Monaco hosted a high-level gathering of young international chess players this week as eight national teams met in the Principality for the 13th edition of the tournament organised by the Monegasque Chess Federation…
Staged over three days at the Casa d’i Soci, the event brought together rising talents from across Europe for a competition that combined serious sporting ambition with a strong spirit of exchange and friendship.
The tournament featured teams from Monaco, the Netherlands, Iceland, Germany, Ireland, England, Estonia and Italy, with 10 players in each squad ranging from under-12 to under-20 level. The standard of play was notably strong, with several participants already holding recognised titles or ranking credentials in their home countries, underlining the event’s growing status on the youth chess calendar.
Final day matches saw the young players face long, intense games in near-total silence, with concentration and composure proving just as important as technical skill. Each move carried weight in officially rated contests that counted towards rankings, giving the tournament real competitive significance for the players involved.
Alongside the main competition, the programme also included a blitz format, offering a faster and more relaxed conclusion after the pressure of the longer matches. While the results mattered, the tournament’s wider purpose remained clear throughout: to give young players the chance to test themselves against top international opposition, build friendships across borders and deepen their experience in one of the game’s most demanding disciplines.
Image: Monaco Info