Chess Projects ASD

♟️ About Chess Projects ASD

Chess Projects ASD is a nonprofit amateur sports association based in Milan, Italy, affiliated with the Federazione Scacchistica Italiana (FSI) and the Italian sports system. Its activities combine international tournament organization, competitive chess, youth development, chess education, training camps, and school programs. The association operates the Chess Projects Club in Milan while also organizing major events in other parts of Italy, particularly in Salento and northern Italy. Chess Projects runs the Chess Projects Academy, with training groups for children, teenagers, and adults at beginner, intermediate, and advanced levels. It also organizes youth tournaments in Milan, school-chess projects, summer camps, international training programs, and FIDE-rated competition. Its flagship event is the Salento International Chess Open, while its recent organizational portfolio has also included the Italian Chess Championships and the FIDE World Senior Individual Chess Championships 2025 in Gallipoli. Matteo Zoldan is the current President of Chess Projects ASD and its principal operational contact. He is also a FIDE International Organizer, National FIDE Instructor, and FSI coach, and serves as tournament director or organizer for many Chess Projects events. The association remained highly active in 2026, staging the 15th Salento International Chess Open, youth tournaments and Academy programs in Milan, and international training projects. Its next scheduled events include the 2nd Open La Financière de l’Échiquier on October 3–4, 2026 and the third edition on December 12–13, 2026.

🏛️ Organization and Chess Projects Club

Chess Projects ASD is led by President Matteo Zoldan, with Marco Zoldan serving as Vice President. The Executive Board also includes Silvia Alessia Benvenuti. The association’s regular playing and training base is the Chess Projects Club at CNP Vita Assicura in Milan. This venue hosts Academy lessons, junior competitions, seminars, and other chess activities. Chess Projects also works with a network of FSI-qualified instructors, titled players, arbiters, and specialist collaborators. Consequently, its activities extend beyond event management into structured chess instruction and player development.

🎓 Chess Projects Academy and Youth Development

The Chess Projects Academy provides structured chess training for players from approximately 6 to 18 years old, while separate groups are also available for adults. Training is divided into Base, Intermediate, and Advanced groups, with relatively small class sizes. The program combines theoretical instruction with practical play and tournament preparation. During the first half of 2026, Academy sessions ran regularly from January through June at the Milan club. Chess Projects also organized dedicated Esperti and Esordienti youth tournaments in January, March, and June. The development program reached an important milestone in 2026 when two Chess Projects players participated in the FIDE World Youth Chess Championship U14, the organization’s first representation at that level.

🌟 Salento International Chess Open

The Salento International Chess Open is the association’s longest-running flagship international tournament. The 15th edition took place in Gallipoli from May 23–29, 2026, followed by the Youth Open through June 1. The principal tournaments were played at Ecoresort Le Sirenè. The festival featured four sections: Master Open, Main Open, Senior Open, and Youth Open. The Master, Main, and Senior events used classical FIDE-rated time controls, while the combined advertised prize fund reached €10,000. Andrea Favaloro won the 2026 Master Open, finishing ahead of GM Harshit Raja and Claudio Paduano. The festival also included blitz chess and additional activities for participants. Chess Projects has already announced the 16th Salento International Chess Open for June 5–12, 2027, together with a new U20 team tournament from June 9–13, 2027.

🌍 FIDE World Senior Championships 2025

One of the association’s largest organizational achievements was the 33rd FIDE World Senior Individual Chess Championships, held in Gallipoli from October 20 to November 2, 2025. Chess Projects organized the event together with ArcoWorldChess, with Matteo Zoldan serving as co-organizer and Chairman of the event organization. The championship attracted a record 467 players from 67 countries across the Open and Women’s 50+ and 65+ categories. The total prize fund reached €50,000. The world titles went to GM Victor Mikhalevski in Open 50+, IM Alexander Reprintsev in Open 65+, GM Ketevan Arakhamia-Grant in Women 50+, and WGM Galina Strutinskaia in Women 65+.

🏆 National and International Event Organization

Chess Projects also organizes important events within the Italian federation system. In July 2025, it organized the Campionati d’Italia FSI in Galatina, including the Italian Championship Semifinal and several national category championships. Matteo Zoldan served as Tournament Director. Its Milan tournament program expanded further in 2026 through cooperation with La Financière de l’Échiquier. The 2nd Open is scheduled for October 3–4, followed by the 3rd Open on December 12–13, 2026, both at CNP Vita Assicura. Together with the Salento Open, youth tournaments, Academy activities, school programs, and international training camps, these events make Chess Projects primarily a tournament-organizing and chess-development association, rather than a conventional team chess club.