Martesana Scacchi

♟️ About Martesana Scacchi A.S.D.

Martesana Scacchi A.S.D., formally registered with the Federazione Scacchistica Italiana as Martesana Scacchi – Associazione Sportiva Dilettantistica, is an intermunicipal chess organization active across the Martesana area east of Milan. The association is affiliated with the Federazione Scacchistica Italiana (FSI) under ID 9022. It provides club chess, FIDE-rated tournaments, team competition, junior instruction, school chess, rapid and blitz events, and community activities in several municipalities. The club was founded in Gorgonzola in 1982. Its origins brought together chess activity from Gorgonzola and Cologno Monzese with informal playing groups in communities such as Segrate and Masate. Gianpietro Pagnoncelli, later Honorary President of the Italian Chess Federation, played a central role in the club’s foundation. Since then, Martesana Scacchi has developed an unusually wide territorial structure rather than operating from only one playing venue. Alfonso De Tullio currently serves as President and remains the association’s principal public contact. The FSI’s 2026 register also lists Francesco Beltrami, Marco Dini, Massimo Ghezzi, Novello Massimo Paolini, Marco Santandrea, Francesco Santelli, and Daniele Sorrenti on the current council. Moreover, the FSI records 70 registered players with Martesana Scacchi in 2026, including both adults and a substantial group of juniors.

🏆 Tournaments and Competitive Activity

Tournament organization forms one of the strongest parts of Martesana Scacchi’s identity. The association maintains an extensive calendar across Gorgonzola, Masate, Cologno Monzese, Basiano, Bussero, Cassina de’ Pecchi, and other communities in the eastern Milan area. The club’s tournament archive extends across several decades. Established events include the Open Città di Cologno, the Campione della Martesana, the Basiano Sotto Scacco rapid tournament, La Grande Quercia, and the long-running Fai la mossa giusta event in Masate. In 2026, Martesana Scacchi organized the 11th Open “Il Campione della Martesana” in Masate from April through June. The competition mixed rapid and classical rounds across an extended schedule. In addition, the club continued its regular rapid and blitz activity and scheduled the 29th Open Città di Cologno for the autumn. The association has also organized the Milano Provincial Individual Championship in Gorgonzola. The 2024 edition attracted 59 players, including 21 participants under 16. Therefore, Martesana Scacchi contributes not only its own club tournaments but also important events within the wider Milan federation structure.

🌟 Festival Internazionale Naviglio Martesana

The Festival Internazionale Naviglio Martesana is one of Martesana Scacchi’s principal FIDE-rated tournament projects. The historical series was already at its fourth edition in 1999, followed by the fifth edition in 2000 and successive annual editions through the 12th tournament in 2007. After a long interruption, Martesana Scacchi revived the festival in 2019 with the 13th edition. Since 2021, the tournament has again become an annual fixture in Gorgonzola. Recent editions have attracted titled players from Italy and abroad. The 14th Festival in 2021 was won by Jacopo Motola, ahead of a field containing international masters and Grandmaster Danyyil Dvirnyy. Meanwhile, Marco Massironi won the 15th edition in 2022 after finishing level on 4.5/5 with several other leading players. Martesana Scacchi organizes the XIX Festival Internazionale Naviglio Martesana from November 13–15, 2026 at the Centro per la Cultura, Via Italia 84, Gorgonzola. The festival contains two FIDE-rated sections. Tournament A is an Open Integrale, while Tournament B is restricted to players below 1800 Elo. Both competitions use five Swiss rounds with a classical time control of 100 minutes plus 30 seconds per move. The organizers advertise €1,460 in principal prizes plus €140 in rating-category prizes. Moreover, entries are capped at 100 players. Marco Santandrea handles the published tournament enquiries through the dedicated Festival email and telephone number. The Municipality of Gorgonzola promotes the festival through its official events calendar and provides the tournament venue. However, Martesana Scacchi A.S.D. remains the actual chess organizer.

♜ Team Chess and Competitive Development

Team chess has formed part of Martesana Scacchi’s program for decades. The association has organized and participated in the historic Campionato della Martesana a Squadre, which brought together clubs and chess groups from communities throughout the area. Martesana Scacchi also participates in the national Campionato Italiano a Squadre (CIS). Its recent path includes Serie C appearances as well as seasons in the Lombardy regional structure. For 2026, the FSI granted the club a place in Serie C. The federation lists the team simply as Martesana, with Mauro Moreschi connected with its CIS administration from the previous qualifying season. This national participation complements the club’s local team tradition. Therefore, members can progress from internal and regional competition into the official Italian team championship structure. The association also supports players who advance individually through federation championships. For example, Martesana player Francesco Delledonne qualified for the 2026 Lombardy Regional Individual Championship through the Milan provincial qualification pathway.

🧒 Junior Chess and School Development

Youth chess is a major part of Martesana Scacchi’s work. The association organizes courses for young players and has a long history of taking chess directly into schools in Gorgonzola and surrounding communities. Regular junior courses currently take place in Masate on Saturdays, with both morning and afternoon sessions. Meanwhile, the club’s broader school program introduces chess to children who may not yet belong to an FSI club. The association also organizes junior competitions. Recent events include provincial U18 championships, Befana youth tournaments, parent-and-child team competitions, and other beginner-friendly formats. In April 2026, Martesana Scacchi organized a stage of the Mini Champions Chess Liga at La Filanda in Cernusco sul Naviglio. The event brought together 22 teams and 102 young players from six chess organizations. The large participation demonstrated the club’s ability to organize youth chess beyond its normal club venues. The FSI’s current membership list also reflects this emphasis. Among Martesana Scacchi’s 70 registered players in 2026 are many children born between 2012 and 2019. Consequently, junior instruction now contributes directly to the club’s federation membership and future competitive teams.

🤝 Intermunicipal Chess Across the Martesana

Martesana Scacchi differs from many traditional clubs because it operates through several local sections rather than concentrating all activity in one municipality. The association’s registered base is in Basiano. Meanwhile, regular club activity takes place in Masate, Gorgonzola, Cassina de’ Pecchi, and Bellinzago Lombardo. The Masate section meets at the municipal building in Via Milano and also hosts the club’s junior courses. In Gorgonzola, players meet at the Centro Intergenerazionale in Via Italia. The Cassina de’ Pecchi section operates from the Associazione Borsellino, while the Bellinzago section meets at Cinema Arcadia inside Corte Lombarda. Martesana Scacchi also organizes events in Cologno Monzese, Bussero, Cernusco sul Naviglio, and other nearby communities. Furthermore, the club works with municipal administrations, schools, associations, and community venues. This intermunicipal model has remained central to the association since its foundation. It allows Martesana Scacchi to connect players from several towns while maintaining one unified FSI affiliation and tournament program.