WFM Mireya Represa, Carlos Alvarez and Antonio Arboledas won the three tournaments of the “Juan Martinez Sola Chess Festival 2018”, which have been held from 1st to 5th November in Almeria (Spain).

The first tournament has been an international league (round robin system) of 10 players, valid for Woman International Master norm. The participants have been nine female players (from Spain, Poland, Germany, Israel, and Philippines), and the champion of the previous edition, Miguel Alvarez from Almeria (Spain). In this tournament, the WFM Mireya Represa from Vigo (Spain), currently Spanish U18 Champion has won with 7 out of 9 points and achieved a WIM norm. Ms. Represa, who played a week before the World championship U18 in Greece, expressed her satisfaction with her performance: “I have prepared several international tournaments with my trainer, Jacobo Caselas, since the beginning of last summer, aiming at achieving a WIM norm. However, it was quite difficult for me to keep my best level against strong players. Finally, I have achieved the WIM norm in Almeria, so I am very happy.” The WFM Ana Redondo Benavente, a player of the Reverté Minerals chess club (Spain), ended up in the second place, almost getting another WIM norm with 6 out of 9 points.

In the beginning of the fourth round, the “kick of honor” was made by the left striker of the UD Almeria football team, Luis Rioja, along with the sports councilor of the Almeria city hall, Mr. Juanjo Segura.

The second tournament has been the traditional open U2200 FIDE rating, with 74 chess players from Canada, Hungary, Romania, Turkey, and Spain. The Spanish player Carlos Alvarez, from the Excalibur chess club (Spain) and first in the initial ranking, has won being the only one scoring 6.5 out of 9 points.

Finally, the third tournament consisted of blitz games, and had 42 chess players. The winner has been Antonio Arboledas, from the Reverté Minerals chess club, scoring 8.5 points out of 10 games. Mr. Arboledas has proved to be an expert in blitz games, given that year after year he is in the podium of the blitz tournament.

The last day, a simul was given by Francisco Galindo in the IES Al Ándalus. Daniel Pastor, a teacher of that high school, expressed the importance of introducing chess to young students as an educative tool: “In our high school, we have already started this type of activities with the ‘AulaDjaque’ program”.