The Agirre-Etxeberri house in Legazpi, once the residence of businessman Patricio Echeverría and his family, is set to host a new edition of the Basque Chess Championship. Built in 1924, this building features a basement and three habitable floors, surrounded by beautiful gardens. Inside, a magnificent wooden staircase and elegant galleries stand out.
Through an agreement signed between the businessman's descendants and the City Council, the building was ceded to the town, and the residents of Legazpi decided it would become the headquarters of the Doinua music school. However, the Agirre-Etxeberri house also serves other purposes, having hosted the Basque Chess Championship in recent years, proving to be an ideal venue for the sport.
This year's edition will take place from Wednesday to Sunday, featuring a high-caliber list of participants. Twenty players will compete, with nine returning from the previous edition. Notable figures include International Master Carlos Suárez (from the Sestao club and 2025 champion), International Master Unai Garbisu (from the Orvina club in Pamplona), Argentine player Salvador Gabriel del Río (from the Sestao club and 2018 Spanish champion), Santiago González de la Torre (six-time Basque champion, from Donostia's Gros Xake Taldea club), and Cuban player Alain Otero (from Bilbao's Conteneo club).
Additionally, the current Basque champion, Miriam Parkhurst, qualifiers from the provincial championships of Gipuzkoa, Araba, and Bizkaia, and several of Euskadi's most promising young players will participate, such as Markel Vesga from Legazpi, Patxi Moreno from Hondarribia, and Alex Odriozola and Alex Larrañaga from Donostia's Gros Xake Taldea club. The presence of young Getxo player Ibai Gargorta, aged 15, is also noteworthy. Unai Elias from Urretxu will participate as a local player invited by the Santikutz club.
The championship will commence on Wednesday at 5:00 PM. On Thursday, Friday, and Saturday, games will be played from 10:00 AM and 5:00 PM, and on Sunday from 10:00 AM. Matches will be broadcast online, but everyone is invited to attend the playing hall at Agirre-Etxeberri. Regarding game duration, each player will have one and a half hours of time and 30 additional seconds for each move made, meaning games could potentially extend beyond four hours.
Furthermore, a children's tournament will take place on Saturday, starting at 11:00 AM, open to all who wish to participate. Finally, the Santikutz chess club extends its gratitude to institutions and sponsors: the Basque Chess Federation for their trust in the Legazpi club, the City Council for its logistical and economic support, and the graphic studio Attiko, Urdangarin hardware store, Katilu and Aitxuri restaurants, Bergaretxe apartments, Sustrai greengrocer, and Ogiberri bakery on Kale Nagusia.
