It is a landmark moment for the chess community: the C.E.S.S. Project – “Competences and Higher Education through Chess”, a groundbreaking EU-funded initiative awarded to the Romanian Chess Federation under the Smart Growth, Digitalization and Financial Instruments Programme 2021-2027 (PoCIDIF) is officially launched!

With a total investment of 4,5 million euros, this is the most significant European funding achievement in the history of chess. The official launch event took place on 14 May 2026 in Sheraton Bucharest, marking the formal start of a transformation that will set a new benchmark for chess administration across Europe.

Garry Kasparov: A Historic Day for Chess. We are grateful to the Romanian Chess Federation, Vlad Ardeleanu and Dragic foundation.

Vlad Ardeleanu: We will capitalise on the popularity of chess through the national federations, providing the most advanced technology and services.

Theodoros Tsorbatzoglou: Digitalization is not progress anymore but survival and the Romanian federation gives us the tools and brings us the funding to modernize our official structures. Thanks to Vlad Ardeleanu and the Romanian Chess Federation, major EU funding steps for chess.

This monumental success story is not an isolated achievement; it is the blueprint for the future. The ECU2030 team is proudly building the ECU Strategy 2026–2030 on the foundation of digitalization, modernization, and financial sustainability.

Detailed information about the C.E.S.S. project can be found in the document below.