Three stages in one institutional story
Foment Martinenc dates its chess activity to 1925, when a Penya d’Escacs was formed for recreation and café games. Club d’Escacs Foment Martinenc was formally founded on 14 October 1948.
During the 1960/61 season, the neighborhood’s two major chess rivals, Unión Ajedrez Martinense and Club d’Escacs Foment Martinenc, merged. The institution’s current history states that the latter’s name and premises were retained.
A chess room within an educational tradition
The section belongs to Foment Martinenc, established in Sant Martí de Provençals in 1877 as a workers’ center. Instruction appeared among the institution’s purposes in its founding documents; that background helps place the playing room maintained by the chess section.
Its neighborhood connection also appears in social rapid tournaments held during local festivals. This combination places competition within the community calendar and alongside the ordinary life of the club room.
Learning within the open
The educational component is not confined to one edition. The 2015 Obert already offered free group-class sessions for every participant, and the 2018 edition repeated the format with two sessions.
In 2026, the Obert Internacional d’escacs Foment Martinenc reached its 26th edition and counted for both FIDE and FCE Elo. The tournament used three rating groups and again included two free group classes for every participant, making instruction part of the competition itself.
From neighborhood chess to major leagues
The Federació Catalana d’Escacs records Foment Martinenc as the 1998 Catalan team champion. At national level, the section's own history and FEDA's records connect Foment with First Division titles in 2006 and 2011.
The titles sit alongside the social room and the open’s educational component. That combination explains the section’s particular scale: it participates in neighborhood festival life while sustaining a tradition of high-level team chess.
Sources
- 1.Escacs, Foment Martinenc, Secció d’Escacs
- 2.Història, Foment Martinenc
- 3.XXVI Obert Internacional d’escacs Foment Martinenc: XI Memorial Josep Paredes, Foment Martinenc, Secció d’Escacs
- 4.Bases del torneig, Foment Martinenc, Secció d’Escacs
- 5.Contacte, Foment Martinenc
Show 6 more sources
- 6.Equips: historial del Campionat de Catalunya, Federació Catalana d’Escacs
- 7.Historial Campeonato de España por Equipos de Club, Federación Española de Ajedrez
- 8.El C.E. Barcelona, campió de la Lliga Catalana 2026, Federació Catalana d’Escacs
- 9.Àngel Ribera i Arnal V: curiosidades sobre la correspondencia recibida y otras anécdotas, Club d’Escacs Sant Andreu
- 10.XVII Obert Internacional d’escacs Foment Martinenc: III Memorial Josep Paredes, Foment Martinenc, Secció d’Escacs
- 11.XX Obert Internacional d’escacs Foment Martinenc: VI Memorial Josep Paredes, Foment Martinenc, Secció d’Escacs
This profile summarizes publicly accessible sources. Organizations, links and locations can change. MindZug does not guarantee current availability.