Seven rounds, hundreds of games, and a dramatic final day in Budva. The European Chess Club Cup 2026 concluded yesterday in Montenegro with new champions crowned and titles defended.
OPEN SECTION – FINAL DRAMA ON BOARD 1
Heading into Round 7, three teams were tied at the top: Bayegan Pendik Sports Club, SuperChess Romania and Novy Bor.
In the direct clash for gold, Bayegan Pendik (Turkey) defeated SuperChess 3.5-2.5. Victories by GM Anish Giri and GM Amin Tabatabaei over GM Nodirbek Abdusattorov and GM Haik Martirosyan proved decisive. GM Jorden Van Foreest scored for SuperChess, but three draws sealed the win for the Turkish club.
On the next table, Novy Bor (Czech Republic) defeated host team Elektroprivreda (Montenegro) 4.5-1.5 thanks to wins by GM Nihal Sarin, GM Pentala Harikrishna and GM David Navara.
Final Ranking – Open:
Bayegan Pendik Sports Chess Club (TUR) – 13 match points – EUROPEAN CHAMPION
Novy Bor Chess Club (CZE) – 13 match points – Silver
Rishon LeZion A (ISR) – 12 match points – Bronze
SuperChess (ROU) – 11 match points – Qualified for European Super League
6 teams tied for 4th place with 11 match points. SuperChess takes the qualification spot on tiebreaks.
WOMEN’S SECTION – MONTE-CARLO DEFENDS THE TITLE
Three teams entered the final round tied: Monte-Carlo, Gambit Bonnevoie and Odlar Yurdu. The last round changed everything.
Cercle d’Echecs de Monte-Carlo (Monaco) crushed Davit Jojua’s club 4-0. CE Gambit Bonnevoie (Luxembourg) edged Crvena Zvezda 2.5-1.5, while Odlar Yurdu (Azerbaijan) fell 0.5-3.5 to Sirmium Sremska Mitrovica (Serbia).
Final Ranking – Women:
Cercle d’Echecs de Monte-Carlo (MON) – 12 match points – EUROPEAN CHAMPION
CE Gambit Bonnevoie (LUX) – 12 match points – Silver
Sirmium Sremska Mitrovica (SRB) – 10 match points – Bronze
Odlar Yurdu (AZE) – 10 match points
INDIVIDUAL BOARD PRIZES
Open:
Board 1: 1. GM MarcAndria Maurizzi, 2. GM Vaclav Finek, 3. GM Aydin Suleymanli
Board 2: 1. GM Nihal Sarin, 2. GM Wei Yi, 3. GM Murali Karthikeyan
Board 3: 1. FM Lennert Lenaerts, 2. GM Pentala Harikrishna, 3. GM Mahel Boyer
Board 4: 1. GM Benjamin Gledura, 2. GM Alexey Sarana, 3. GM Richard Rapport
Board 5: 1. GM Ihor Samunenkov, 2. GM Bogdan-Daniel Deac, 3. GM Shakhriyar Mamedyarov
Board 6: 1. GM Volodar Murzin, 2. GM Ediz Gurel, 3. GM Velimir Ivic
Women:
Board 1: 1. GM Aleksandra Goryachkina, 2. GM Nino Batsiashvili, 3. IM Polina Shuvalova
Board 2: 1. GM Humpy Koneru, 2. IM Leya Garifullina, 3. IM Klaudia Kulon
Board 3: 1. IM Nurgyul Salimova, 2. GM Elina Danielian, 3. IM Stavroula Tsolakidou
Board 4: 1. IM Gulnar Mammadova, 2. GM Elisabeth Paehtz, 3. IM Aleksandra Maltsevskaya
CLOSING CEREMONY
The Closing Ceremony took place at the Slovenska Plaza Hotel in the presence of ECU President Mr. Zurab Azmaiparashvili, Montenegro Chess Federation President Mr. Jovan Milovic, ECU Vice Presidents, ECU Treasurer, Honorary Vice Presidents, Secretary General Mr. Theodoros Tsorbatzoglou and many distinguished guests.
After the awards ceremony, ECU President Mr. Zurab Azmaiparashvili addressed the players and officially declared the 41st European Chess Club Cup closed.
Thank you Budva. Thank you Montenegro.
All results, rankings and pairings can be found here.
Gallery
Full gallery can be found here (flickr)
