Fighting for promotion to the top division

The Spanish "Primera División" is taking place at the Hotel RL Aníbal in Linares from 27 August to 2 September. Eight clubs are competing in a single round-robin, with each match played on six boards. Two match points are awarded for a win and one for a draw, while the top two teams at the end of the event will earn promotion to the "División de Honor" for 2027.

Each lineup must include at least one woman and three players eligible to represent Spain. The time control is 90 minutes for the first 40 moves, followed by an additional 30 minutes, with a 30-second increment from move one. All seven rounds start at 16.30 local time, with the final round scheduled for Wednesday 2 September.

Fritz 21 & Fritz Powerbook 2026

YOUR PERSONAL CHESS COACH - Whether you’re taking your first steps into the world of club chess, or already playing at a tournament level: with FRITZ, you can train more efficiently, intelligently and with a more personalised approach than ever before.
FRITZ is more than just a chess engine – it’s a training revolution! Whether you’re taking your first steps into the world of club chess, or already playing at a tournament level: with FRITZ, you can train more efficiently, intelligently and with a more personalised approach than ever before.
* COMPETE AGAINST LEGENDS
* FRITZ is fun! BETTER CALCULATIONS – EVEN UNDER TIME PRESSURE!
* STYLE SIMULATION AT THE HIGHEST LEVEL
* EVEN STRONGER. EVEN MORE BEAUTIFUL. EVEN MORE DIRECT.

The tournament is being held at a venue with a long association with elite chess. The Hotel Aníbal hosted numerous major tournaments during the years in which Luis Rentero organised the famous Linares events, and it continues to stage Spanish national championships. The format resembles that used in the "División de Honor", where matches are likewise contested on six boards and must feature a female player.

The "Monumento al Minero", depicting an idealized, muscular, bare-chested miner wearing a helmet, stands at the Plaza Aníbal e Hímilce | Photo: Spanish Chess Federation

After three rounds, Club Ajedrez Solvay are the only team with a perfect score of six match points. The Cantabrian side opened with a 4-2 victory over Club Ajedrez Sestao and followed that by beating Gros Xake Taldea 3½-2½. On Saturday, Solvay defeated Platja d'Aro 4-2 to make it three wins from three.

Solvay's leading representatives by rating are Vasyl Ivanchuk (2634), Abhimanyu Puranik (2629) and S L Narayanan (2576). Ivanchuk and Narayanan have both contributed 2 points so far, while Daniel Tabuenca and Inés Prado have also collected 2 points each. Ivanchuk began the event by beating Frederik Svane on the top board in Solvay's victory over Sestao.

Three teams are tied for second place on 4/6 match points: Granada SIDN-Cívica-Nazaríes-Trevenque, Andreu Paterna and Ciudad Naranco.

• Granada started with successive wins over Ciudad Naranco and Fundación La Caja before losing 3½-2½ to Paterna in round three.
• Paterna, meanwhile, recovered from an opening-round defeat against Gros by beating Platja d'Aro and Granada in consecutive matches.
• Ciudad Naranco also have two victories from three rounds, as they bounced back from their loss to Granada in the first round with victories over Sestao and Fundación La Caja.

With four rounds still to play, Solvay have established the first clear lead of the tournament, but the margin remains only two match points. The six-board format leaves considerable scope for changes in the standings: even closely contested matches can quickly alter both the match-point table and the individual-board totals used for tiebreak purposes.

How I became World Champion Vol.1 1973-1985

Garry Kasparov's rise to the top was meteoric and at his very first attempt he managed to become World Champion, the youngest of all time. In over six hours of video, he gives a first hand account of crucial events from recent chess history, you can improve your chess understanding and enjoy explanations and comments from a unique and outstanding personality on and off the chess board.

Yuriy Kryvoruchko (Andreu Paterna) facing Max Warmerdam (Granada) in round three - the game ended in a draw | Photo: Spanish Chess Federation

Eline Roebers is playing on board four for Granada, and has so far scored 2/3 points for a 2492 tournament performance rating | Photo: Spanish Chess Federation

Standings after round 3

Full pairings and results at info64.org...

Evans & Friends Vol.1 & 2

This is a full repertoire after 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 focussing on the Evans Gambit as the main weapon.
Few openings teach the art of attack as directly as the Evans Gambit. After 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.b4, White gives up a pawn to rip open the position, build a powerful center and head straight for the black king. The best part is that the tactics aren't forced or memorized. They arise naturally from the position, which makes the Evans the ideal opening for club players and ambitious juniors who want sharper, more confident results. But a great gambit is only half a repertoire. Across these two volumes, IM Andrew Martin gives you the complete picture after 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3, with a clear, ready-to-play answer to everything Black can throw at you.

All available games

Links

• Spanish Chess Federation
• All pairings and results at info64.org
• Photo gallery on Facebook