The Rhodes Chess Festival, which comprises the European Amateur Chess Championship 2019, European Senior Chess Championship 2019 and World Senior Team Chess Championship 2019, will be held in Rhodes (Greece) from April 5th - 25th 2019. The Conference center of five-star Olympic Palace Hotel will be the venue for all the events in the Festival.

The European Senior Chess Championship 2019 starts on 5th of April and will be held until 15th of April, simultaneously with European Amateur Chess Championship 2019. This competition is open to all players representing ECU Chess Federations. In accordance with the ECU tournament rule the Championship will be played in two categories: senior 50+ and senior 65+ age categories. Open and Women’s competitions will be organized in every age category.

A total of 130 players are registered for this event. 68 players from 22 European federations registered for the 65+European Senior Chess Championship 2019, with GM Yuri Balashov as a top seed. There are 10 women players registered for the women's section of the same age category with 5th Women`s World Champion Nona Gaprindashvili as favorite.

In 50+ Open category, 42 players from 17 federations will participate, including GMs Zurab Sturua (GEO), Henrik Danielsen (ISL), Milos Pavlovic (SRB), Keith Arkell (ENG), being the top female players WGMs Tatiana Grabuzova (RUS), Galina Stritinskaya (RUS) and Marina Makropoulou (GRE).

The European Amateur Chess Championship 2019 will be played in three rating categories, U2300, U2000 and U1700 with a total prize fund of 4.000EUR. The winners of each category receive the relevant title: European Amateur Chess Champion under 1700, under 2000 and under 2300.

All players in the in the sections Under-1700 and Under-2000 amateur championship must not hold any title above CM (or WCM for women). All players must not hold any title above FM (or WFM for women) in the section Under-2300.

77 players representing 16 European federations registered for the event in all three categories.

The World Senior Team Championships 2019 (WSTC 2019) is part of the “Rhodes Chess Festival 2019”. There will be two separate team championships for categories 50+ and 65+. 28 teams from 17 countries registered in 65+ age category, 27 teams from 20 countries are in the list in 50+ age category and two Women`s teams are registered in the tournament. The total prize fund of the championship is 10,000 EUR.

The live transmission of the top boards of each round will be available through the official website of the organizer: https://rodoschess2019.com