♟️ About Club Ajedrez Sestao – Sestao Xake Taldea

Club Ajedrez Sestao – Sestao Xake Taldea is a chess club based in Sestao, Bizkaia, Basque Country, Spain. Founded in 1981, the club developed from an initiative by Dámaso Zugasti, Félix Arenas, Juan Viqueira, Eduardo Llano, and José María Martín. Its long-standing home is the Polideportivo Las Llanas, and the club competes within the structures of the Federación Vizcaína de Ajedrez and Federación Vasca de Ajedrez.

Competitive team chess forms a major part of Sestao’s identity. The club fields strong teams in Basque and Bizkaia competitions while also maintaining a chess school and developing younger players. In addition, Sestao organizes international tournaments and promotes chess locally through training and competitive activities. Its flagship Open has grown into a large international event that attracts titled players and competitors from many countries.

Miguel Ángel del Olmo Alonso is the current President and a principal organizational contact for the club. The 2026 season has already produced major results: Sestao Hotel La Naval won its 11th Liga Vasca División de Honor title and later captured the Copa Bizkaia for the 19th time. Meanwhile, the club is preparing the 41st Open Ezkerraldea Basque Country – 34th Magistral Internacional de Euskadi, scheduled for September 8–13, 2026.

📜 History and Development

Club Ajedrez Sestao traces its foundation to 1981, when a group of players previously associated with Club de Ajedrez Portugalete decided to establish organized chess activity in Sestao. Support from the municipality gave the new organization access to the Polideportivo Municipal Las Llanas, which became its long-term base.

Since then, the club has developed activity at local, provincial, Basque, Spanish, and international levels. It has organized chess courses, official competitions, and international tournaments while building one of the strongest team programs in Euskadi.

The club has also maintained a close relationship with the municipality of Sestao. Consequently, Las Llanas has served not only as its regular playing venue but also as a base for training, team matches, and major chess events.

♜ Team Chess and 2026 Success

Sestao competes at the highest level of Basque team chess. Its 2026 División de Honor squad included Grandmasters and International Masters alongside established club players and younger competitors.

The club produced a perfect team record in the 2026 Liga Vasca División de Honor, winning all nine matches. Sestao finished first with 28.5 game points, ahead of Conteneo and Gros Xake Taldea. The victory gave the club its 11th Basque League championship, following earlier titles in 2010, 2011, 2013, 2015–2020, and 2025.

Sestao added another major trophy in June. The club won the 2026 Copa Bizkaia, defeating Abadiño 6–2 in the quarterfinals, Zornotza 8–0 in the semifinals, and Santurtzi 5–3 in the final. It was the 19th Copa Bizkaia title in the club’s history.

Players such as Carlos Suárez, Gabriel del Río, Mario Gómez, Jorge de Jesús Pérez, Sergio Trigo, Joseba García, Manuel Peralta, and Iñigo Oriza contributed to the cup-winning campaign. In addition, the club continues to integrate players from its development structure into competitive teams.

🎓 Chess School and Player Development

Chess education remains part of Sestao Xake Taldea’s regular activity. The club maintains a chess school connected with its wider competitive program and has historically organized courses in local schools as part of its efforts to introduce new players to the game.

This training structure complements the club’s strong senior teams. Developing players can progress from instruction and local competition toward Bizkaia and Basque federation events.

The club’s 2026 División de Honor roster illustrates this combination of experienced titled players and locally developed competitors. While Grandmasters and International Masters strengthen the leading team, players from the club’s own competitive structure continue to receive opportunities in official competitions.

🌟 41st Open Ezkerraldea Basque Country 2026

The 41st Open Ezkerraldea Basque Country – 34th Magistral Internacional de Euskadi is scheduled from September 8–13, 2026. Club Ajedrez Sestao organizes the event together with Peña Ajedrez Portugalete.

The 2026 competition features two international sections. Group A is an unrestricted Open that counts for FIDE rating and international title norms. Group B is open to players with a FIDE Standard rating of no more than 1999.

Both groups use a nine-round Swiss system with a classical time control of 90 minutes + 30 seconds per move. Group A is played at the Polideportivo La Benedicta in Sestao, while Group B takes place at Centro Santa Clara in nearby Portugalete. However, the final round of both groups will be played in Sestao.

The organizers have announced more than €34,000 in prizes for the 2026 edition. The event follows a particularly large 2025 tournament, which reached its maximum capacity of 240 players from 33 countries across four continents.

The Open receives institutional cooperation from organizations including the Basque Government, Diputación Foral de Bizkaia, Ayuntamiento de Sestao, and the regional chess federations. Therefore, it combines the club’s long tournament tradition with substantial regional support.