With more than three weeks to go before the pieces start moving at the capital’s Roberto Rodríguez Estrello Sports Centre, over a hundred chess players from 23 different nationalities have already signed up to participate in the VIII edition of the International Chess Tournament Playing with the Stars, among which there are no fewer than 52 titled players as masters.
These figures, which will surely increase in the coming days, confirm by themselves that the significant event in La Palma with Science Sport will be the highest-level chess competition in all of the Canary Islands during 2025. Notably, among the titled players are 11 Grandmasters (GM), 14 International Masters (IM), and more than 16 FIDE Masters (FM).
From a strictly sporting perspective, the favourites arriving with the most Elo points (the name of a system similar to tennis that quantitatively measures the strength of chess players by their results) are Ukrainian GMs Bernadskiy and Solodovnichenko. However, Argentine GM Tomás Sosa, who has already won three tournaments in Tenerife this year, is another strong candidate for the final victory.
As the tournament starts on 8 August, it is very likely that more GMs will ultimately join, including two illustrious veterans of chess in the Canaries: Bojan Kurajica (who has lived in the Islands for decades) and Gran Canarian García Padrón.
Among the foreign countries most represented are Cuba, France, Greece, and Italy, and many of the foreign participants have been or are national champions of their respective countries.
In turn, the Canarian players are in the majority given the opportunity presented to them to compete against strong rivals, which always helps to improve their game.
Key
For the president of the Canarian Federation and driving force behind the International Chess Tournament Playing with the Stars, José Carlos Martín, “this is a very special edition. Coinciding with the Bajada de la Virgen, we are working to make it a prominent event, and we have grown in every way because there will be more prizes, more titled players, and more activities than in previous editions. In addition, there will be an International blitz tournament (fast games). Without a doubt, this year will be spectacular.”
In a conversation with DIARIO DE AVISOS, Martín recalled that all of this is possible “thanks to the support of our main sponsors: Sodepal, the City Council of Santa Cruz de La Palma, the Cabildo of La Palma, and the General Directorate of Sports of the Government of the Canary Islands,” while the Insular Centre of Chess is responsible for the organisation in collaboration with the Canarian Federation.
Social Benefits
It is worth mentioning that the local administrations of La Palma are a reference for the whole of the Canary Islands when it comes to harnessing the undeniable benefits of chess in areas such as education, the reintegration of prisoners, or the prevention of Alzheimer’s disease, among others.
Regarding the historic link of this tournament with the Lustral Festivities, Martín highlighted that “just for that reason, this year’s edition is very special. It was in 1995 when the Bajada de la Virgen Tournament was played for the first time, which has over the years evolved into the current Playing with the Stars, and since then the number of players, clubs, coaches, and tournaments has increased… Nowadays, chess enjoys enormous popularity in La Palma.”
