The most prestigious national events in Greek chess, the 2026 Greek Chess Championship and Women's Championship, have concluded after a series of thrilling battles. In the open section, Grandmaster (GM) Evgenios Ioannidis claimed his maiden national crown, while International Master (IM) Stavroula Tsolakidou delivered a dominant performance to secure her second title in the women's category.

A Breathtaking Finale on the Island of Psara

Organized by the Greek Chess Federation (ESO) in cooperation with the Korydallos Chess Club and supported by the Municipality of Psara, the 75th edition of the Greek Open Chess Championship took place from October 3 to 11, 2026, on the historic island of Psara. Bringing together ten of the country's top players in a single round-robin tournament with classical time control, the event witnessed fierce competition from start to finish.

The fate of the tournament was quite literally decided in the final round. Two-time former champion GM Ioannis Nikolaidis and Evgenios Ioannidis entered the ninth and final round sharing the lead with 6 points out of 8. As fate would have it, the pairings pitted the two leaders against each other in an ultimate clash for the gold medal. Playing arguably the most critical game of his career, Ioannidis defeated his rival to reach 7/9 and capture the championship title. Remaining on 6 points, Nikolaidis edged out FIDE Master (FM) Michail Vassis on tiebreaks to claim the silver medal.

Tsolakidou Dominates the Women's Section

Meanwhile, top seed Stavroula Tsolakidou put on a commanding display at the 48th Greek Women's Chess Championship, held from October 4 to 12 in Porto Cheli. As the only IM in the field, Tsolakidou conceded just two draws in nine games, finishing with an impressive 8/9 score to celebrate her second national title. Second seed FM Anastasia Avramidou also completed the tournament undefeated, scoring a strong 6.5/9 to win the silver medal. FM Maria Tsakona rounded out the podium, taking home the bronze medal with 5.5/9.