Club Escacs Olot

Olot's closed internationals

The club's published history dates a series of closed international tournaments from 1965 to 1975. They were twelve-player round robins, mostly for internationally titled players, with local representation built into the field, putting Olot players in the same event as internationally titled competitors.

The series moved from Hotel Montsacopa to the Círculo Olotense. Its participants included William Lombardy, Nona Gaprindashvili, Arturo Pomar, Ljubomir Ljubojević and Oleg Romanishin.

In 1977, Olot added another Catalan-level landmark by winning the top team league.

Teaching built into the institution

Youth classes began in 1968, and since 1976 the club has taught chess during the school day in Olot schools. Municipal and family-association support helped make initiation part of the local education setting rather than an activity confined to people who already knew the club.

A teaching sheet called Cucurull expressed that approach through piece movements, riddles, crosswords and other exercises. In 2026, an interschool team championship again turned the year's lessons into a shared competitive experience for pupils from Olot and the surrounding area.

The Firal as a shared chessboard

In the mid-1970s, a giant board brought chess into the Firal and was made available for public use. The idea resurfaced in December 2023, during the 75th anniversary, when two chess tables were installed in the same public space, an everyday way to return the game to the urban promenade.

Depth beyond the first team

In the 2026 Lliga Catalana, the first team retained its Divisió d'Honor place. The same season records sides from Olot B through Olot I in national and provincial divisions, providing a competitive span between learning the game, playing regularly and representing the city.

Writing the record

The club's history was presented in two parts. The first was unveiled in April 2023 and the second, covering 1981 to 2023, in April 2024, turning institutional memory into an organized account available to the wider chess community.