♟️ About ASD Queen Club

ASD Queen Club – Circolo Scacchistico di Conegliano is an Italian chess association based in Conegliano, in the province of Treviso, Veneto. The organization combines competitive chess, youth education, school programs, international tournament organization, and recreational activities. Affiliated with the Italian Chess Federation (Federazione Scacchistica Italiana, FSI), Queen Club serves players of different ages and abilities throughout Conegliano and the surrounding communities.

The association traces its present structure to the integration of two established chess initiatives: the historic Circolo Scacchistico di Conegliano, which focused on adult chess, and Queen Club, which began developing youth chess in 2013. Since 2021, the unified organization has brought these traditions together, combining organized competition with structured training for children, teenagers, university students, and adults.

Queen Club is also a founding partner of the Queen Club MITROPA Chess Academy, an international chess education initiative led by Woman Grandmaster and FIDE Trainer Aleksandra Dimitrijević. Its broader activities include FIDE-rated tournaments, youth championships, school chess projects, and community events across the Veneto region.

📜 History & Development

Queen Club's development reflects the growth of organized chess in Conegliano over several generations. The historic Circolo Scacchistico di Conegliano provided a meeting place for adults interested in competitive and recreational chess, while the Queen Club youth initiative began in 2013 with a strong educational focus. These two organizations brought complementary experience to the local chess community.

On February 22, 2021, the association began operating under its new legal identity as ASD Queen Club – Circolo Scacchistico di Conegliano. Its formal registration with Italy's national sports association register followed on May 14, 2021. The reorganization allowed the club to integrate adult competition, junior training, school partnerships, and tournament management within a single association.

Under its expanded structure, Queen Club developed a program that extends beyond ordinary club meetings. It collaborates with schools, libraries, municipalities, and sports organizations, while its competitive members participate in Italian team championships and individual tournaments. By October 2026, the Italian National Olympic Committee's sports register recorded 122 competitive members and seven recreational members affiliated with the organization, together with 27 sporting events for the 2026 sporting year.

🏆 Competitive Chess & Team Achievements

Queen Club participates in the Campionato Italiano a Squadre (CIS), Italy's national team championship system. The association achieved a significant milestone in May 2023 when its team secured promotion to Serie B during the championship gathering in Campalto, near Venice. The promotion demonstrated the club's progress in competitive team chess and provided opportunities to face stronger opposition in subsequent seasons.

The club's competitive history also includes individual achievements by its players and instructors. Ivanche Pentelashoski finished second overall at the June 2022 chess festival in Villorba, while Giovanni Dalla Palma recorded several strong tournament performances, including a victory at the 2012 Autunno Scacchistico Veneziano. Enrico Ridolfo won the 2021 International La Birreria Pedavena tournament and finished runner-up in the 2019 Italian Candidate Master category championship.

Francesco Feltrin, who also contributes to the club's educational activities, won the 2018 Scacchistica Pordenonese Weekend Festival and recorded tournament victories in 2016. These results illustrate the association's combination of competitive playing experience and practical chess instruction.

🎓 Junior Chess & Education

Youth chess is one of Queen Club's principal activities. The organization's educational tradition dates to 2013, when Queen Club began offering structured chess activities for younger players. Today, its instruction covers beginners, developing juniors, and more experienced competitors, with both in-person and online courses available.

The club's instructional team includes Aleksandra Dimitrijević, Ivanche Pentelashoski, Francesco Feltrin, Giovanni Dalla Palma, Vincenzo Ugrote, Dante Tomio, Federico Cortina, and other qualified instructors. Lessons introduce chess fundamentals before progressing to tactical exercises, strategic planning, calculation, and competitive preparation. Through this combination of classroom instruction and practical tournament play, students can develop their skills while gaining experience against players from other clubs.

Queen Club also helps young competitors participate in regional and national championships. In 2024, nine of its juniors attended the Italian National Youth Championship finals in Salsomaggiore Terme. Earlier achievements included strong performances in the Veneto regional youth competitions and the Italian Under-16 Team Championship, where the club's team finished second in the regional phase in 2018 and first in 2019, qualifying for the national finals in Arco.

🏫 School Chess & Educational Partnerships

Queen Club maintains an extensive network of partnerships with educational institutions across the province of Treviso. Its collaborators include schools and municipalities in Conegliano, Susegana, San Fior, Santa Lucia di Piave, Pieve di Soligo, Vazzola, Codognè, and neighboring communities. These relationships support chess lessons, school competitions, introductory activities, and opportunities for students to participate in regional tournaments.

The club's school chess records document notable achievements by educational institutions in Conegliano. Liceo Marconi won provincial and regional junior team titles in 2018 and 2019, finishing third at the 2019 national Trofeo Scacchi Scuola finals in Policoro. The school's earlier results included fourth place nationally in 2014 and first place at the 2017 Inter-European School Chess competition in Chioggia.

