Another performance by Grand Master Maritza Arribas this Saturday put Cuba on a world podium of chess. It happened in the Italian city of Gallipoli, headquarters of the World Championship Senior, where the Santiago native closed the course at full speed that placed her in third place in the women’s section for those over 50 years of age.
The top winner of Cuban crowns – 11 in her showcases – remained fighting for 11 days until completing 7.5 points, thanks to her victory on the final date over the Georgian Sopio Tereladze, report the Cuban News Agency (ACN).
Senior world bronze for chess player Maritza Arribas
He sealed with triumph an unprecedented performance for the Cubans. Scotland’s Ketevan Arakhamia-Grant and the legendary Pia Cramling, winners of gold and silver, respectively #Cuba #CubanSporthttps://t.co/t2bT7Fjpuo pic.twitter.com/1ztTzcFsBo— JIT Cuban Sport (@jit_digital) November 1, 2025
With a similar total was the legendary Swede Pia Cramling, also considered the top expert regardless of gender, to whom the tiebreaker system awarded second position in the table.
In this way, the only unknown of the tournament was cleared up, since a day earlier the Scottish Ketevan Arakhamia-Grant had secured the throne, finishing one point ahead of her podium companions.
It should be noted that Cramling was precisely the only player who managed to force the surrender of the Cuban, who completed her performance with five victories and the same number of draws.
Without abandoning the highest level tournaments, in which the island’s women’s army usually leads, Maritza has begun to venture into mixed competitions with very promising results.
The 33rd FIDE World Senior Individual Chess Championship 2025 has come to an end in Gallipoli, Italy!
After eleven intense rounds across four categories — Open 50+, Women 50+, Open 65+, and Women 65+ — the new World Senior Champions have been crowned! ♟️
— International Chess Federation (@FIDE_chess) November 2, 2025
Last August, Maritza took over the women’s title in the continental competition, which was held without separating the participants by sex. Finally, she finished in fifth place in the overall ranking, which earned her the award among the ladies.
Never before had a Cuban chess player reached the podium in universal competitions for veterans, a milestone highlighted by Carlos Rivero, the highest chess authority in the country. In statements to the media, Rivero described the performance as “a historic result” and highlighted the high demands of the tournament, which brought together figures with world titles in past decades.
Cuba was also represented by Luis Sieiro, who finished in twentieth place in the classification for players over 65 years of age. The man from Villa Clara accumulated 7.5 points, with a record of five wins, five draws and a single loss.
The ranking of this segment was headed by the Ukrainian Alexander Reprintsev.
