The European Individual Chess Championship 2023 concluded yesterday in Vrnjacka Banja, Serbia.
After 11 played rounds, three players tied for the first place scoring 8.5 points each: GM Alexey Sarana (FIDE, 2668), GM Kirill Shevchenko (ROU, 2668), and GM Daniel Dardha (BEL, 2610).
Alexey Sarana and Kirill Shevchenko met each other in the direct last-round encounter for the first place. The game finished in a draw after one hour of play, and the two youngsters waited for other results and tiebreak criteria to see the final standings. Daniel Dardha defeated GM Anton Korobov (UKR, 2658) to score 8.5 points and joined Sarana and Shevchenko at the top.
The closing ceremony of the event took place yesterday evening with the attendance of the President of the European Chess Union Mr. Zurab Azmaiparashvili, the ECU Vice President Mr. Alojzije Jankovic, the ECU Tournament Director Mr. Petr Pisk, the President of the Serbian Chess Federation Mr. Dragan Lazic, and legendary grandmasters who were part of the event’s appeals committee Mr. Adrian Mikhalchishin and Mr. Rafael Vaganian.
The Vice President of the European Chess Union Mr. Alojzije Jankovic and the legendary grandmaster GM Adrian Mikhalchishin joined the awarding ceremony presenting the trophies to the best Junior and Senior (50+) players.
The best Junior players are:
- GM Daniel Dardha (BEL, 2610), 8.5 points
- IM Ediz Gurel (TUR, 2454), 8 points
- GM Volodar Murzin (FIDE, 2554), 7 points
The best Senior players are:
- GM Boris Gelfand (ISR, 2674), 7.5 points
- GM Vasyl Ivanchuk (UKR, 2664), 7.5 points
- GM Michele Godena (ITA, 2446), 6.5 points
This year, the special prize fund for the best-ranked female players was doubled and six players received the prizes. The best female players in the EICC2023 are:
- WGM Jolanta Zawadzka (POL, 2391), 6.5 points
- IM Irina Bulmaga (ROU, 2438), 6.5 points
- GM Aleksandra Goryachkina (FIDE, 2576), 6 points
- IM Aleksandra Maltsevskaya (POL, 2388), 6 points
- WIM Adela Velikic (SRB, 2329), 6 points
- IM Eline Roebers (NED, 2362), 6 points
ECU Tournament Director Mr. Petr Pisk and GM Rafael Vaganian awarded the Winners.
Before the chief arbiter of the event, Mr. Tomasz Delega, read the final standings and the winners of the regular prizes, the President of the Serbian Chess Federation Mr. Dragan Lazic and the President of the European Chess Union addressed the players and distinguished guests.
Mr. Dragan Lazic thanked everyone for coming and congratulated the Winners. He also wished a nice trip home to the players and invited them to the European Club Cup 2024 which will be held in the same venue.
Mr. Zurab Azmaiparashvili thanked the Serbian Chess Federation for the great organisation of the Championship, giving special thanks to the Arbiters team who took care that everything goes well in the playing venue. Mr. Azmaiparshvili noted that the participation of 482 players from 40 federations is a record-breaking number that shows great potential for chess in Europe. Inviting the players to take participation in European Individual Chess Championship 2024 in the same number, the ECU President revealed that the event will next year take place in Israel.
The President of the Serbian Chess Federation Mr. Dragan Lazic and the President of the European Chess Union Mr. Zurab Azmaiparashvili then presented the trophies and medals to the Winners.
After the awarding ceremony of the medalists, the ECU President officially declared the event closed and the intonation of the ECU Anthem marked the end of the ceremony.
