Third Bavarian team champions in 2026 – this time the U10
It is the third Bavarian team title for Schachfreunde München this year: on the weekend of 26 and 27 September, our club’s U10 also came out on top at the Bavarian Team Championship in Erlenbach bei Marktheidenfeld. Following the double success of the U14 and U16 in Kelheim in July, three of the Schachfreunde’s youth teams are now Bavarian champions in a single season.
A flawless weekend in Erlenbach
The four-player team was made up of Andrii Yevchenko, Bruno Dankic, Sai Varun Palaniappan and, as the youngest, Leo Max Rohr. On the way to the title the Schachfreunde left behind, among others, SC Vaterstetten, SK Gräfelfing, Schachfreunde Dachau and FC Bayern München.
Sai Varun Palaniappan was outstanding: he won all seven of his games and so contributed the perfect score to the team’s success. In the final standings SC Vaterstetten, SK Gräfelfing and SC Noris-Tarrasch Nürnberg lined up behind Schachfreunde München – all four teams booked their place at the German Championship.
Experience on the big stage
The U10 have already shown that they can surprise at national level. “In this age group, at the club’s first participation in the German Championships in 2021 we took second place straight away,” recalls the Schachfreunde’s chairman, Richard Holzberger. After 27th and 26th place in the two following years, the U10 achieved a strong fifth place at the German Championship in 2023 as Bavarian runners-up. “This year, as Bavarian champions, we want to finish in the top ten again,” says Holzberger, setting out the goal.
In winter it’s off to Magdeburg
The German Youth Team Championships traditionally take place between Christmas and New Year. This year the Schachfreunde’s U10 and U14 will compete in Magdeburg, the U16 in Heidelberg. All games will be streamed live online.
We warmly congratulate the U10 on this fine achievement and keep our fingers firmly crossed for all three youth teams at the German Championship.
A detailed report is also available in the article by Wochenanzeiger (German).