2700+ player Zurab Azmaiparashvili recounts a wonderful episode from the journey of young Javokhir Sindarov.

Introducing C.E.S.S. — A Historic Milestone for Chess in Europe We are proud to spotlight a landmark moment for the chess community: the C.E.S.S. Project - "Competences and Higher Education through Chess" - a groundbreaking EU-funded initiative awarded to the Romanian Chess Federation under the Smart Growth, Digitalization and Financial Instruments Programme 2021-2027 (PoCIDIF). With a total investment of 4,5 million euros, this is one of the most significant European funding achievements in the history of chess - a powerful testament to the sport's growing recognition as a tool for education, competitiveness, and digital transformation. The project sets out to fully digitalize the operations of the Romanian Chess Federation, building a state-of-the-art integrated IT platform to streamline club management, competition organization, player affiliation, and chess education - bringing the federation's services to a new standard of excellence for hundreds of thousands of players and stakeholders. The official launch event takes place on 14 May 2026 in Bucharest, marking the formal start of a transformation that will set a new benchmark for chess administration across Europe. This is not just a Romanian success story. It is a signal to chess federations across Europe: our sport belongs in the digital age, and the European Union is ready to invest in it.

This Mother’s Day, I would like to thank my mom for always being my major pillar of support and for teaching me to always keep going no matter what! Wishing all the mothers a very happy Mother’s Day!