EUROPEAN CORPORATE COMPETITION CHAMPIONSHIP 2025

ЧЕМПІОНАТ ЄВРОПИ З КОРПОРАТИВНИХ ЗМАГАНЬ 2025

Chess Results

(European Corporate Chess Championship 2025 - ECC 2025)
Basic information and venue

• Venue: Asnières-sur-Seine, Paris, France.

• Organizer: Club "Asnière Le Grand Echiquier" under the auspices of the European Chess Union (ECU).

• Dates: November 7–8, 2025 (tournament lasts two days).

  • Rounds 1–4: Friday, November 7, 3:00 PM – 7:00 PM.
  • Rounds 5–9: Saturday, November 8, 10:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
  • Gala Evening and Closing Ceremony: Saturday, November 8, 7:30 PM.

• Most visited: Espace Francis Delage, 27 rue de la Concorde, 92600 Asnières-sur-Seine.

• Format: 9 rounds Swiss system.

• Time control (Rapid): 15 minutes per game with an increment of 5 seconds per move, starting from the first.

Умови участі та склад команд

• Participants: Teams from any legally registered corporate organizations based in Europe are eligible to participate. Chess clubs, associations and federations are not eligible.

• Team composition: 4 main players and 1 substitute player (optional), 5 people in total.

  • A corporate organization can register as many teams as they wish.

• Qualification restrictions (FIDE Rapid Rating):

  • A team can have only one player with a rating over 2400 ELO (according to the October 2025 FIDE Rapid rating).

  • The team must have at least one player with a rating below 2000 ELO.

• Company affiliation: At least two players in each round must have an employment relationship or similar connection with the company they represent.

• Rating for seating: Players are seated in order of rating (FIDE Rapid) to ensure fair competition.

Points Accrual and Prize Pool

• Points system: The Match points system is used.

  • Winning the match: 3 match points.
  • A draw in a match: 2 match points.
  • Loss of a match: 1 match point.
  • Loss due to absence: 0 match points.

• Minimum Prize Pool: The guaranteed minimum prize pool is 7,000 EURO.

• Special Awards: The organizers will award special trophies to teams representing the following sectors of activity (provided that at least 3 teams participate in the sector):

  • Banking and insurance.
  • Energy.
  • Digital technologies (Digital).
  • Consulting.
  • Industry.
  • Sports and tourism.
  • Special category.

• Additional event: On Friday, November 7 (morning), a special side event will take place: Chess and Strategy Conference.

Registration and Financial Issues

• Registration fee: €400 per registered team. The fee includes the ECU registration fee, tea, coffee and water in the game room, and an invitation to the cocktail reception for 5 people at the closing ceremony.

• Registration deadline: October 26, 2025.

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Official sources

• Official Championship website:

  • https://ecc2025.ffechecs.org/

• Detailed tournament regulations (PDF, in English):

  • https://ecc2025.ffechecs.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/72/2025/05/Reglement-interieur-ECU-Corporate2025ENG.pdf

• Official announcement from the European Chess Union (ECU):

  • https://www.europechess.org/european-corporate-chess-championship-2025-official-regulations/

ІСТОРИЧНА ДОВІДКА ТА МЕТА КОРПОРАТИВНОГО ЧЕМПІОНАТУ

1. Historical roots of corporate chess

Chess has long been used as a tool for networking and team-building in business and industry. However, the institutionalization of competitions at the European level came much later:

• National Leagues: Corporate chess leagues first began to appear in the late 20th and early 21st centuries in some European countries, in particular in France (where the 2025 Championship is being held). These leagues brought together employees of different companies who played in their free time.

• Creation of the European Championship: The success of national corporate leagues and the growing understanding of the connection between chess strategy and business led to the creation of the European Corporate Championship. The European Chess Union (ECU) officially approved the event, recognizing its importance for promoting chess in the business environment.

• Development: Although the corporate championship is a relatively new phenomenon compared to individual or team championships, it has quickly gained popularity. This has led to the emergence of larger events such as the FIDE World Corporate Championship.

2. The purpose of holding corporate championships

This type of competition has several key goals that go beyond the scope of a typical sports tournament:

• Corporate Team-building: Chess is an ideal tool for strengthening ties between employees from different departments. Joint participation in competitions develops team spirit and a sense of belonging to the company.

• Stimulates strategic thinking: Chess reflects business strategies, requiring forecasting, adaptation, and making informed decisions under time pressure. The tournament encourages employees to transfer these skills from the board to their professional activities.

• Networking: The championship serves as a platform for business networking. The participants are employees and managers of European companies. The Chess and Strategy Conference, held within the tournament, further emphasizes this goal.

• Increasing the Prestige of the Company: Participating in an international championship and receiving awards (especially in industry categories such as "Banking" or "Energy") enhances the image of the company as one that values ​​intelligence, strategy, and personnel development.

3. Impact on the rules

The specific rules of the Championship, including rating restrictions (only one player over 2400 ELO and the requirement to have a player under 2000 ELO), are designed to ensure that the Championship remains a competition of true amateur employees, and not just a tournament for chess professionals formally registered with the company.

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