Escuela de Ajedrez Bambuchess

♟️ About Escuela de Ajedrez Bambuchess

Escuela de Ajedrez Bambuchess is a Spanish online chess school and tournament organizer with particularly strong activity in the province of Huelva. Jairo Samuel Lares and Raquel Pablos Tenrero founded the school in July 2021. Bambuchess combines regular chess instruction with practical tournament preparation and the organization of FIDE- and regional-rated competitions. The school provides online training for different ages and playing strengths. Its program includes group classes for beginner and intermediate players, individual coaching, and an advanced group taught by International Master Jaime Romero. In addition, Bambuchess offers tournament preparation and competitive support. Since its creation, the school reports having worked with more than one hundred students. Jairo Samuel Lares remains the principal organizational contact and tournament director for Bambuchess events, while co-founder Raquel Pablos Tenrero is also closely involved in the school and tournament organization. Their major current project is the VI Bambuchess Chess Festival, scheduled for December 26–30, 2026, in Villablanca, Huelva. The 2026 program includes Masters A, Masters B, Open IRT U2400, Open IRT U1800, and Blitz competitions.

📜 History and Development

Bambuchess began in July 2021 as an online chess teaching project founded by Jairo Samuel Lares and Raquel Pablos Tenrero. However, the organization quickly expanded beyond regular classes and developed a substantial tournament-organizing role. The Bambuchess Festival has become the school’s main recurring event. Editions have been organized annually since the school’s early years, with competitions for developing players alongside stronger round-robin and open tournaments. The festival has also established a regular connection with Villablanca, where recent editions have been staged with support from local and regional partners. Beyond its own festival, Bambuchess has participated in the organization of other Huelva-area events. For example, it organized the XXIII Open Internacional de La Antilla / XI Memorial Florencio García Millán in July 2026. This seven-round rapid tournament used an 8+3 time control and continued Bambuchess’s involvement in chess activity along the Costa de la Luz.

🎓 Chess Training and Player Development

Chess education remains one of Bambuchess’s principal activities. The school offers online group instruction at beginner and intermediate levels, while stronger competitors can join more advanced training. Individual lessons are also available for players seeking more personalized technical work. The program therefore allows students to progress from introductory chess to competitive tournament preparation within the same school. Moreover, Bambuchess connects its teaching activity with over-the-board competition. Students can gain practical tournament experience while the coaching team helps them prepare for competitive events. The school’s advanced training also includes instruction from IM Jaime Romero, giving ambitious players access to titled-player coaching. This combination of regular instruction, individual preparation, and competitive experience forms the central structure of Bambuchess’s player-development program.

🏆 Bambuchess Chess Festival

The VI Bambuchess Chess Festival is scheduled for December 26–30, 2026 in Villablanca. The current competition program represents a further expansion of the festival and includes five tournament groups. Masters A and Masters B are round-robin competitions using a 90 minutes + 30 seconds per move time control and are structured to provide opportunities for IM norms. The Open IRT U2400 is a seven-round Swiss tournament at 60+30, while the Open IRT U1800 uses an eight-round Swiss format at 30+30. A nine-round Blitz tournament at 3+2 is also scheduled. Jairo Samuel Lares serves as tournament director for the 2026 festival. International Arbiter David Cruz García is listed as Chief Arbiter, while Raquel Pablos Tenrero serves as Deputy Chief Arbiter. The competitions are registered for the applicable Spanish and international rating calculations.

🤝 Tournament and Community Activity

Bambuchess combines its online teaching model with in-person tournament organization. Villablanca has become an important center for this activity, while the school has also worked on tournaments in other locations in Huelva province. Previous festival organization has involved cooperation with the Ayuntamiento de Villablanca, the Diputación de Huelva, Club Deportivo de Ajedrez Costa de la Luz, the Delegación Onubense de Ajedrez, and the Federación Andaluza de Ajedrez. Therefore, the Bambuchess project connects private chess instruction with clubs, chess authorities, public institutions, and local community activity.