A total of 67 different countries represented
The 33rd FIDE World Senior Championships are taking place at the Grand Hotel Costa Brada in Gallipoli, Puglia, Italy. The event began on 21 October and has set a new participation record, with 467 players from 67 countries competing across four sections. Among them are participants who have travelled from as far afield as New Zealand, South America and South Africa. A total of 55 players are battling in the women’s competitions, while the 65+ Open section is the largest group with 247 competitors.
The championships consist of 11-round Swiss-system tournaments, played at a classical time control of 90 minutes for the game plus 30-second increments from move one. The categories are divided into Open 50+, Women 50+, Open 65+ and Women 65+.
Participants and prize fund
Williams Steinitz, 1st World Chess Champion (1886-1894) The match between William Steinitz and Johannes Zukertort in 1886 was the first chess match for the ‘World Chess Championship’. Steinitz won, and has since been considered the first official world champion in chess history.
Free video sample: The Steinitzian method of restriction
Free video sample: Strategy Introduction
Four grandmasters rated above 2500 headline the 50+ Open: Kiril Georgiev (BUL, 2526), Murtas Kazhgaleyev (KAZ, 2518), Alexandre Qashashvili (GEO, 2505) and Victor Mikhalevski (ISR, 2504). European Senior Champion Zurab Sturua (GEO, 2491) leads the starting list in the 65+ Open.
The 50+ Women’s event is spearheaded by Pia Cramling (SWE, 2403), Ketevan Arakhamia-Grant (SCO, 2269), Masha Klinova (ISR, 2235) and Monica Calzetta Ruiz (ESP, 2221). In the 65+ Women’s section, living legend Nona Gaprindashvili heads the field.
Given the record turnout, FIDE has raised the total prize fund to €50,000. Category winners will receive between €1,500 and €5,000, and will also earn free entry and accommodation at the 3rd Cap Negret Senior Open, to be held in Altea, Spain, from 8 to 16 November 2025. Additional awards have been allocated for players aged 75 and above.
Side events, including two FIDE-rated blitz tournaments, complement the main competition programme.
Standings after seven rounds
Open 50+
Fourth seed Victor Mikhalevski from Israel is the sole leader with 6/7 points. Curiously, he has not yet faced any players from the top ten in the starting rank. He is, however, set to face seventh seed Michele Godena in Wednesday’s eighth round. Six players stand a half point behind the leader, including three players from the top ten in the starting rank: Godena from Italy, Murtas Kazhgaleyev from Kazakhstan and Michal Krasenkow from Poland.
Open 65+
This section features no fewer than 233 players. Two players are sharing the lead on 6/7 points: Alexander Mikhalevski from Israel, the brother of Victor who is leading the 50+ section, and Alexander Reprintsev from Ukraine. A large 13-player pack stands a half point back. Mikhalevski and Reprintsev have already faced each other, with the Israeli player defeating his Ukrainian colleague in round five.
Women 50+
The 31-player field has second seed Ketevan Arakhamia-Grant from Scotland as the sole leader with 6/7 points. Three players stand a full point behind: top seed Pia Cramling from Sweden, fifth seed Silvia Alexieva from France and eighth seed Sopio Tereladze from Georgia.
Women 65+
In the smallest field of the four sections, 21 players battle in the Women’s 65+ category. Fourth seed Galina Strutinskaia, representing FIDE, is the sole leader with 6/7. Two players stand a full point behind: top seed Nona Gaprindashvili from Georgia, aged 85, and twelfth seed Margarita Baliuniene from Lithuania.
