The Italian spa town of Acqui Terme is hosting the 2023 European Senior Championships, which started on the Friday before Whitsun and will be held in three tournaments until 3 June. Four titles will be awarded, the Senior European Champion 50+, the Women's Senior European Champion 50+, the Senior European Champion 65+ and the Women's Senior European Champion 65+.
While nine women will be competing for the 50+ title in a separate tournament, the 65+ women players will be taking part in the open tournament. The title will be awarded to the best player in the tournament. It is expected to be Nona Gaprindashvili, who is not only a world champion but has also won the senior world and European championships several times. She won her first senior title in 1995.
English grandmaster John Nunn (born 1955) is the favourite to win the title in the 65+ category. 90 players have registered for the tournament. Lubomir Ftacnik is the only other male grandmaster in the field.
This year, for the first time, there are no players from Russia. As is well known, the Russian Federation has left the European Chess Union and joined the Asian Chess Federation. Italy has the most participants with more than 30 players. Then come Sweden (8), England and Germany (7 each).
John Nunn started with two wins, but then drew against Terry Chapman. Another win followed. Apart from Nunn, five other players have 3.5 points, including Lubomir Ftacnik.
Dr Matthias Kierzek, the former head of the German Eichborn publishing house, got off to the best start with 4 out of 4. The top player will meet John Nunn in round five.
In the Young Seniors group of 80 players, there are five grandmasters in the field: Zurab Sturua, Suat Atalik, Keith Arkell, Martin Mrva and Eric Prie. None of the players survived the first four rounds without losing points. Six players share the lead on 3.5 points.
In the women's 50+ tournament, favourite Marina Makropoulou of Greece leads with 3 points.
| Rk. | Name | Elo | Pts. | Tb1 | ||
| 1 | IM | Bellia, Fabrizio | 2393 | 3,5 | 0 | |
| 2 | FM | De Santis, Alessio | 2117 | 3,5 | 0 | |
| 3 | GM | Arkell, Keith C | 2390 | 3,5 | 0 | |
| 4 | GM | Sturua, Zurab | 2518 | 3,5 | 0 | |
| 5 | IM | Van Der Werf, Mark | 2396 | 3,5 | 0 | |
| 6 | IM | Contin, Daniel | 2231 | 3,5 | 0 | |
| 7 | GM | Mrva, Martin | 2353 | 3 | 0 | |
| 8 | IM | Lacasa Diaz, Jose Antonio | 2359 | 3 | 0 | |
| 9 | GM | Atalik, Suat | 2441 | 3 | 0 | |
| 10 | IM | Berend, Fred | 2257 | 3 | 0 | |
| 11 | FM | Dieu, Bruno | 2251 | 3 | 0 | |
| 12 | FM | Dishman, Stephen | 2259 | 3 | 0 | |
| 13 | Mordiglia, Riccardo | 2073 | 3 | 0 | ||
| 14 | GM | Prie, Eric | 2352 | 2,5 | 0 | |
| 15 | Folk, Petr | 2135 | 2,5 | 0 | ||
| 16 | FM | Lasinskas, Povilas | 2131 | 2,5 | 0 | |
| CM | Kirszenberg, Marc | 1984 | 2,5 | 0 | ||
| 18 | FM | Sigfusson, Sigurdur | 2279 | 2,5 | 0 | |
| CM | Katzir, Moshe | 2150 | 2,5 | 0 | ||
| 20 | AIM | Ceccarini, Marco | 2027 | 2,5 | 0 |
80 players
| Rg. | Name | Elo | Pts. | Tb1 | |
| 1 | Kierzek, Matthias Dr. | 2163 | 4 | 0 | |
| 2 | GM | Ftacnik, Lubomir | 2456 | 3,5 | 0 |
| 3 | IM | Renman, Nils-Gustaf | 2331 | 3,5 | 0 |
| 4 | GM | Nunn, John D M | 2579 | 3,5 | 0 |
| IM | Pomes Marcet, Joan | 2239 | 3,5 | 0 | |
| 6 | Koehler, Gerhard Dr. | 2205 | 3,5 | 0 | |
| 7 | GM | Fernandez Garcia, Jose Luis | 2370 | 3,5 | 0 |
| 8 | IM | Rooze, Jan | 2268 | 3 | 0 |
| 9 | GM | Gaprindashvili, Nona | 2274 | 3 | 0 |
| 10 | Iudicello, Giovanni | 2081 | 3 | 0 | |
| 11 | WGM | Fischdick, Gisela | 2205 | 3 | 0 |
| 12 | FM | Serra Olives, Tomas | 2004 | 3 | 0 |
| 13 | FM | Schulz, Michael | 2215 | 3 | 0 |
| 14 | Luciani, Carlo | 2197 | 3 | 0 | |
| 15 | Ubezio, Marco | 2112 | 3 | 0 |
90 players
