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GM Mads Andersen took down Tremendous-GM Shakhriyar Mamedyarov as 2023 European Crew Chess Championship favorites Azerbaijan misplaced to Twentieth-seed Denmark. World number-one Magnus Carlsen began the occasion in Budva, Montenegro, with a clean win over GM Jergus Pechac, however his staff Norway was held to a draw by Slovakia.
England gained, however GM David Howell described an incident with the arbiter on the finish of his sport with Georgian GM Baadur Jobava as “some of the disagreeable experiences” of his profession.
Spherical two begins on Sunday, November 12, at 9:15 a.m. ET/15:15 CET/7:45 p.m. IST.
The European Crew Championship, held each two years, is arguably essentially the most anticipated nationwide staff occasion after the Olympiad. This yr, 38 groups within the Open part and 32 within the Ladies’s are competing over 9 rounds of chess, with every match performed over 4 boards.
5-time World Champion Carlsen is enjoying for the primary time in eight years and has already gone some method to exorcise the reminiscence of his final occasion, in Reykjavik in 2015, that started with two losses in three video games.
What’s additionally evident, nonetheless, is who’s lacking.
The Lacking—Russia, Ukraine, And Firouzja & Co.
That is the primary European Crew Championship since Russia launched a full-scale warfare in opposition to Ukraine in 2022, and the Russian staff is doubly ineligible to play. They’re nonetheless banned from official FIDE staff occasions, however the Russian Chess Federation additionally selected to modify from Europe to the Asian Chess Federation, ending an period in European occasions.
It is clear at a look how large an influence that is had, for the reason that Russian groups had been virtually at all times the favorites to win. The ladies transformed that superiority on paper into an unimaginable seven titles in eight tournaments.
| Yr | Open Winners | Ladies’s Winners |
| 2007 | Russia | Russia |
| 2009 | Azerbaijan | Russia |
| 2011 | Germany | Russia |
| 2013 | Azerbaijan | Ukraine |
| 2015 | Russia | Russia |
| 2017 | Azerbaijan | Russia |
| 2019 | Russia | Russia |
| 2021 | Ukraine | Russia |
For 5 of these gold medals, GM Alexandra Kosteniuk was on the staff, however this yr she’ll be enjoying for Switzerland, as one of many gamers who took benefit of the prospect to modify to a European chess federation with out paying a price. Serbia has change into the darkish horse to win in Budva with the addition of GMs Alexey Sarana and Alexandr Predke, GM Vladimir Fedoseev now performs for Slovenia, whereas England has former Russian Champion GM Nikita Vitiugov on the highest board.
With regards to Ukraine, nonetheless, issues are extra puzzling. The ladies’s staff, regardless of lacking GMs Anna and Mariya Muzychuk, remains to be aggressive and seeded fourth, however within the Open part Ukraine, the defending champion (they did not lose a single sport in 2021), has chosen to not subject a staff in any respect. The federation defined the choice in a Fb submit on November 3 that additionally famous GM Alexander Beliavsky had been appointed as the brand new staff coach.
The explanations had been as follows:
“The burden of collaborating in quite a few massive worldwide match, which happen one after one other in October-November this yr, can be so gruelling that it’s going to stop them from approaching the European competitors in one of the best kind.
“A number of the candidates for our prime staff serve within the Armed Forces of Ukraine and courageously defend our freedom on the entrance. We are going to meet them with honor and pleasure after the Victory.
“There are additionally goal circumstances associated to well being and private plans.”
Exhaustion may be very a lot a factor, as GM Hikaru Nakamura elaborated upon in the course of the first spherical on his stream…
“Everybody’s making an attempt to play too many tournaments!” says Nakamura of Caruana saying he was very drained on the finish of the #FIDEGrandSwiss. Hikaru places a few of his personal success right down to selecting just a few occasions pic.twitter.com/ZbKRBfu2wX
— chess24.com (@chess24com) November 11, 2023
… however all of the groups are in the identical place, whereas only one doubtless staff member, GM Igor Kovalenko, is identified to be serving within the military.
Ukrainian GM Mikhail Golubev ran a ballot on what he referred to as a “scandalous” resolution, the place the choices for the explanation for not enjoying had been: “1. The Ukrainian Chess Federation is dysfunctional, 2. The gamers are boycotting the UCF, 3. There is not any cash for prizes, 4. A clever, patriotic resolution.”
The federation vows to deal with the 2024 Olympiad as an alternative.
Different gamers are absent for less complicated causes. The Saint Louis Speedy and Blitz begins on Tuesday, November 14, in order that, for example, GM Anish Giri was touring to the U.S. relatively than enjoying for the Netherlands.
Sorry, @KLM, the place is chess?🤨 pic.twitter.com/0QffcwdG6p
— Anish Giri (@anishgiri) November 11, 2023
The identical applies to the French staff’s two greatest stars, GMs Alireza Firouzja and Maxime Vachier-Lagrave, who in 2021 led France to silver medals, the smallest of margins behind Ukraine. That’s the match through which the then 18-year-old Firouzja turned the youngest participant ever to cross 2800.
Poland may also wrestle to repeat their bronze medals from 2021, since GM Jan-Krzysztof Duda shouldn’t be enjoying, leaving the rostrum vast open to quite a few groups, together with three-time champion Azerbaijan.
Spherical 1 Open: Azerbaijan Crushed As Prime Seeds Battle
The primary spherical of a Swiss match such because the European Crew Championship sees large favorites in all the highest matchups, in order that slipups are uncommon. On this event, nonetheless, top-seed Azerbaijan was put to the sword by the staff ranked Twentieth, Denmark.
