A major celebration of senior chess comes to an end in Durrës

The 2026 World Senior Team Chess Championship, held over ten days in Durrës, Albania, concluded with decisive final-round clashes in both the 50+ and 65+ sections. The event once again highlighted the fighting spirit, experience, and quality of senior players, underlining their lasting commitment to the game. The final day produced a highly dramatic picture in which team points, match outcomes, and tiebreak calculations all played a crucial role; for many teams, the medal order was only settled after the final moves were completed.

In the 50+ section, USA 1 captured the championship title. A quick draw on board one against Iceland in the final round was enough for the American side to remain at the top. Behind them, however, the battle for the podium was fierce. Italy kept up heavy pressure against Norway Oslo on board two and eventually secured a 2.5–1.5 victory, drawing level with the leaders in match points. Even so, Italy had to settle for silver after falling behind the USA on game points, the decisive tiebreak. Kazakhstan claimed bronze with an emphatic 4–0 sweep of Iceland Vestfirdir, while England 1 defeated the USA Women’s team by the same score to finish fourth. Iceland and Hungary also stood out with performances that kept them close to the top group.

The women’s standings in this section carried special significance as well. Despite losing in the final round, the USA Women’s team retained first place among the women thanks to the key points they had collected earlier in the tournament. The Czech Republic Women finished second, while Kazakhstan Women took third. The outcome once again showed how experience, squad depth, and consistency remain decisive factors in senior women’s chess.

In the 65+ category, the situation was even tighter before the last round. Germany – Lasker started the day in first place on 13 team points, while as many as six teams from second to seventh were still in contention for a podium finish. In such a narrow race, there was no margin for error, and the German team delivered by defeating Slovakia 2.5–1.5 to secure the title with 15 team points. Italy earned silver after a 3–1 victory over England 2. The fight for bronze went all the way to the tiebreaks: after four teams finished level on points, Iceland took third place thanks to superior tiebreaks following its drawn match against England 1.

In the 65+ women’s standings, the FIDE Women’s team successfully held on to its lead in the final round. A draw against Poland Amateurs 65 was enough to secure first place among the women. Germany Women completed the event in second place, while Latvia Women rounded out the podium in third. The championship in Durrës was not only an event where trophies and medals were awarded, but also an important international gathering that powerfully reaffirmed chess as a lifelong passion, a field of discipline, and a competitive arena that transcends age.