9th Edition · Thessaloniki · Greece
9

Vardaris International
Chess Tournament

February 19 – 23, 2026 · Hotel Holiday Inn

388 Players
18 Nations
7 Rounds
The Tournament

A Grand Gathering
of Chess Minds

The 9th Vardaris International Chess Tournament was successfully concluded in Thessaloniki, Greece, from February 19 to 23, 2026. Considered one of the most important chess events in the country, Vardaris once again brought together hundreds of players from Greece and beyond.

A total of 388 players competed across 7 intense rounds, with participants representing 18 countries. The event featured 120 foreign players and delivered an extraordinary level of competition, from young prodigies to seasoned grandmasters.

Beyond the board, Vardaris remains faithful to its philosophy: honoring the people behind the games, celebrating hospitality, and building bridges between cultures through the universal language of chess.

🇬🇷 Greece🇮🇹 Italy 🇧🇬 Bulgaria🇹🇷 Turkey 🇲🇰 N. Macedonia🇷🇸 Serbia 🇵🇱 Poland🇩🇪 Germany 🇦🇲 Armenia🇨🇾 Cyprus 🇵🇹 Portugal🇨🇦 Canada 🇺🇸 USA🇬🇪 Georgia 🇧🇦 Bosnia🇷🇺 Russia 🇵🇪 Peru🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 England
"

Vardaris does not focus solely on awarding the winners — it also honors special moments and distinctive presences, viewing chess not only as a competitive sport but as a means of culture, education, and communication.

— Organizing Committee

✈ CITY TOUR FOR INTERNATIONAL GUESTS

A guided bus excursion was organized for international visitors — a journey through Thessaloniki's key historical and cultural landmarks, forming part of the tournament's broader hospitality program.

388Total Players
18Nations
120Foreign Players
7Rounds
9thEdition
Final Standings

Tournament Results

The awards ceremony was conducted by actor and Chess Club SACH member Konstantinos Ravniotopoulos.

Group A — Open Tournament
🥇
Evgenios Ioannidis
Greece · GM
6.5/7
🥈
Christos Kralis
Greece · IM
6.0/7
🥉
Dimitrios Stefanou
Greece · FM
6.0/7
⭐ Best Female: WCM Mustu Hatice Asli (Turkey) — 5.0/7
⭐ Best Veteran: Evgeny Melikhov — 5.0/7

Champion GM Ioannidis delivered a rating performance of 2648.

Group B
🥇
Anatoly Fridman
FIDE · Russia
6.5/7
🥈
Evangelos Polymeras
Greece
6.5/7
🥉
Dimitrios Sarsentos
Greece
5.5/7
⭐ Best Female: Myrsini-Maria Dalla
⭐ Best Veteran: Isaak Avgitedis

Fridman edged out Polymeras on tie-break criteria after both finished level on points.

Group C — U12 Children's
🥇
Jon Fejzullahu
North Macedonia · AFM
6.0/7
🥈
Panagiotis Sidiropoulos
Greece
5.5/7
🥉
Victor Di Giorgio
Greece
5.5/7
⭐ Best Female: Evangelia Rapti — 5.5/7
⭐ U10: G. Gkountroubis & K. Paraskevopoulou
⭐ U8: A. Alexandrakis & Sofia Kaliskami
Twinning ceremony Chess Club SACH and ADSV Vigevano
🤝 TWINNING CEREMONY
Chess Club SACH × ADSV
International Partnership

The Twinning
Ceremony

Chess Club SACH Thessaloniki × ADSV Vigevano

A defining highlight of the 9th Vardaris was the official twinning between Chess Club SACH (Skakistikos Omilos SACH) and the Italian chess club Associazione Dilettantistica Scacchistica Vigevanese (ADSV), from Vigevano — a historic city in the province of Pavia, Italy.

The Vardaris organizing committee extends a warm and personal thank-you to Gianluca Melino, President of ADSV, for his essential support, excellent cooperation, and generous assistance from the very beginning. His contribution was instrumental in turning this twinning into reality.

During the ceremony, Gianluca Melino exchanged commemorative pennants with the President of Chess Club SACH, Vlassis Giorgos, and extended an invitation to all Vardaris participants to attend the Vigevano International Chess Tournament, taking place from May 30 to June 2.

🏰 About ADSV Vigevano

Based in the historic city of Vigevano, ADSV operates from the UGART Multifunctional Center. The club is dedicated to chess culture through youth development, innovation (including Chessboxing events), and community outreach via Chess4Charity. Their flagship event, Vigevano per gli Scacchi, is held in the prestigious Sforzesco Castle and draws players from over 14 federations.

Adriana Palao — WCM, Broadcaster & Content Creator
♛ ADRIANA PALAO
WCM · BROADCASTER
Special Guest · Live Coverage

Adriana Palao

Adriana Palao joined the 9th Vardaris as live commentator and event broadcaster. A Peruvian chess player holding the FIDE Woman Candidate Master (WCM) title, she is an internationally recognized streamer, content creator, and active advocate for women's presence in chess.

  • Holds the FIDE WCM title and runs her own academy ChessAP (adrianapalaochess.com)
  • Former Head of Content at Chess24; collaborated with Champions Chess Tour, PlayMagnus & Chessable
  • Won the Women's Prize in Sligo (January 2025) and became Overall Champion at the Open de Villa de Zahara, Spain
  • Secured 1st place at the Open de Valdepeñas (July 2025)
  • Official broadcaster of "Vigevano for Chess 2025" — appeared on Italian national TV via RAI Play
  • Academic studies in Film and Digital Media; works as trainer and communication consultant
Special Recognition

MEMENTO
Commemorative Medals

Vardaris honors the people behind the games. These special MEMENTO medals were awarded to participants who gave the event its unique and unforgettable character.

👧🧒
Youngest Participants
Sofia Kaliskami (Chess Academy of Nafplio) & Konstantinos Lazarou (Cyprus) — both 6 years old
🎂
Oldest Participant
Italian chess player Andrea Sanson — the tournament's most experienced competitor
🇨🇦
First to Register
Canadian players Aaron Both & Andrew Vlasblom — registered September 5, 2025
🏅
First Confirmed Entry
Lefteris Boutikos — first confirmed participation, dated September 21, 2025
🇵🇹
Duarte Duarte
Driving force behind the Maia Chess Festival in Portugal
♟
Christos Zygouris
A dear friend and one of Greece's strongest amateur chess players
♔ ♕ ♖ ♗ ♘ ♙
Save the Date

10th Vardaris
International Chess Tournament

March 2027 · Thessaloniki, Greece

The next chapter is already being written. Join us for the milestone 10th edition of the Vardaris International Chess Tournament.

Visit Vardaris.com