♟️ Record Participation at the 2026 Balàfia Festa Major Chess Tournament
72 players, 9 rounds and a great celebration of chess in the neighbourhood. The Balàfia 2026 Festa Major Chess Tournament reached a new participation record this year, consolidating its place as one of the most special events on Lleida’s chess calendar.
On 23 August, the Centre Cívic de Balàfia hosted an exciting day of rapid chess, with 72 participants, including 11 players from C.E. Balàfia.
Over nine rounds, players competed in a single group at a time control of 3 minutes + 2 seconds increment per move, in a tournament that combined competitiveness, sportsmanship and, above all, a fantastic atmosphere.
🏆 Joshua Solani, champion with a spectacular 9 out of 9
The great protagonist of the day was Joshua Solani Nunez, from C.E. Vallfogona, who was crowned champion of the Balàfia 2026 Festa Major Chess Tournament with an outstanding performance.
Joshua achieved a perfect score of 9 points out of 9, winning every round he played.
This flawless performance saw him finish alone at the top of the standings, ahead of Jordi Capdevila Vidal, with 7 points, and Pablo Giménez Rebollo, also with 7 points.
A remarkable display of chess strength in an edition that set a new participation record.
🏠 Strong performance by C.E. Balàfia
The players representing our club also delivered a very strong performance throughout the tournament.
🥇 Ricard Bringué González — Best Local Player
Ricard Bringué González had an excellent tournament, finishing in an impressive 4th place overall, with 6.5 points, and receiving the Best Local Player award.
A great performance in a record-breaking edition and an excellent way to represent C.E. Balàfia on home ground.
🏆 Miquel Vicente Casaseca — Group D Winner
Miquel Vicente Casaseca won Group D, scoring 5.5 points and completing a very strong tournament.
C.E. Balàfia would like to congratulate both players on their results and thank all the members of our club who took part and proudly represented Balàfia throughout the event.
🤝 An awards ceremony with institutional representation
The event concluded with the awards ceremony, which was attended by various representatives and members of Lleida’s social and institutional community.
Among the guests was Carlos Enjuanes Llop, Acting Mayor of Lleida, who joined us for this very special moment for the club and the Balàfia neighbourhood.
C.E. Balàfia would like to thank him for his presence, as well as everyone who joined us and helped make this celebration such a special occasion.
🙏 Thank you for making it possible
Club Escacs Balàfia would like to express its special thanks to the Lleida City Council, the Provincial Council of Lleida, the Balàfia Neighbourhood Association and Dona Balàfia for their support and collaboration.
Their support is essential to continuing to organise activities that bring together sport, culture, community and neighbourhood life.
We would also like to extend our special thanks to Israel Campos, the tournament’s chief arbiter, for his work, professionalism and dedication throughout the competition.
The Inclusive Award was not awarded in this edition.
♟️ 72 players. 11 from Balàfia. A new record.
The most important achievement of this edition is that 72 people came together to enjoy a day of chess in Balàfia, setting a new participation record for the tournament.
The fact that 11 of those players represented C.E. Balàfia is a reflection of our club’s commitment to the neighbourhood and to promoting chess.
Thank you to all the players, families, collaborators, volunteers and organisations who helped make this great event possible.
Balàfia is growing, chess is growing, and we keep making our move. ♟️❤️
72 players, 9 rounds and one shared spirit: growing chess from Balàfia.
See you at the next tournament! ♟️
