Chess Tournaments in Greece

The Hellenic Chess Federation was founded in 1948 and officially recognized by the Greek state in 1967; it is a full FIDE member and runs the national championship along with a national team championship. Thessaloniki is the country's clearest chess landmark, having hosted the Chess Olympiad in both 1984 and 1988, and the federation has remained influential internationally thanks to long-time leaders like Georgios Makropoulos, a former FIDE Deputy President. Vasilios Kotronias became Greece's first grandmaster in 1990 and has won the national title ten times, while Ioannis Papaioannou, a grandmaster since 1998, has long been among the country's top-rated players. Athens and Thessaloniki remain the main hubs for organized club and team play, and Rhodes hosted the FIDE World Cadet & Youth Rapid & Blitz Championship as recently as 2025, showing the federation still draws major junior events to Greek soil.

• Thessaloniki is the country's chess capital by reputation, having hosted the Chess Olympiad in both 1984 and 1988.
• The Hellenic Chess Federation, founded in 1948, runs the national championship and a national team championship, with Athens and Thessaloniki as the main centers.
• Greece still draws major FIDE junior events, most recently the 2025 World Cadet & Youth Rapid & Blitz Championship in Rhodes.