Madrid hosts first Happy Friends mental games tournament

The Vicálvaro district was the venue for this initiative that brought together 180 participants in chess and Chinese board games.

Close-up of a chess board with pieces, representing strategic thinking.
IA

Close-up of a chess board with pieces, representing strategic thinking.

The Vicálvaro district in Madrid has hosted the first Happy Friends Tournament of Mental Games and Sports in Spain, an initiative that gathered around 180 participants to compete in international chess, weiqi, and xiangqi.

The councilor of Vicálvaro, Ángel Ramos, closed the event which took place on June 20 and 21 at the Margot Moles Municipal Sports Center. The competition, a pioneer in the country, aimed to integrate Eastern and Western disciplines to strengthen cultural ties between Spain and China.
The tournament focused on three modalities: weiqi (go), xiangqi (Chinese chess), and international chess. The main objective of the initiative is to promote mental games as educational and cultural tools, as well as to position Madrid as a reference center for this type of competition.
The organization was supported by the Embassy of the People's Republic of China in Spain, the China Cultural Center in Madrid, and the Municipal Board of Vicálvaro. Various Hispano-Chinese associations, such as the Spanish Chinese Chess Association and the Federation of Chinese Commerce and Industry in Spain, along with local entities like the Valdebernardo Chess Club, actively collaborated in the event's implementation.