Club de Ajedrez Casino de Beniaján

♟️ About Club de Ajedrez Casino de Beniaján

Club de Ajedrez Casino de Beniaján is a chess club based in Beniaján, Murcia, Spain. The present organization was officially re-established in 2011 by FM Emilio Sánchez Jerez and WFM Sonia Gil Quílez, reviving an earlier chess tradition in the locality after more than two decades without an active club. Since then, CAC Beniaján has progressed from regional competition to Spain’s highest national team division and currently competes in the División de Honor. The club combines elite team chess with a substantial grassroots program. Through its Ajedrez Master school, it provides face-to-face and online instruction for children and adults at different playing levels. The club also organizes tournaments, simultaneous exhibitions, school activities, and community chess events throughout Murcia. In addition, its teams compete in regional and national championships, while leading members regularly participate in individual competitions. GM José Carlos Ibarra Jerez is the current President and principal institutional contact of Club de Ajedrez Casino de Beniaján. He succeeded his cousin Emilio Sánchez Jerez, who died in 2022 and remains a central figure in the club’s modern history. CAC Beniaján enters the 2026 season as the four-time Spanish División de Honor champion, having won the national title in 2021, 2023, 2024, and 2025. On August 29, 2026, the club is also organizing the II Torneo Memorial Emilio Sánchez Jerez in Beniaján.

📜 History and Development

The current Club de Ajedrez Casino de Beniaján was re-established in 2011. Emilio Sánchez Jerez and Sonia Gil Quílez led the project, while a group of strong Murcian players helped the club build a competitive team around locally connected talent. A major breakthrough came in 2015, when Beniaján won the Spanish Second Division and earned promotion to Primera División. The club then continued its progression through the national structure until it established itself in División de Honor. Beniaján won its first Spanish top-flight championship in 2021. Further titles followed in 2023 and 2024, making the club a three-time champion. In August 2025, the team successfully added a fourth Spanish championship, completing a run of three consecutive División de Honor titles from 2023 through 2025. The club’s current official record also lists 12 regional championships in Murcia, illustrating the strength of its activity at both regional and national levels.

🏆 Four-Time Spanish Team Champion

CAC Beniaján competes nationally under sponsored team names that have included DuoBeniaján Costa Cálida and Beniaján Duochess. Its leading squads have featured strong Spanish and international Grandmasters alongside players developed within Murcia. The 2025 Spanish División de Honor Championship produced the club’s fourth national title. The team included GM Hans Niemann, GM Bogdan-Daniel Deac, GM José Carlos Ibarra Jerez, GM José Cuenca Jiménez, IM Marcos Camacho Collados, and GM Nino Batsiashvili. Beniaján opened the championship with a draw before recording five consecutive victories. Although the team lost its final match, its previous results were sufficient to secure the Spanish title. Batsiashvili delivered an exceptional individual performance, winning all seven of her games. The achievement added the 2025 championship to the club’s previous titles from 2021, 2023, and 2024. Consequently, CAC Beniaján begins the 2026 season as Spain’s reigning four-time División de Honor champion.

🌍 International Team Chess

The club has also expanded its activity beyond Spanish competition. In June 2025, CAC Beniaján traveled to London for the FIDE World Rapid and Blitz Team Championships. Its participation represented an important milestone because Beniaján became the first Spanish chess club to compete in this World Team event. The championship brought together more than 50 international teams containing many of the world’s strongest players. Beniaján finished seventh in the World Rapid Team Championship, securing a top-ten international result during its first appearance. This performance complemented the club’s success in Spanish classical team chess and gave its players experience against leading international squads.

🎓 Chess School and Player Development

Chess education forms the other major pillar of the organization. The club operates its own academy, Ajedrez Master, which offers instruction for different ages and levels. The school provides small-group lessons, individual training, activities in schools, and online instruction. For the 2025–2026 season, its face-to-face program includes teaching locations in several parts of Murcia, including Puente Tocinos and El Palmar. Marcos García Ramos serves as Director of the chess school. He has extensive experience as a chess instructor and coordinates a teaching program that includes other club players and coaches. This structure allows the organization to connect beginner instruction with competitive chess. Therefore, developing players can progress from lessons into club tournaments, regional championships, and team competition.

⚡ Tournament Activity in 2026

CAC Beniaján continues to organize and support tournaments throughout the Murcia region. Its 2026 calendar includes individual rapid and blitz events as well as regional competitions involving club members. On August 28, 2026, the club organized the inaugural Torneo de Ajedrez Odiseo at Odiseo Murcia. The program combined blitz chess with simultaneous exhibition activity. Today, August 29, 2026, the club is organizing the II Torneo Memorial Emilio Sánchez Jerez at Rincón Huertano de Murcia in Beniaján. The competition commemorates the club’s co-founder and former director. Players compete at a rapid time control of 10 minutes + 5 seconds per move. The Memorial reflects Emilio Sánchez Jerez’s continuing importance to the organization. Moreover, it connects the club’s current tournament program with the person who played a decisive role in rebuilding Beniaján chess in 2011 and guiding the club toward national competition.