Corfu Crowns New School Chess Champions After Island-Wide Tournament
Corfu, June 12 – The 14th Corfu School Chess Championship 2025-26, one of the island’s largest and most established school sports events, has successfully concluded. More than 3,000 students from schools across Corfu participated in the championship, culminating in a grand final round where 230 finalists competed for top honors.
The final phase of the tournament took place on June 5 and 6 at the Corfu Chess Players’ Association clubhouse in the New Port. This event brought together the brightest young chess talents, crowning new champions and championesses of Corfiot school chess.
Eight Months of Intense Competition
This year’s championship spanned eight months, from September to April, involving schools from every corner of the island. Out of the more than 3,000 students who sat at the chessboard, 230 advanced to the grand final, where they competed in five intense rounds.
Champions Across Age Groups
In the Kindergarten category, Leonidas Vlachos (1st Thinalion) emerged as the champion. Lydia Pouliasi (1st Thinalion) secured both second place overall and first place among girls in the same category. Makis Chalmoukis (6th Corfu) took first place in the 1st Grade Primary School category, while Angelos Makantakis (Kanali) was the champion in the 2nd Grade Primary School. Maximos Delalis (12th Corfu) won the 3rd Grade Primary School title, Spyros Gasteratos (Kanali) triumphed in the 4th Grade Primary School, Stefanos Skordilis (1st Corfu) in the 5th Grade Primary School, and Alteos Poula (Agios Markos) in the 6th Grade Primary School.
Among the girls’ categories, notable champions included Lydia Chatzianthrou (1st Grade Primary School, 1st Thinalion), Elena Mikalef (2nd Grade Primary School, 12th Corfu), Anastasia Panaretou (3rd Grade Primary School, Kanali), Sofelia Tanti (4th Grade Primary School, 4th Experimental Corfu), Stamatina Giannopoulou (5th Grade Primary School, 13th Corfu), and Natalia Panaretou (6th Grade Primary School, Kanali).
Awards Ceremony and Distinguished Guests
The event was held under the auspices of the Directorate of Primary and Secondary Education of the Ionian Islands. Following the conclusion of the games, an awards ceremony was held to honor the winners. Commemorative diplomas were also presented to all finalists. The awards were presented by Sakis Plouskas, representative of the Thinalion Chess Club; Konstantinos Skordilis, General Director of Administration, Finance, and Informatics for the Ionian Islands Region; and Konstantinos Mikalef, Deputy Fire Chief and Commander of the 2nd Airport Fire Station in Corfu.
The successful completion of the championship once again confirmed the dynamic growth of school chess in Corfu, highlighting new talents and keeping alive an institution that has become a national benchmark.
Source: https://enimerosi.com/sport/107775/3000-paidia-sti-skakiera-230-finalist-ston-megalo-teliko-tis-kerkuras
