Article provided by: Dr. Zvonko Krecak

In the year 1694 an English university professor, Thomas Hydes (1636-1703), published a book entitled “De ludis orientalibus” (About oriental games). In that book, there was a story about playing correspondence chess between trades-people of Dubrovnik and Venice – they had corresponded about commercial issues and had played chess by the same letters. The story had been told to him about forty years earlier, during his travelling all around Eastern Europe. From those facts, one can conclude that CC in Croatia already existed in the middle of the 17th century.

For the development of CC in an area, three things are needed: firstly, knowledge of chess; secondly, the ability to read and write; and thirdly, people friendship. It is obvious that Humanism and Renaissance have been matching these three factors all over the Mediterranean and the story of the early genesis of CC in Croatia appears historic.

We have no special data about CC in Croatia during the CC Golden Era which took place in Europe during the first half of the 19th century.

The renaissance of CC in Croatia started with the founding of the Pan Slav CC confederation in the year 1930, only two years after the Internationaler FernschachBund (IFSB) was founded.

Correspondence chess in Croatia became more concrete after the Yugoslav CC committee (YCCC) was formed in the year 1932. After the Second World War, just as IFSB transformed into the International CC Association in the year 1945, and then into ICCF in 1951, so YCCC also transformed. Yugoslav CCC played matches from 1948, and the CC Council of the Chess Federation of Yugoslavia (CCC-CFY) formed in 1971.

The CC committee of the Chess Federation of Croatia (CCC-CFC) was founded on January 25, 1975. It co-operated with other Yugoslav CC committees under the auspices of CCC-CFY and of the Chess Federation of Croatia (CFC) until August 6, 1991.

CCC-CFC became a member of ICCF on September 23, 1992. Its members participate in internal tournaments (ordinary championships, ladies championships, national cups, team championships, consultants’ championships, memorial tournaments, occasional tournaments, etc.) and in international tournaments (World Championship, Ladies World Champion-ship, World Cups, Olympiads, European championships, European Team championships, international friendly matches, international memorial tournaments, etc.). It has been organising annual contests for best games played by its members, best achievements in chess openings, chess middle games, and chess endings. It has a chess magazine, “Glasnik”, which is published six times per year.

Because most European national CC associations have been independent of their national chess OTB associations (and other ones), on February 5, 2001 CCC-CFC transformed into the CC Association in Croatia (CCAC) which has been continuing co-operation with all other relating national chess associations (OTB, chess problem solvers, etc.), but would not be dependent on any of them.

At present, the best CC male players in Croatia are Davor Krivic, Vladimir Jagunic, and Vladimir Cvetnic, whilst the best female players are Maja Zelcic (born Ljubicic), Dr. Marina Zelic and Vesna Dadic-Movre. Dr. Marina withdrew from the Final of the V Ladies World Championship, and Maja has been playing in the Final of the sixth cycle.