#Vara de Aur

145 players in Ungheni: the “Vara de Aur” chess festival, above all a children's one, is in full swing

The “Vara de Aur – 2026” chess festival brings 145 players together in six tournaments in Ungheni, between 16 and 19 July, and is organised by Ungheni City Hall. Nearly 6 in 10 participants are children. Only one tournament carries an international FIDE rating, and the only player with a classical title is an international master; no grandmaster is taking part. The Palace of Culture called the competition “one of the most important,” but the festival does not appear in the national competition calendar for 2026.