♟️ About Club Escacs Valls

Club Escacs Valls is a chess club based in Valls, Tarragona, Catalonia, Spain. Founded in 1981, the club participates in competitions organized by the Federació Catalana d’Escacs and maintains an active presence in team chess and tournament organization. Its activities extend beyond Valls into the wider Alt Camp area, particularly through its long-running cooperation with the municipality of Puigpelat.

Competitive chess forms a central part of the club’s activity. Club Escacs Valls has competed at several levels of the Lliga Catalana and historically reached Catalonia’s top team division. In 2019, the club achieved its first promotion to the Divisió d’Honor. The club remains active in Catalan team competition today; during the 2026 Lliga Catalana season, Valls reached the promotion/relegation playoff connected with Primera Divisió.

Francesc Blasco Cusidó is one of the club’s principal current organizational representatives and serves as tournament director for its major events. In 2026, he directed both the Festa Major tournament in Puigpelat and the club’s flagship IX Open de Puigpelat, scheduled for September 6, 2026. The club therefore combines regular competitive participation with the organization of rapid and community chess events in cooperation with municipalities and the Catalan chess structure.

📜 History and Competitive Development

Club Escacs Valls was founded in 1981, making it one of the established chess organizations in the Tarragona territorial area. Over the following decades, the club developed both its competitive teams and its local chess activities. One of the club’s most important sporting achievements came in 2019. After progressing through the Catalan team structure, Valls earned promotion to the Divisió d’Honor, the highest division of the Catalan team championship, for the first time in its history. The achievement reflected several years of competitive development within the club.

The club later withdrew its first team from the Divisió d’Honor before the 2024 season. However, Valls continued competing in the Lliga Catalana. In April 2026, the first team was paired against Catalunya in the playoff for promotion/relegation involving Primera Divisió, confirming the club’s continued participation at a strong level of Catalan team chess.

♜ Team Chess and Club Activity

Team competition has long been an important element of Club Escacs Valls. Its players take part in the Lliga Catalana as well as territorial and individual competitions connected with the Federació Catalana d’Escacs. The club has also placed considerable emphasis on bringing players into organized chess. Its traditional program has included chess instruction for children, young players, and adults, together with internal activities and preparation for federated competition. Moreover, the club has used local tournaments and public chess events to connect competitive players with the wider community.

Valls and nearby Puigpelat have become the main centers of this activity. Cooperation with local institutions allows the club to organize both internationally rated rapid events and more informal community competitions during municipal celebrations.

🏆 Tournament Activity

Club Escacs Valls is particularly active as a tournament organizer in Puigpelat. On August 16, 2026, the club and the Ajuntament de Puigpelat jointly organized the XX Torneig Escacs Festa Major Puigpelat – X Memorial Toni Gallego. The tournament took place at the Casal Puigpelatenc and used a seven-round Swiss format with a 5 minutes + 3 seconds per move time control. Francesc Blasco Cusidó served as tournament director, while FIDE Arbiter Gumersind Maseras Rozas was the Chief Arbiter.

In addition, the club organizes the Open de Puigpelat, which has developed into one of its principal recurring competitions. The event forms part of the Catalan circuit of international open tournaments and brings together club competitors, titled players, juniors, and experienced rapid specialists.

🌟 IX Open de Puigpelat 2026

The IX Open de Puigpelat 2026 is scheduled for September 6, 2026, at the Casal Puigpelatenc in Puigpelat. The tournament forms part of the XXII Circuit Català d’Oberts Internacionals d’Escacs 2026. Players compete over nine rounds using the Swiss system. The rapid time control is 15 minutes + 5 seconds per move, and results count for both national and FIDE rapid ratings. Francesc Blasco Cusidó serves as Tournament Director.

The event continues the long-standing cooperation between Club Escacs Valls and Puigpelat. Moreover, its inclusion in the official Catalan international open circuit gives the tournament a broader competitive profile beyond the Alt Camp area.