Linares is the chess world capital, since this strategy game has been gathering the best chess players in the world in our city since 1978.
We owe this to the private initiative of Mr Luis Rentero Suárez, sponsored by the City Council of Linares, who decided to create this tournament in the city. Linares was later known as the “Chess Wimbledon” and congregated in the city the best chess players and the greatest experts, both national and international, such as Leontxo García or Jesús Boyero.
Since then until 2010, the International Chess Tournament “Ciudad de Linares” took place here. It is considered one of the most prestigious tournaments in the international scene, and the only one in which Gari Kaspárov participated until his retirement from chess –after he won the tournament in 2005.
Nowadays, Linares is still a chess city. Since 2012, the Spanish Chess Championship takes place here. It has different categories: individual, absolute, women’s and teams. This competition chooses the best chess player in Spain.