UPDATE: April 22
Three rounds have been played at the European Women’s Chess Championship 2024 in Rhodes, Greece with six players sharing the lead with a perfect 3/3 score: IM Klaudia Kulon (POL, 2348), IM Mai Narva (EST, 2401), IM Marta Garcia Martin (ESP, 2349), WIM Natacha Benmesbah (FRA, 2306), WIM Martyna Wikar (POL, 2214) and IM Ulviyya Fataliyeva (AZE, 2377).
Playing on the first board in Round 3, IM Klaudia Kulon toppled the top seed IM Yuliia Osmak (UKR, 2459). After Osmak failed to find a correct middlegame plan on the black side of Scotch Game, Kulon got a clear edge and converted it into a victory on move 37.
IM Klaudia Kulon defeated the top seed IM Yuliia Osmak; Photo: ECU
IM Mai Narva (EST, 2401) beat FM Nadya Toncheva (BUL, 2258), WIM Natacha Benmesbah (FRA, 2306) won her game against higher-rated IM Irina Bulmaga (ROU, 2394), IM Ulviyya Fataliyeva (AZE, 2377) outplayed WGM Beloslava Krasteva (BUL, 2220), WIM Martyna Wikar (POL, 2214) prevailed over IM Pauline Guichard (FRA, 2362) and IM Marta Garcia Martin (ESP, 2349) defeated WFM Ronit Levitan (ISR, 2187).
IM Ulviyya Fataliyeva; Photo: ECU
As many as 26 players are trailing the leaders by a half-point 2.5 points, including one of the top-seeds IM Dinara Wagner (GER, 2453) who yesterday delivered a beautiful mating attack against WIM Michalina Rudzinska (POL, 2302).
Round 4 is scheduled for April 22, starting at 14:00 CEST
The European Women’s Chess Championship 2024 began this Friday in Rhodes, Greece with the drawing of lots. In the presence of the Chief Arbiter Aleksandra Dimitrijevic, former Women’s World Champion Antoaneta Stefanova picked a Black pawn.
It means that the top-seeded player in the tournament will play as Black on the first board.
The event taking place April 18-30 at the 5-star “Rodos Palace” Conference Hotel with the first round is scheduled for April 19.
The 9-rond Swiss tournament with classical time control brought together 183 players coming from 35 European federations and is set to be the largest European Women’s Championship ever. It boasts of a very strong line-up headlined by IM Yuliia Osmak (UKR, 2459), IM Marsel Efroimski (ISR, 2457), GM Bella Khotenashvili (GEO, 2454), IM Dinara Wagner (GER, 2453), GM Antoaneta Stefanova (BUL, 2447), IM Lela Javakhishvili (GEO, 2446), GM Nino Batsiashvili (GEO, 2445), IM Gunay Mammadzada (AZE, 2436), GM Monika Socko (POL, 2428) and IM Stavroula Tsolakidou (GRE, 2424).
The European Individual Women’s Chess Championship 2024 is a qualification event for the FIDE Women’s World Cup. According to the decision of the European Chess Union, at least 10 players will qualify.
The total prize fund of the Championship is 60,000 EUR with 10,000 EUR reserved for the champion.
Live broadcast of the event can be exclusively followed through the ECU YouTube channel, with commentaries by GM Alojzije Jankovic and Dragana Nikolovska.
Official regulations of the event and detailed information can be found on the official website.
Starting list of players, results & pairings can be followed here.
Photo: Official website
