A club built from a child's search
During the pandemic, Tino Oliva Pinto moved with his family from Buenos Aires to Punta del Este. At primary school, Sebastián Perdomo taught him chess and organized small tournaments; when that stage ended, Tino lost that setting and found no other local option for children his age.
With his mother's help, he circulated WhatsApp invitations to play after school and turned that gap into the starting point for the club. Four children attended the first meeting and almost twenty the second, while the gatherings still operated as free play organized by the young participants themselves.
An invitation that reached beyond Punta del Este
The early group was not confined to Punta del Este. Participants came from Punta del Este, San Carlos and Piriápolis, representing different schools and nationalities, alongside children who were homeschooled.
Perdomo and Eduardo Muzzi later joined as instructors. Muzzi helped organize the project and begin its relationship with the Uruguayan Chess Federation, while the families assisted with the process; the federation recorded the club's affiliation between September 2023 and August 2024.
From free play to national competition
Tino Oliva Pinto identified the 2024 National Youth Festival in Montevideo as the first competition in which the group entered as a club. Benicio Mangino was listed under Punta del Este and won the absolute under-8 category, a result the founder recalled as the organization's first title.
In June 2024, the club promoted the first Maldonado Interschool Chess Tournament and secured support from the Municipality of Punta del Este. The event took place on 8 June at International College after logistics and table setup required a change from the planned venue.
Sources
- 1.Club de Ajedrez Punta del Este | Clases, Torneos y Comunidad, Club de Ajedrez Punta del Este
- 2.Cuatro preguntas a Tino Oliva Pinto, Esteña Press
- 3.Memoria correspondiente al ejercicio económico del 1 de setiembre de 2023 al 31 de agosto de 2024, Federación Uruguaya de Ajedrez
- 4.Aprender y Jugar Ajedrez en Uruguay, Federación Uruguaya de Ajedrez
- 5.Festival Nacional de Ajedrez de la Juventud 2024, categoría Sub-08, Federación Uruguaya de Ajedrez en Chess-Results.com
Show 3 more sources
- 6.Acta 12/2024, Municipio de Punta del Este
- 7.Acta 17/2024, Municipio de Punta del Este
- 8.Comunicado 8/2025: Período de pases enero 2025, Federación Uruguaya de Ajedrez
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