In hindsight, the choice to take three comparatively fast attracts in opposition to a lot lower-rated Danish opposition was a mistake, however when Mamedyarov launched a strong sacrificial assault on the remaining board, it regarded as if it might repay. Andersen did not collapse, nonetheless, and when Mamedyarov picked the unsuitable path, the tables quickly turned till there was nothing left for him to do however resign.
That is our Recreation of the Day, with annotations by GM Rafael Leitao beneath.
Azerbaijan wasn’t alone in its struggling, with the second-best staff on paper solely managing to scrape a 2-2 draw. Romania has discovered the sponsorship to draw star names corresponding to GMs Richard Rapport (from Hungary) and Kirill Shevchenko (from Ukraine), whereas GM Liviu-Dieter Nisipeanu has returned from a interval when he represented Germany. In spherical one, nonetheless, Rapport was rested and GM Bogdan-Daniel Deac wanted to dig deep to rescue a 97-move draw in opposition to Austrian GM Valentin Dragnev.
Carlsen Begins Quick, Norway Not So A lot
In 2015 Carlsen sat out the primary two rounds, however this time it appears he appropriately guessed that his staff, eighth-seed Norway, would want his assist in opposition to Twenty seventh-seed Slovakia. There was additionally some unfinished enterprise, since in final yr’s FIDE Chess Olympiad, Carlsen had confronted the identical younger opponent, Pechac, and spoiled place out of the opening in order that he was compelled to make a draw ultimately.
This time there was no mistake, with some assist from Pechac willingly dashing into bother when he grabbed a pawn on b2.
That was solely sufficient for a disappointing draw for Norway, nonetheless, since GM Aryan Tari was crushed by 21-year-old GM Viktor Gazik on board two.
Howell Hits Out At “Harassment” From Arbiter
The opposite favorites discovered a method to win, although the subsequent three matchups had been gained by the smallest of margins. Germany had an 83-move win by GM Alexander Donchenko to thank for beating Sweden, whereas Armenia’s victory over host Montenegro felt ominous—three rock-solid attracts and a win for a participant who appears to carry out 100 score factors higher in staff occasions, GM Gabriel Sargissian. Can Armenia comply with up silver within the 2022 Olympiad by successful its first European Crew Championship since 1999?
One other staff with potential is England, since in addition to Vitiugov it has World Senior 50+ Champion GM Michael Adams ready within the wings. In spherical one, nonetheless, the main focus was on Howell, who had teased his location within the run-up to the occasion.
Guess the place? #GeoGuessr pic.twitter.com/KYXuHixK6i
— David Howell (@DavidHowellGM) November 9, 2023
Spherical one would develop into no enjoyable in any respect for the Englishman. His Georgian opponent, Jobava, did Jobava issues, however Howell, enjoying with the black items, navigated all of the problems and emerged with a greater place and a bonus on the clock. Then in time bother, he noticed the successful tactical jab 26…e6! solely to take a draw on the finish when it turned on the market was a path to victory.
That was removed from all for the sport, nonetheless, since Howell felt the conduct of the arbiter at his board had been each incompetent and doubtlessly harassment.
At this time was some of the disagreeable experiences of my profession. Not solely did the arbiter not know the legal guidelines of chess, however he patted me on my bum whereas making an attempt to usher me out of the enjoying corridor. Absolutely that is harassment? @ECUonline
— David Howell (@DavidHowellGM) November 11, 2023
Few particulars have but emerged, although it seems Jobava had tried to assert a draw by repetition with out following the proper process for indicating his meant transfer. Howell was down to simply seconds when he made his last strikes.
There was a cheerful ending for England, a minimum of on the chessboard, as GM Luke McShane managed to grind out a win in what had appeared destined to be a drawn endgame in opposition to GM Nikolozi Kacharava. That gave England a 2.5-1.5 victory and a full two match factors.
Spherical 1 Ladies: Georgia Favorites, Anna Cramling With Upset Win
The Ladies’s occasion was far more what we anticipated in spherical one, with the favorites successful on all the highest boards apart from third-seed Germany being held to 4 attracts by Nineteenth-seed Greece. Georgia, the reigning Ladies’s World Crew Champions, completed runner-up to Russia within the final three European Crew Championships. They will now be trying to go one higher, they usually began comparatively easily with a 3-1 win over Israel.
One of many feel-good tales was 60-year-old GM Pia Cramling main the staff on which her 21-year-old daughter, WFM Anna Cramling, additionally performs. In spherical one Poland scored a 2.5-1.5 victory, due to wins for IM Oliwia Kiolbasa and WIM Michalina Rudzinska, however Anna pulled off a dramatic win over a participant rated over 200 factors above her.
I’m in Montenegro representing Sweden within the European Crew Chess Championship!!!!! Want me luck!!!!! (Additionally I gained my first sport in the present day and I’m so so completely happy) 🥹🥹
Recaps approaching yt daily! pic.twitter.com/p0Q2EzcANL
— Anna Cramling (@AnnaCramling) November 11, 2023
The large turning level got here with the transfer 33.g4!?.
After the primary spherical, 16 groups within the Ladies’s and 20 within the Open have 2/2 but when they wish to keep excellent, they will must beat one other staff on the identical rating in spherical two.
The 2023 European Crew Chess Championship is a nine-round staff match going down in Budva, Montenegro, throughout November 11-20. All of the European chess federations can subject a staff within the Open and Ladies’s sections; matches are performed on 4 boards. The time management is classical with 90 minutes for 40 strikes, half-hour to the top of the sport, and a 30-second increment from transfer one.
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