Other schools associated with the local chess program have also achieved strong results. In 2022, the girls' team from Scuola Brustolon won its regional online school championship, while the Brustolon lower-secondary team secured another regional title and qualified for the national finals. Queen Club's educational partnerships provide an important connection between classroom chess, extracurricular learning, and organized competitive opportunities.

🌍 Queen Club MITROPA Chess Academy

The Queen Club MITROPA Chess Academy represents an important international dimension of the association's educational activities. The academy operates as a joint initiative between ASD Queen Club of Conegliano and the Austrian MITROPA Chess Association, bringing together expertise from Italy and Austria. It functions as their shared chess education program rather than as a separate legal association.

The academy operates under the framework of the FIDE Trainers' Commission and is directed by WGM Aleksandra Dimitrijević, an experienced international player, trainer, and International Arbiter. Her background includes chess coaching, international competition, and leadership in educational initiatives. The academy provides a connection between local chess instruction and international training expertise, while supporting the development of competitive players.

The collaboration also contributes to events that extend beyond ordinary tournament competition. Through educational projects and international partnerships, Queen Club and MITROPA connect chess training with broader sporting and cultural activities.

♕ Women's Chess & International Initiatives

Queen Club has contributed to initiatives promoting women's participation and leadership in chess. A particularly important event took place in Conegliano on August 30–31, 2025, when the Queen Club MITROPA Chess Academy joined the Italian Chess Federation and the Veneto Chess Committee in organizing Power Moves: Women Shaping Chess. The event formed part of FIDE's worldwide Women's Chess Marathon during the 2025 Year of Social Chess.

The two-day program took place at Campus San Francesco. Its first day featured a FIDE-rated mixed-team blitz competition pairing girls and boys, followed by a conference and masterclass on the role of women in chess. Speakers included WGM Aleksandra Dimitrijević, International Arbiter Franca Dapiran, FIDE Commission for Women's Chess Chair Anastasia Sorokina, and Italian Chess Federation Vice President Veronika Goi.

The program examined chess education, female leadership, equal opportunities, and the importance of role models for young players. FIDE representatives presented certificates of appreciation to members of the organizing team, including Queen Club President Claudine Rosolen and Aleksandra Dimitrijević, recognizing their contributions to the event.

⚡ Club Tournaments & Community Activities

Queen Club organizes regular recreational and competitive activities for its members. Its program includes thematic chess tournaments, rapid competitions, team-based formats, introductory events, and open playing sessions. During the 2025–2026 season, the association also organized Monday evening thematic tournaments and quadriglia-style chess activities, offering alternative formats alongside traditional competitive play. The club's broader tournament program includes the Scacchi Stellari circuit and events connected with the Veneto Grand Prix. These activities encourage participation by both experienced players and newcomers, while providing opportunities for children and adults to compete in an organized setting.

In September 2026, Queen Club participated in Conegliano's Festa dello Sport, organizing an open chess tournament and a simultaneous exhibition with Aleksandra Dimitrijević. The club also resumed Saturday afternoon recreational chess sessions in Conegliano, combining supervised games with opportunities to learn from experienced instructors.

🌟 International Chess Tournament Santa Lucia di Piave

The International Chess Tournament Santa Lucia di Piave is one of the international classical chess competitions associated with ASD Queen Club. The event takes place in Santa Lucia di Piave, in the province of Treviso, and brings together players seeking FIDE-rated competition in a compact weekend format. The second edition ran from January 16–18, 2026, at Casa degli Alpini, Via Foresto Est 12. The competition featured three rating sections, Open A, Open B, and Open C, with five rounds of classical chess. Queen Club managed tournament organization, registration, and participant communication, with Aleksandra Dimitrijević serving as a tournament contact.

The third edition will take place January 15–17, 2027, continuing the three-section structure. Players will compete over five rounds with a time control of 90 minutes plus a 30-second increment per move. The event carries FIDE and Italian national rating recognition and offers competitive opportunities to players across different rating categories. The tournament contributes to Queen Club's wider program of organizing official chess competitions in Veneto, complementing its educational activities, local competitions, and international collaborations.

Tournament on MyChess.Events: https://mychess.events/event/3rd-international-chess-tournament-santa-lucia-di-piave-2027-open-a-b-c/ Official Tournament Registration: https://vesus.org/event/mvB6i9rQ

👤 Leadership & Organization

Claudine Rosolen serves as President and legal representative of ASD Queen Club. She also contributes to chess education and has been involved in the association's development, school partnerships, and regional chess initiatives. Carlo Broli serves as Honorary President, while Teresa Zaia is Vice President and coordinates relationships with educational institutions. The organization's management also includes Wally Stefan as Treasurer and Secretary, together with board members Ezio Marchetti, Vincenzo Mettivier, and Vincenzo Ugrote. The club works with qualified instructors and volunteers to coordinate lessons, tournaments, membership activities, and community events.

Aleksandra Dimitrijević leads the Queen Club MITROPA Chess Academy and contributes to international training and tournament activities. The combination of administrative leadership, experienced players, and specialized instructors supports the association's work across education and competitive chess.