Matthew Portelli Leads Malta’s Success at European Chess Amateur Championships

Malta proudly welcomed players from 20 nations as it hosted six European Amateur Championship events at the 4-star Riviera Spa Resort. The tournaments featured the U2300, U2000, and U1700 categories for both men and women.

Thirteen-year-old Matthew Portelli capped off an exceptional year with a remarkable performance, finishing second in the top U2300 category. His 2025 highlights already included his first result against a Grandmaster and a debut appearance for the Maltese national team. His silver-medal finish earned him 106 rating points, likely placing him at the top of Malta’s rankings in January 2026, as well as the Candidate Master (CM) title.

Nine-time national champion Colin Pace also impressed, finishing fourth and narrowly missing out on the podium. In the women’s U2300 section, WFM Filipina Thornton placed third, notably defeating eventual champion Olga Yushko of Ukraine despite competing against significantly higher-rated opposition.

In the U2000 events, Malta’s best performers were Dusan Djokic, Elena Ghitza and John Richards, each scoring five points for a shared seventh place, with all three—alongside Adam Buckle—gaining rating points. Ghitza also secured third place in the women’s U2000 category.

In the U1700 section, Hayley Thornton led the Maltese contingent with 4.5 points and a joint sixth-place finish, while John McKellar and David Gauci top-scored for Malta in the men’s event. The competition was overseen by Maltese arbiters Noel Grima, Duncan Vella and Robert Novak, with organisation handled by the Malta Chess Federation.

#MaltaDaily