Eight rounds were played at the European Women’s Chess Championship 2025 and IM Teodora Injac made a spectacular comeback after the loss in the first round, taking the sole lead in the tournament!
IM Teodora Injac (SRB, 2454) suffered a tough loss in the first round against WFM Anastasia Kirtadze (GEO, 2180) where she had a mate in two motive to win the game, but missed it and entered a lost rooks endgame. She now won seven consecutive games to leap on the top and take the sole lead in the tournament with only three rounds to go!
IM Teodora Injac (SRB, 2454) today scored against GM Bella Khotenashvili (GEO, 2418). Playing with black pieces, Injac equalized from the early stage in the opening, but then made a few inaccuracies that caused engine showing a slight edge for Khotenashvili. Teodora Injac then found a brilliant tactical motive and Khotenashvili miscalculated and accepted the sacrifice which brought her king into inescapable mating net. Injac chased white’s king all way to h5 square, forcing Bella Khotenashvili to resign.
Playing on the second board, IM Lilit Mkrtchian (ARM, 2388) defeated WFM Anastasia Kirtadze (GEO, 2180) and the latter suffered the first loss in the tournament. Mkrtchian had a better position from the opening, and gradually improved the advantage to eventually win the game and join the race for the top.
IM Irina Bulmaga (ROU, 2362) defeated IM Sophie Milliet (FRA, 2371) with Black pieces after a very complex game. Bulmaga had a troublesome position after the opening, but Sophie Milliet misplayed it, allowing her opponent to take the edge. Irina Bulmaga found a nice motive of exchange sacrifice, getting two connected passed pawns in the center – that happened to be the match winners.
Scoring 6.5 points each, IM Irina Bulmaga and IM Lilit Mkrtchian follow the leader, trailing by half a point.
The 9th round starts tomorrow at 14:00 CET (15:00 local time) and live games with commentaries by GM Alojzije Jankovic and Dragana Nikolovska can be followed through the ECU TV platform or the ECU YouTube channel.
All results, rankings and pairings can be found here.
Photos by Jim Laga and ECU TV