Alexander Bangiev and Julius Pleschke crown Lanzarote in the Canary Islands Chess Championship

The Democracia de Arrecife Society hosted from July 2 to 5 the Canary Islands Individual Chess Championship in the Veteran and Youth categories, a competition that brought together some of the best players in the archipelago and which featured four days of hard-fought games, marked by equality and a high level of play.

In the Veteran category, International Master Alexander Bangiev, from the OneChess Club, was proclaimed Canary Islands champion after completing a very solid tournament. The podium was completed by Juan Carlos Ángel, from Gran Canaria, in second place, and Ángel González Acosta, from the Tablero de Guanapay Chess Club, who finished third.

The Youth category also had a Lanzarote presence thanks to the victory of Julius Jonas Pleschke, from the OneChess Club, who won the regional title after an outstanding performance. Antonio Mesa, from Tenerife, was second, while Carlos de la Cruz, from La Palma, took third place.

In the Female Youth category, the victory went to Helena J. Li Chen, from Fuerteventura. The Lanzarote player Katharina Bangiev, from the OneChess Club, won the silver medal after an excellent championship, while Jimena Rodríguez, from La Palma, completed the podium.

In addition to the players who reached the top positions, the championship had representation from the rest of the Lanzarote clubs, including the Tinajoy Chess Club, the CIAL Chess Club, and the Tablero de Guanapay Chess Club, reflecting the good moment that island chess is experiencing.

With these results, Alexander Bangiev and Julius Jonas Pleschke have qualified to represent the Canary Islands in the upcoming Spanish Championships, while the notable presence of Lanzarote players in the top positions confirms the growth and good work being carried out by the island's clubs.

The championship also highlighted the organizational effort required for an event of this nature. In this regard, the work of the Canary Islands Chess Federation and the Lanzarote Island Chess Delegation in coordinating the event should be noted, as well as the collaboration of the Democracia de Arrecife Society for ceding its facilities for the championship. The presence of the Minister of Sports of the Cabildo de Lanzarote, Juan Monzón, at the trophy presentation provided the institutional closing to a competition that once again turned Lanzarote into the epicenter of Canary Islands chess for four intense days.