Scacchi Club Piacenza

♟️ About A.S.D. Scacchi Club Piacenza

A.S.D. Scacchi Club Piacenza is an active chess club and tournament organizer based in Piacenza, Emilia-Romagna, Italy. The association is affiliated with the Federazione Scacchistica Italiana (FSI) and operates from the Circolo Ricreativo “Non ti Scordar di Me” on Via Cornegliana. Its activities cover competitive chess, junior development, school programs, team championships, FIDE-rated tournaments, and community events across Piacenza and the surrounding province. The club maintains a particularly broad annual competition calendar. It organizes standard, rapid, blitz, youth, team, and promotional tournaments, including the Coppa Piacenza circuit, provincial championships, CIG youth qualifiers, FIDE rapid events, and international weekend opens. Scacchi Club Piacenza also fields several teams in the Campionato Italiano a Squadre (CIS). In 2026, its first team competed for the first time in Serie A1, while the club also organized regional CIS groups and entered additional squads in Serie C and Promozione. Giuseppe Tencati is the current President of A.S.D. Scacchi Club Piacenza and one of its principal tournament organizers and chess instructors. The club enters autumn 2026 with two major events at the historic Palazzo Gotico: the 4th Semilampo Internazionale “Città di Piacenza” on September 13 and the 4th Piacenza Chess Festival from October 2–4, 2026. In addition, an Open Day on September 19 and several youth qualifiers later in the year continue the club’s work beyond its flagship tournaments.

🎓 Youth Chess and School Programs

Youth development and chess education form an important part of the club’s work. Scacchi Club Piacenza runs courses for children and teenagers, provincial championships, Under-18 rapid tournaments, and qualification events for the Campionato Italiano Giovanile (CIG). The club also cooperates directly with schools in Piacenza. Its Scacchi a Scuola educational project is available to primary and secondary schools and combines chess theory with practical play, team exercises, logical problem solving, and structured instruction. The program is delivered by FSI-certified instructors and is designed to develop concentration, memory, self-control, logical reasoning, and respect for rules. Giuseppe Tencati is among the club instructors involved in local school chess. In February 2026, the club organized the Piacenza Provincial Under-18 Championship, which attracted 27 young players and qualified eight participants for the Italian national youth final in Cagliari. A second CIG18 qualification tournament in April produced five additional qualifiers.

♜ Team Chess

Scacchi Club Piacenza participates extensively in the Italian Team Chess Championship and fields several teams across different levels. The club’s first team earned promotion to Serie A1 for the 2026 season, representing an important competitive milestone. However, its debut season in the division ended with relegation to A2 after a difficult group played in Trento. The club simultaneously maintained a much broader team structure. In 2026, Piacenza Vecchie Glorie, Piacenza Forever Young, and Piacenza e Dintorni competed in Serie C, while additional teams participated in the Emilia-Romagna Promozione championship. Moreover, Scacchi Club Piacenza has repeatedly organized local CIS groups, giving teams from Piacenza and neighboring provinces access to centralized championship weekends.

⚡ Semilampo Internazionale “Città di Piacenza”

The Semilampo Internazionale “Città di Piacenza” has quickly become one of the club’s largest rapid events. The third edition attracted 141 players, including 98 competitors in the FIDE Open and 43 in the promotional tournament. That turnout established the event as one of the club’s most successful large-scale competitions. The 4th edition is scheduled for September 13, 2026 in the monumental hall of Palazzo Gotico, Piazza Cavalli. The program again consists of two tournaments. The FIDE Rapid Open features nine rounds and is open to registered competitive players, while the promotional event offers six rounds for players rated below 1600. Both competitions use a time control of 12 minutes plus a 3-second increment per move. The FIDE Open carries a published €1,000 prize fund.

🌟 Piacenza Chess Festival

The Piacenza Chess Festival is the club’s flagship classical tournament. It takes place in the historic Palazzo Gotico, one of Piacenza’s most recognizable landmarks. The third edition, held in October 2025, attracted more than 100 participants despite competition from other major tournaments on the same weekend. FM Neven Hercegovac won Open A ahead of IM Nikola Nikolovski and Mauro Tirelli. The 4th Piacenza Chess Festival is scheduled for October 2–4, 2026. It will feature three FIDE-rated sections: Open A for players rated 1950 and above, Open B for players rated 1650–2000, and Open C for players below 1700. All sections will play at 90 minutes plus a 30-second increment per move. The festival offers a published €4,500 prize fund, further strengthening its position within the regional and national Italian tournament calendar.

🌍 Chess in the Piacenza Community

The club actively promotes chess outside conventional tournament settings. It participates in public initiatives and collaborates with municipalities, schools, festivals, cultural venues, and local organizations. Activities have included chess at Venerdì Piacentini, tournaments in public squares and community venues, school championships, promotional rapid tournaments, and events organized with neighboring chess associations. On September 19, 2026, the club will hold an Open Day at its Via Cornegliana headquarters. Visitors will be able to meet club members, play casual games, and receive information about membership, courses, tournaments, and upcoming activities. This combination of competitive chess, public events, educational projects, and junior development has helped Scacchi Club Piacenza expand its presence throughout the province.

🏛️ Organization and Leadership

Giuseppe Tencati is the current President of A.S.D. Scacchi Club Piacenza. He was unanimously elected at the club’s electoral assembly in October 2023 and remains listed as President by both the Italian Chess Federation and the Emilia-Romagna Regional Chess Committee. The current FSI-listed board also includes Andrea Bergonzi, Massimo Bonadé, Pierangelo Moraschi, Tiziano Ricci, and Mauro Tirelli. Tencati also works directly on tournament organization and chess education. His involvement connects the club’s competitive program with its school courses, youth activities, and wider community development.