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Α Group
Final standings
1st Papasimakopoulos Alexandros
2nd Alexakis Dimitris
3rd Patrelakis Evaggelos
1st Woman Pavlidou Ekaterini
1st Veteran S50 Zakic Srdjan
Special categories:
U16
1st Kazantzoglou Stefanos
2nd Papachristopoulos Georgios
3rd Karakasidis Michail
1st GIRL Nenova Andzhelika
U14
1st Anagnostopoulos Panagiotis
2nd Bougas Georgios
3rd Merkouropoulos Dionysios
1st GIRL Siskou Evangelia
U12
1st Yildiz Ali Aras
2nd Mihaylov Bozhidar
3rd Ioannidis Konstantinos I
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Β Group
Final Standings
1st Parastatidis Charalampos
2nd Georgiou Konstantinos
3rd Misios Konstantinos
1st Woman Chatzipanagiotou Asimenia
1st Vetaran S50 Gioras Ioannis
Special categories:
U16
1st Kanchev Martin
2nd Mitsopoulos Ioannis
3rd Olteanu Adrian
1st GIRL Maniati Konstantina
U14
1st Marinidis Stavros
2nd Keramaros Vasileios
3rd Xouplidis Filippos
1st GIRL Christodoulou Katerina
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C Group
Final standings
1st Stoychev Erik
2nd Wolak Jan
3rd Skouroupathis Kyriakos
Special categories:
U12
1st Karantoniou Stylianos
2nd Arampatzis Christos
3rd Kaparashev Ivaylo
1st GIRL Tsvetkova Kalina
U10
1st Alexandrakis Vasileios Sp
2nd Stefanis Stefanos G
3rd Yuksel Umay Defne
1st GIRL Ritinioti Sofia
U8
1st Paraskevopoulou Aikaterini
2nd Alexandrakis Alexios
3rd Melegkos Konstantinos
1st GIRL Kakaletsi Nikolina
The organizing committee of the 8th International Chess Tournament "Vardaris 2025" wishes to provide every possible service for its participants. For this reason, we have achieved for yet another year, to offer 10% discount, exclusively for all the participants and their companions, at the legendary grill "Vardaris", located in 2nd Monastiriou Str., very close to the playing venue.
We would really like to thank Mr. Isaak Papadopoulos for his kind and generous offer, as well as for the uninterrupted cooperation during all these years.
During the 8th International Chess Tournament "Vardaris", as we use to do every year, the Chess Club SACH of Thessaloniki has the honor to proceed to brotherhood with ZEYBEK Chess Team. We are really very happy and grateful to bond with this chess club!
So, here is a presentation and greeting from the twin club...
ZEYBEK SATRANÇ SPOR KULÜBÜ (ZEYBEK CHESS TEAM)
In recent years, chess has perhaps been the most developed branch among all sports in Turkey. The most important way to contribute to this development is to increase the number of clubs and provide quality education opportunities. In this respect, we established the Zeybek Chess Sports Club in Aydın in 2017 in order to support the development of our city, Aydın, in the field of chess. Our club is a sports club affiliated with the Turkish Chess Federation and the Turkish Amateur Sports Clubs Federation, which conducts educational activities in the field of chess.
Since the day it was founded, Zeybek Chess Sports Club has introduced more than 500 students to the sport of chess with its 5 trainers. And this number continues to increase every day.
Our aim is to protect our children from the bad habits of our age, to support their mental development and to help them make good friendships.
Cumhuriyet Neighbourhood 1955 street. No:32 ARGOS Plaza k:2/7 EFELER/ AYDIN
Award winners of 7th International Chess Tournament "Vardaris" 2024
The 7th Vardaris International Tournament returned after a 4-year absence due to the "Covid" pandemic
It was held at the City Hall of Thessaloniki in the Manolis Anagnostakis Hall during the period 14-18 March 2024.
The tournament was the twinning of the Chess Club SAX Thessaloniki with the team of the Chess Club of West Lesvos "Aristotle".
The tournament was part of the European program Thessaloniki European City of Sport and the opening ceremony was attended by the Deputy Mayor of Sports, Youth and Volunteerism Mrs. Kyriaki Giannakidou.
The winners were the following:
Α' Group
Final standings
1st Tsaknakis Zisis
2nd Dogias Christos
3rd Rahmanidis Petros
4th Krallis Christos
5th Markidis Konstantinos
6th Loukopoulos Panagiotis Athanasios
1st Female
Gkoutzouki Aikaterini Argyro
Veteran S50
1st Madebrink Lars
U1800
1st Balafoutis Ilias
U2000
1st Kalogridis Themistoklis
Boys U16
1st Boutikos Eleftherios
Girls U16
1st Nenova Andzhelika
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Β΄ Group
Final standings
1st Petridis Dimitrios Panagiotis
2nd Keramaros Vasileios
3rd Balafoutas Alexandros
1st Female
Maniati Konstantina
Veteran S50
1st Avgitidis Isaak
Boys U16
1st Mitsopoulos Ioannis
Girls U16
1st Giakoustidou Evgenia
Boys U14
1st Papakyriakou Petros
Girls U14
1st Pehlivanova Aleksandra
Boys U12
1st Xouplidis Filippos
Girls U12
1st Marinova Mihaela
Boys U10
1st Skodras Dionysios Eleftherios
Girls U10
1st Kalyva Ioanna
We believe that every "Vardaris" is unique, however the 6th Vardaris was definitely very special, since one day before the start of the tournament, the first incident of coronavirus in Greece was announced, in fact in Thessaloniki. Panic prevailed for two days! All the phones, even the mobile ones of the organizing committee wouldn't stop ringing. There were many participants who canceled, even more who called to ask if the tournament would eventually take place and many who rebroadcast the news from television and radio.
