Mediterranean Chess Association

♟️ About the Mediterranean Chess Association

The Mediterranean Chess Association, commonly abbreviated as MCA, is an international regional chess organization that connects national federations from countries surrounding the Mediterranean region. The association was formed in 2002 in Bled, Slovenia. It uses chess to strengthen cooperation between countries with different languages, cultures, and sporting traditions. Moreover, the MCA promotes regional tournaments, youth development, chess education, federation cooperation, and international sporting exchange. Its membership includes national chess federations from Europe, Africa, and Asia that belong to the wider Mediterranean sporting community. Grandmaster Erald Dervishi serves as president, while Geoffrey Borg serves as general secretary and manages the association’s principal public contact channel.

🏆 Mediterranean Championships and Regional Cooperation

The association develops and supervises the Mediterranean Chess Championships and related regional competitions. These events provide official Mediterranean titles for eligible players representing MCA member federations. The program has included open and women’s championships, youth competitions, rapid chess, blitz chess, and other formats designed to bring together players from across the region. In addition, the MCA works with national federations that host each edition and provides the institutional framework for eligibility, titles, medals, and regional representation. Its member network includes federations from countries such as Albania, Algeria, Croatia, Cyprus, Egypt, France, Greece, Italy, Lebanon, Malta, Montenegro, Morocco, Portugal, Slovenia, Spain, Tunisia, and Türkiye.

🌍 Montenegro Open and Mediterranean Championships

The Mediterranean Chess Association is one of the two chess organizations behind the Montenegro Open, Mediterranean Open and Women Championships 2026 in Budva. The Montenegro Chess Federation handles the main local and operational organization, while the MCA provides the Mediterranean championship structure and regional authority. The festival includes Open A, Open B, the Mediterranean Open and Women’s classifications, youth rapid events, and an open blitz tournament. Eligible players from MCA member federations can compete for the official Mediterranean titles and medals. Meanwhile, players from other countries may participate in the wider open sections under the published tournament conditions. Through this partnership, the association combines an international open festival with official regional championships and creates opportunities for cooperation between Mediterranean chess federations.