Ing. Milan Roman, MBA

My grandfather taught me chess when I was four. I was born and grew up in Skalica; I am married and have three children. Today I chair the Skalica Chess Club, which organises tournaments and training for children, young players and adults.

Chess teaches patience, thinking several moves ahead and respect for the opponent. I try to apply the same approach to running organisations.

I have been President of the Slovak Chess Federation since October 2020. In November 2024 the delegates re-elected me for another term.

Since 2023 I have held the FIDE International Organizer title. In September 2026 the FIDE Congress in Samarkand elected me President of FIDE Zone 1.4 for 2026–2030 – the first Slovak ever. The zone brings together Slovakia, Czechia, Poland, Hungary, Romania and Bulgaria, and all six federations supported my candidacy unanimously.

As Tournament Director I run the international Chess Slovak Open festival in Skalica. Its 2026 edition was the strongest chess tournament in Slovak history, and JOJ Šport television broadcast it live – the first live TV broadcast of chess in Slovakia. I also came up with and founded the Trdelník Open, named after the famous Skalica pastry.

From trips abroad, tournaments and congresses I know what works elsewhere. The small Dutch village of Wijk aan Zee is known all over the world thanks to its chess tournament, Biel in Switzerland has hosted a chess festival since 1968, and Pardubice in Czechia has hosted the Czech Open every summer since 1990. There the event has become the town’s brand – and that is what we are working towards in Skalica.

After grammar school I studied finance in Prague. I held management positions in banking, building savings and insurance, and in the past I also served as an adviser to the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Slovak Republic. Today I run my own businesses and hold stakes in several companies.