230 young chess players advance to Corfu Final from field of 3,000
Photo: Corfu Chess Club
CORFU. The 14th Corfu School Chess Championship has concluded, with more than 3,000 pupils from across the island taking part. A total of 230 finalists competed in the grand final, where the new boys΄ and girls΄ champions of Corfu school chess were crowned.
The 14th Corfu School Chess Championship 2025–26, one of the largest and most prestigious school sporting events on the island, has concluded with the participation of more than 3,000 pupils from schools across Corfu. The final phase took place on 5–6 June at the clubhouse of the Corfu Chess Players Association at the New Port and crowned the new champions of Corfu school chess.
This year's championship lasted eight months, from September to April, and involved schools from every part of the island. Of the more than 3,000 pupils who sat at the chessboard during the competition, 230 qualified for the grand final, where they competed over five rounds.
In the Kindergarten category, Leonidas Vlachos (1st Thinali School) was crowned champion, while Lydia Pouliasi (1st Thinali School) finished second overall and was also the top-ranked girl. In Year 1, the winner was Makis Halmoukis (6th Corfu Primary School); in Year 2, Angelos Makadanis (Kanalia Primary School); in Year 3, Maximos Delalis (12th Corfu Primary School); in Year 4, Spyros Gasteratos (Kanalia Primary School); in Year 5, Stefanos Skordilis (1st Corfu Primary School); and in Year 6, Alteo Poula (Agios Markos Primary School).
The girls' champions were Lydia Hatziandreou (Year 1, 1st Thinali School), Elena Mikalef (Year 2, 12th Corfu Primary School), Anastasia Panaretou (Year 3, Kanalia Primary School), Sofelia Tanti (Year 4, 4th Experimental Primary School of Corfu), Stamatina Giannopoulou (Year 5, 13th Corfu Primary School), and Natalia Panaretou (Year 6, Kanalia Primary School).
The championship was held under the auspices of the Ionian Islands Directorate of Primary and Secondary Education. Following the conclusion of the games, an awards ceremony was held to honour the winners, while commemorative certificates were presented to all finalists. Awards were presented by Sakis Plouskas, representative of the Thinali Chess Club; Konstantinos Skordilis, Ionian Islands Regional Authority Director General of Administration, Finance and Information Technology; and Konstantinos Mikalef, Deputy Fire Chief and commander of Corfu Airport's 2nd Fire Station.
The successful completion of the championship once again highlighted the strong growth of school chess in Corfu, showcasing new talent and sustaining an institution that has become a benchmark for school chess competitions throughout Greece.
ELENI KORONAKI
