Three rounds are already finished at the European Individual Chess Championship 2017 in Minsk, and there are 9 players in the lead with maximum score.
GMs Vladimir Fedoseev, Ivan Cheparinov,Daniel Fridman, Sergei Azarov, Artashes Minasian, Maxim Rodshtein, Yuriy Kuzubov, Pavel Ponkratov and Dmitry Bocharov are in joint lead with all 3 victories.
The top pairings of the 4th round, scheduled for Friday 2nd June are:
Fridman vs Rodshtein, Azarov vs Fedoseev, Bocharov vs Cheparinov, Minasian vs Kuzubov, Matlakov vs Ponkratov, Navara vs Bosiocic, Onishchuk vs Andreikin, Naiditsch vs Bogdanovich, Bacrot vs Bok, Artemiev vs Jojua, etc.
WGM Aleksandra Goryachkina, WGM Olga Girya, IM Alisa Galliamova, IM Elisabeth Paehtz and WIM Anna Kantane are the best ranked women players so far, with 2 points.
The Championship gathered players from all profiles and generations – top class chess players, chess legends and young stars, and they all meet at the chess board, where age and status are not important.
Organizers provided live broadcast of 100 boards, along with professional commentary in English and Russian, done by Evgeniy Miroshnichenko and Sergey Shipov. Live games can be followed on the Official Website of the Championship, or through the ECU website, section LIVE.
The European Individual Championship 2017 is a qualification event for the next World Cup. According to FIDE regulations and the decision of the ECU Board, 22 players will qualify. The total prize fund is 100 000 EUR, including the special prizes.
The Championship takes place from 29th May to 11th June in the Sports Palace in Minsk.
The event is organized by the National Olympic Committee of the Republic of Belarus, the Ministry of Sports and Tourism of the Republic of Belarus, Minsk City Executive Committee and Belarus Chess Federation under the auspices of the ECU.
