Club Escacs Reis i Dames de Llevant

♟️ About Club Escacs Reis i Dames de Llevant

Club Escacs Reis i Dames de Llevant is an established chess organization based in Manacor, Mallorca, Spain. Founded in 2016, the club promotes competitive and educational chess across eastern Mallorca, particularly in the communities of Manacor and Artà. Its activities connect schoolchildren, families, experienced competitors and chess enthusiasts through a shared interest in over-the-board play and the values of the game.

The club combines its local community identity with active participation in the Balearic chess scene. Its work includes scholastic competitions, federated chess events, regional team play and open tournaments. Through these activities, Reis i Dames de Llevant offers young players opportunities to improve their skills while giving established members a setting for regular competitive chess.

🏛️ Club History and Development

Reis i Dames de Llevant began in 2016 when a group of families sought to develop structured chess activities in the eastern part of the island. Miquel Sureda Matamalas served as founding president, alongside vice president Bernardo García de la Villa Redondo, secretary Katerina Mlejnkova and treasurer Jorge Pedro Garcia Alberti. Other founding members helped establish the club’s first programs and activities.

Manuel Jesús Queirolo, a FIDE instructor and experienced Mallorcan chess competitor, played an important role in developing the organization’s training culture and wider chess participation. Since its establishment, the club has built a reputation for connecting chess education with organized competition. Its members have represented the club in local, island-wide and national competitions.

🎓 Chess Education and Youth Development

The club views chess as more than a competitive sport. Its educational philosophy emphasizes independent thinking, concentration, calculation, creativity, respect for opponents and the ability to accept both victory and defeat. Chess lessons and school competitions help younger participants develop these skills in a structured but enjoyable environment.

Reis i Dames de Llevant contributes to scholastic chess across the Llevant area of Mallorca. The Balearic Chess Federation has listed the club among the participating organizations for regional school championship programs. By connecting school activities with federation chess, the club helps students gain experience with tournament rules, ratings and the discipline of longer games.

The club’s broader philosophy also values friendship, sportsmanship, perseverance and social inclusion. These principles shape its approach to chess for both children and adults, supporting the game as a lifelong activity rather than an exclusively results-driven pursuit.

🏆 Competitive Achievements and Team Chess

Players representing Reis i Dames de Llevant have achieved notable results in Balearic and Spanish chess. Among the club’s recognized competitors is Cristina Sureda, who earned bronze at the Spanish Under-12 Rapid Championship in 2019, won the Spanish Under-12 Championship in 2020 and finished runner-up in the Spanish Under-14 Championship in 2021.

In 2022, the municipality of Manacor recognized several members of the club for their achievements, including Miquel Sureda, Daniel James García and Rafael Rodríguez. It also acknowledged Reis i Dames de Llevant teams for their promotions in competitive league divisions. These distinctions reflect the club’s commitment to both individual development and collective team performance.

♟️ Open Tournaments and Local Chess Events

The Open Ciutat de Manacor is one of the organization’s best-known competitions. The tournament brings players to eastern Mallorca for classical games and offers a competitive program that includes overall awards and distinctions for different rating and age groups.

The 2023 edition attracted 66 players and ran across seven rounds, with Sebastià Massanet winning the event. Tournament reports praised the club’s playing conditions and its attention to participants. The club also organizes other local competitions and chess activities in the Manacor and Artà area.

The VIII Open Ciutat de Manacor 2026 is scheduled for December 4–8, continuing the club’s open-tournament tradition during its tenth-anniversary year. With a seven-round Swiss format and FIDE Standard rating status, the event provides opportunities for both local players and visiting competitors to take part in classical chess.

📍 Chess in Manacor and Eastern Mallorca

Manacor is an important cultural and sporting center in eastern Mallorca. The club contributes to this local environment by encouraging chess participation across generations and by helping connect local players to the wider Balearic federation calendar. Its activities demonstrate how a community-based chess organization can support serious tournament play alongside youth education.

Beyond physical competitions, the organization has also maintained an online chess community through team events, allowing members to practice and compete between over-the-board tournaments. Its combination of community activities, scholastic development and organized competition makes Club Escacs Reis i Dames de Llevant a distinctive part of the chess landscape in Mallorca.