Echesspedia

Adam Hentziescu founded The Romanian Chess Federation in 1924. In Paris in the same year, Ion Gudju signed the documents founding FIDE. On 14 March 1926, 26 chess clubs affiliated to the Romanian Chess Federation organised the first official elections. They elected Mihail Sadoveanu the famous Romanian writer.
In 1946, the State took over the sponsorship of chess and from a few hundred members before World War II, the membership rose to several tens of thousands. Thanks to a structure similar to other Socialist countries, the GMs raised the chess level to be one of the best 10 in Europe and the world.
Today the country has 180 clubs approximately; RATB Bucuresti, Universitatea Bucuresti and AEM Luxten Timisoara are the strongest.

Romania has hosted two zonals for women in 1960 at Sinaia, and for men in 1980 at Herculane, as well as the World Youth Championship in 1990 at Mamaia and in 1994 at Herculane.

The known players are: men – Florin Gheorghiu, Mihai Suba, Dieter Nisipeanu, Victor Ciocaltea, Mihail Marin; women – Elisabeta Polihroniade, Alexandra Nicolau, Maria Albulet, Margareta Muresan, Margareta Teodorescu, Corina Peptan and Cristina Foisor.

Romania has participated in 29 Olympads since 1927, its best achievement was fifth in 1984. The women team was more sucessfull with five team silver medals and two bronze medals.

Istratescu and Nisipeanu leading Romania at the 2009 European Team Championship

The winners of the Romanian championships were: 1926-7 Tyroler, 1927 Tyroler, 1929, Tyroler, 1930 Balogh, 1931 Erdelyi, 1933-4 Erdelyi, 1935 Silberman, 1936 Halic, 1943 Seimeanu, 1946 Troianescu, 1947 Ichim, 1948 Popa, 1949 Erdelyi, 1950 Balanel, 1951 Flondor & Alexandrescu, 1952 Ciocaltea, 1953 Balanel, 1954 Troianescu, 1955 Balanel, 1956 Troianescu, 1957-8 Troianescu, 1958 Balanel, 1959 Ciocaltea, 1960 Gheorghiu, 1961 Ciocaltea, 1962 Gheorghiu, 1963 Ghitescu, 1964 Gheorghiu, 1965 Gheorghiu, 1966 Gheorghiu, 1967 Gheorghiu, 1968 Troianescu, 1969 Ciocaltea, 1970 Ciocaltea, 1971 Ciocaltea, 1972 Partos, 1973 Gheorghiu, 1974 Urzica, 1975 Ciocaltea, 1976 Ghinda, 1977 Gheorghiu, 1978 Ghinda, 1979 Ciocaltea, 1980 Suba, 1981 Suba, 1982 Foisor, 1983 Ghinda, 1984 Grinberg, 1985 Suba, 1986 Negulescu, 1987 Gheorghiu, 1988 Marin, !989 Ghinda, 1990 Berescu, 1991 Dumitrache, 1992 Istratescu, 1993 Nisipeanu, 1994 Marin, 1995 Milu, 1996 Nisipeanu, 1997 Badea, 1998 Badea, 1999 Ionescu and Marin, 2000 Sofronie, 2001 Parligras, 2002 Nisipeanu, 2003 Grunberg, 2004 Berescu, 2005 Berescu, 2006 Jianu, 2007 Lupulescu, 2008 Nevednichy, 2009 Valeanu, 2010 Lupulescu, 2011 Lupulescu.