We believe that every "Vardaris" is unique, however the 6th Vardaris was definitely very special, since one day before the start of the tournament, the first incident of coronavirus in Greece was announced, in fact in Thessaloniki. Panic prevailed for two days! All the phones, even the mobile ones of the organizing committee wouldn't stop ringing. There were many participants who canceled, even more who called to ask if the tournament would eventually take place and many who rebroadcast the news from television and radio.

On Tuesday morning we arrived at the Holiday Inn hotel, the playing venue and started the preparations. Late at night everything was ready. Our organization and satisfaction was unimaginable. Of course, no one could imagine the sequel... A day later, we felt that everything was falling apart!

On Thursday the situation had become even more pressing... The pairings were published with a slight delay (at 16.30 instead of 16.00), we had the pleasure to announce the brotherhood with the Chess Club of Xanthi and by announcing the start of the games, we did not really know what we will face after all.

And yet, people were there!!! It is indeed a small organizing miracle, the games started on time and the majority of participants were there!

The 6th Vardaris had started!

In A Group, all participants played on brand new wooden chessboards and 20 electronic chessboards broadcast live the most important games of each round. In all groups, each chess player had a printed card with his/her name, his/her ELO and the flag of his/her country.

2nd day of the tournament (Friday 28 February 2020)

On Friday morning, we had organized a guided tour for foreign chess players in the city of Thessaloniki. The White Tower, Thessaloniki seaside, the Castles and Agios Dimitrios Church were our stops...

The impressions of the participants were excellent. A really beautiful 3-hours tour for all the chess players and the attendants who registered.

Before the beginning of the 2nd round, the arbiter with a continuous presence from the 1st Vardaris, Nikos Freggidis, was honored for his contribution with a commemorative collector's medal.

Also, from the 2nd day, a painting exhibition of the Russian chess player Maria Yugina was presented on the playing venue, with her paintings decorating all the halls of the games.

An amazing image, another wonderful binding between our favorite game and art!

3rd day of the tournament (Saturday 29 February 2020)

Once every 4 years someone has the opportunity to play chess on a day like this. So this day you will need your charm. All the chess players were given a commemorative badge of the 6th Vardaris with a lucky horseshoe.

Rumors say that those who kept the badge won, while those who ignored it, were punished by Kaissa, the Goddess of chess...

Before the beginning of the 4th round, Christos Bousios, our Pairings Chief and companion from the 1st Vardaris, was honored for his offer.

4th day of the tournament (Sunday 1 March 2020)

Another difficult day for the chess players with another double round. The battles on the chessboards were very strong.

At the beginning of the 6th round, there was a small gift on the players' tables. A soap, expressing our solidarity for the employees of VIOME factory, the 1st factory occupied by its workers since 2011 and operate it since then, under direct democratic workers' control.

In addition to the action on the chessboards, a commemorative collector's medal was awarded to the Norwegian Grandmaster Kjeti A Lie, leader of the largest mission from a foreign country that participated in Vardaris with 12 chess players and 2 escorts - coaches.

5th day of the tournament (Monday 3 March 2020)

Before the start of the last round, a commemorative medal was awarded to Fontas Makris of Chess Club of Corfu, a club with which we came in brotherhood in the 2nd Vardaris and supports us ever since, being the club with the largest number of participations.

The tournament run normally. 279 chess players from 18 countries participated, including 6 GM, 2 IM and 1 WIM.

The winner of A Group was the Chinese Grandmaster Zeng Chongsheng with 7 points in 7 games. In positions 2 to 5 we had a draw with 5.5 points, but based on criteria the 2nd place was taken by the other Chinese Lu Shanglei, the 3rd place by Lambros Giannoulakis, 4th place for the Argentine Grandmaster Krysa Leandro and 5th for the Greek Chess Champion Kourkoulos-Arditis Stamatis. In the 6th place based on criteria, was the Norwegian Vestby-Ellingsen Mads with 5 points.

In B Group, the winner was chess player Demelkas Giannis with 6.5 points in 7 games, followed by Dogias Christos (2nd place) and Zaires Karanasios Konstantinos (3rd place).

In C Group, the winner was Konstantinos Papasynnefakis with 7 points in an equal number of games, 2nd place for George Varnas and 3rd place for Charalambos Papakyriakou.

In D Group, where children under 8 participated, the winner was Paterakis Panagiotis, 2nd place for Alexandra Giamouzi and 3rd for the Romanian Sava Natalia.

At the awards ceremony, we had the honor and pleasure to have together with us, the great Greek actor and chess lover, Mr. Takis Papamattheou.

Reaching the end, we would especially like to thank Takis Papamattheou for the honor he did us to award all the trophies and medals, changing and burdening his program a lot.

In fact, as he told us, he considers it's his duty to help chess in any way he can. After all, his dream was to become a professional chess player and travel all around the world carrying just a suitcase, playing chess.

The route of life may have changed a bit, but we, the people of Vardaris, are always along with those who dream… And Takis Papamattheou is clearly one of them!

We thank him from the bottom of our hearts, as well as all those who participated, chess players and attendants, in the 6th International Chess Tournament "Vardaris".

Last but not least, a huge thank you to all the tireless people of the organization. With passion and most of all our love for what we do, we always achieve the impossible!

See you next year!

7th Vardaris : March 11 - 15, 2021 !!!