Colegio Claretiano de Lima

♟️ About Colegio Claretiano de Lima

Colegio Claretiano de Lima is a private educational institution in San Miguel, Lima, Peru, with a long-established chess program and a significant record as an organizer of scholastic and international chess competitions. Founded in 1934, the school combines academic education with cultural, sporting, and extracurricular development. Chess has become one of its most recognizable competitive activities, supported through a dedicated chess workshop and an organizing team that has developed the Festival Internacional de Ajedrez Claretiano into a recurring international event. The school’s chess program has been active for more than two decades. Its structured development began in the early 2000s, when students trained through the Taller de Ajedrez del Colegio Claretiano and began competing successfully in school championships such as ADECORE. Over time, the program expanded from internal training into major external competitions for players from across Peru and abroad. The International Claretiano Chess Festival now includes classical, rapid, and blitz chess and provides competition for young players as well as adults. The current Director General of Colegio Claretiano de Lima is P. Clement Kata. The 2026 Festival Organizing Committee is led operationally by Prof. Ricardo Campos Raymundo and FM Jorge Pacheco Asmat, while FM Garri Pacheco Gallardo serves as Tournament Director. The school is preparing the 17th Festival Internacional de Ajedrez Claretiano “M.N. Julio Enrique Vásquez de la Paz”, scheduled for October 16–18, 2026 at the Colegio Claretiano campus in San Miguel.

📜 Chess Tradition at Colegio Claretiano

The modern chess program at Colegio Claretiano developed strongly from 2003, when its chess workshop began producing competitive school teams. The program was initially associated with the work of Julio Enrique Vásquez de la Paz, whose contribution to chess education at the school remains part of its institutional memory. FM Jorge Pacheco Asmat later played an important role in developing the program and preparing students for increasingly competitive tournaments. Early success came through ADECORE school competition, where Claretiano students began earning medals and qualifying for national youth tournaments. As interest grew, the school expanded from a small training group into multiple competitive teams. This development eventually supported the creation of a major annual chess festival capable of attracting players from outside the school and from other countries.

🌟 Festival Internacional de Ajedrez Claretiano

The Festival Internacional de Ajedrez Claretiano is the school’s flagship chess event. It has developed over many editions into a multi-category festival combining competitive chess with the school’s educational mission. Earlier editions were particularly focused on school-age players, while the modern festival now includes tournaments for both juniors and adults. The event is held at the Colegio Claretiano complex in San Miguel, Lima, using facilities including the Coliseo Claret and the school’s sports complex. The tournament organization has remained closely connected with the school’s chess staff. FM Jorge Pacheco Asmat has been involved in the organizing committee for many years, while FM Garri Pacheco Gallardo has repeatedly served as Tournament Director.

🏆 XVII Festival Internacional de Ajedrez Claretiano 2026

The 17th Festival Internacional de Ajedrez Claretiano is scheduled for October 16–18, 2026. The event is dedicated to the memory of M.N. Julio Enrique Vásquez de la Paz and is designed to promote chess among children, teenagers, and adults while providing a competitive and educational international experience. The 2026 festival consists of three principal tournament formats:

• Classical School Chess, with separate U8, U10, U12, U14, and U18 categories
• Rapid Chess for Adults
• Open Blitz

The classical youth sections use a 60+30 time control and are registered for international rating. The Open Blitz uses 3+2, while the adult rapid tournament provides a separate competition for older players. The festival offers a combined prize package of S/22,550, together with trophies, medals, and additional awards. FM Garri Pacheco Gallardo serves as Tournament Director, while FA Billy Cotos Alba is Chief Arbiter.

🎓 Youth Chess and Educational Development

The Claretiano chess program is closely connected with the school’s wider educational philosophy. Chess is used not only as a competitive activity but also as a tool for developing concentration, decision-making, calculation, discipline, and independent thinking. The school’s tournament model gives younger players the opportunity to move from training sessions into serious rated competition while remaining in a familiar educational environment. The International Festival also creates interaction between Claretiano students and players from other schools, clubs, regions, and countries. This combination of education and competition has helped the event maintain its identity across many editions.

🏛️ Organization and Leadership

The 2026 Festival Internacional de Ajedrez Claretiano is formally organized by Colegio Claretiano de Lima through its Organizing Committee and Tournament Directorate. P. Clement Kata is the current Director General of the school. For the 2026 chess festival, Prof. Ricardo Campos Raymundo and FM Jorge Pacheco Asmat are responsible for the Organizing Committee, while FM Garri Pacheco Gallardo directs the tournament operation. This structure combines the school’s institutional support with experienced chess organizers and arbiters.