On Tuesday morning we arrived at the Holiday Inn hotel, the playing venue and started the preparations. Late at night everything was ready. Our organization and satisfaction was unimaginable. Of course, no one could imagine the sequel... A day later, we felt that everything was falling apart!
On Thursday the situation had become even more pressing... The pairings were published with a slight delay (at 16.30 instead of 16.00), we had the pleasure to announce the brotherhood with the Chess Club of Xanthi and by announcing the start of the games, we did not really know what we will face after all.
And yet, people were there!!! It is indeed a small organizing miracle, the games started on time and the majority of participants were there!
The 6th Vardaris had started!
In A Group, all participants played on brand new wooden chessboards and 20 electronic chessboards broadcast live the most important games of each round. In all groups, each chess player had a printed card with his/her name, his/her ELO and the flag of his/her country.
2nd day of the tournament (Friday 28 February 2020)
On Friday morning, we had organized a guided tour for foreign chess players in the city of Thessaloniki. The White Tower, Thessaloniki seaside, the Castles and Agios Dimitrios Church were our stops...
The impressions of the participants were excellent. A really beautiful 3-hours tour for all the chess players and the attendants who registered.
Before the beginning of the 2nd round, the arbiter with a continuous presence from the 1st Vardaris, Nikos Freggidis, was honored for his contribution with a commemorative collector's medal.
Also, from the 2nd day, a painting exhibition of the Russian chess player Maria Yugina was presented on the playing venue, with her paintings decorating all the halls of the games.
An amazing image, another wonderful binding between our favorite game and art!
3rd day of the tournament (Saturday 29 February 2020)
Once every 4 years someone has the opportunity to play chess on a day like this. So this day you will need your charm. All the chess players were given a commemorative badge of the 6th Vardaris with a lucky horseshoe.
Rumors say that those who kept the badge won, while those who ignored it, were punished by Kaissa, the Goddess of chess...
Before the beginning of the 4th round, Christos Bousios, our Pairings Chief and companion from the 1st Vardaris, was honored for his offer.
4th day of the tournament (Sunday 1 March 2020)
Another difficult day for the chess players with another double round. The battles on the chessboards were very strong.
At the beginning of the 6th round, there was a small gift on the players' tables. A soap, expressing our solidarity for the employees of VIOME factory, the 1st factory occupied by its workers since 2011 and operate it since then, under direct democratic workers' control.
In addition to the action on the chessboards, a commemorative collector's medal was awarded to the Norwegian Grandmaster Kjeti A Lie, leader of the largest mission from a foreign country that participated in Vardaris with 12 chess players and 2 escorts - coaches.
5th day of the tournament (Monday 3 March 2020)
Before the start of the last round, a commemorative medal was awarded to Fontas Makris of Chess Club of Corfu, a club with which we came in brotherhood in the 2nd Vardaris and supports us ever since, being the club with the largest number of participations.
The tournament run normally. 279 chess players from 18 countries participated, including 6 GM, 2 IM and 1 WIM.
The winner of A Group was the Chinese Grandmaster Zeng Chongsheng with 7 points in 7 games. In positions 2 to 5 we had a draw with 5.5 points, but based on criteria the 2nd place was taken by the other Chinese Lu Shanglei, the 3rd place by Lambros Giannoulakis, 4th place for the Argentine Grandmaster Krysa Leandro and 5th for the Greek Chess Champion Kourkoulos-Arditis Stamatis. In the 6th place based on criteria, was the Norwegian Vestby-Ellingsen Mads with 5 points.
In B Group, the winner was chess player Demelkas Giannis with 6.5 points in 7 games, followed by Dogias Christos (2nd place) and Zaires Karanasios Konstantinos (3rd place).
In C Group, the winner was Konstantinos Papasynnefakis with 7 points in an equal number of games, 2nd place for George Varnas and 3rd place for Charalambos Papakyriakou.
In D Group, where children under 8 participated, the winner was Paterakis Panagiotis, 2nd place for Alexandra Giamouzi and 3rd for the Romanian Sava Natalia.
At the awards ceremony, we had the honor and pleasure to have together with us, the great Greek actor and chess lover, Mr. Takis Papamattheou.
Reaching the end, we would especially like to thank Takis Papamattheou for the honor he did us to award all the trophies and medals, changing and burdening his program a lot.
In fact, as he told us, he considers it's his duty to help chess in any way he can. After all, his dream was to become a professional chess player and travel all around the world carrying just a suitcase, playing chess.
The route of life may have changed a bit, but we, the people of Vardaris, are always along with those who dream… And Takis Papamattheou is clearly one of them!
We thank him from the bottom of our hearts, as well as all those who participated, chess players and attendants, in the 6th International Chess Tournament "Vardaris".
Last but not least, a huge thank you to all the tireless people of the organization. With passion and most of all our love for what we do, we always achieve the impossible!
See you next year!
7th Vardaris : March 11 - 15, 2021 !!!