3rd – 11th November in Halkidiki, Greece
The ETCC is a nine-round Swiss, with one open section and one section for the
women’s teams. The time control is 90 min for 40 moves + 30 min for the
rest of the game + 30 sec increment for every move played starting from the
first move. The member countries of the European Chess Union (ECU) have the
right to enter one team of four players plus one reserve in the open competition,
and one team of four female players and one reserve in the women’s competition.
There are 38 teams in the former and 28 in the latter. The games are being played
in the Olympic Hall Congress Center (1500 sq.m.), within the five-star Porto
Carras Grand Resort, which is located in an enchantingly verdant landscape in
Halkidiki, Greece.
Results of round two
Open section
Women's section
Results of round three
Open section
Women's section
Report after round three
Azerbaijan handed round two’s heroes Greece a 3-1 defeat on the top board
in round three, with Mamedyarov and Safarli posting decisive results against
Papaioannou and Nikolaidis. On board two, Spain demolished Romania with the
same result despite Alexei Shirov crumbling from the white side of an unpleasant
Caro Kann against Parligras.
Tournament favourites Russia were held to a draw by lower rated Netherlands
after Dutch grandmaster Jan Smeets had a lucky escape against Sergey Karjakin.
Playing black in a Slav Defence, Smeets made a careless queen exchange offer
on move 29, handing Karjakin a lasting advantage which he failed to convert
in the endgame despite having a menacing passed pawn on c6.
[Event "18th Euro-TCh Open"] [Site "Porto Carras/Greece"] [Date "2011.11.06"]
[Round "3"] [White "Karjakin, Sergey"] [Black "Smeets, Jan"] [Result "1/2-1/2"]
[ECO "D19"] [WhiteElo "2772"] [BlackElo "2619"] [Annotator "Kruttika"] [PlyCount
"116"] [EventDate "2011.??.??"] [WhiteTeam "Russland"] [BlackTeam "Niederlande"]
[WhiteTeamCountry "RUS"] [BlackTeamCountry "NED"] 1. d4 d5 2. c4 c6 3. Nc3 Nf6
4. Nf3 dxc4 5. a4 Bf5 6. e3 e6 7. Bxc4 Bb4 8. O-O O-O 9. Qe2 Bg6 10. Ne5 Nbd7
11. Nxg6 hxg6 12. Rd1 Qa5 13. Qc2 Rfe8 $146 ({ Relevant:} 13... c5 14. Na2 cxd4
15. Rxd4 Bc5 16. Bd2 Qc7 17. Bb5 Rac8 18. Rc1 Bxd4 19. Qxc7 Rxc7 20. Rxc7 Bb6
21. Rc2 Bc5 22. a5 Rd8 23. Kf1 Kf8 24. Ke2 Ke7 25. h3 Bd6 26. b4 Nd5 27. Ba4
f5 28. Bb3 N7f6 29. b5 Kd7 30. Nc3 Nxc3+ 31. Bxc3 Rc8 32. f3 Rc5 33. Bd4 Rxc2+
34. Bxc2 Bc7 35. a6 b6 36. g4 Ke7 37. e4 e5 38. Bf2 f4 39. Bh4 Kd6 40. Bxf6
gxf6 41. h4 Kc5 42. h5 Bd6 43. hxg6 {Le Quang,L (2664)-Nguyen,N (2628)/Ho Chi
Minh City 2011/CB01_2011/1/2-1/2}) 14. Na2 Bf8 15. e4 c5 16. e5 Nd5 17. Bb5
Red8 18. Bg5 Be7 19. Bxe7 Nxe7 20. Bxd7 Rxd7 21. dxc5 Rd5 22. b4 Qc7 23. Nc3
Rxd1+ 24. Rxd1 a5 25. Nb5 Qxe5 26. bxa5 Rxa5 27. g3 Nd5 28. Nd6 Ra7 29. Qb3
Qc3 $2 (29... Nc3 $11) 30. Qb5 Nf6 31. Qb6 Qa5 32. Qxa5 Rxa5 33. Nxb7 Rxa4 34.
Rd8+ Kh7 35. c6 Nd5 36. Nd6 Ra7 37. h4 f6 38. Nb5 Ra1+ 39. Kg2 Rc1 40. Nd6 g5
41. h5 Ne7 42. Nf7 Ng8 43. Rd6 e5 44. Kf3 Ne7 45. Rd8 Ng8 46. Rc8 g6 47. Rc7
gxh5 48. Rd7 $2 {Allowing the black king to block the white king's path} (48.
Ke4 {was the last chance to win} Kg6 49. Nh8+ Kh6 50. Kf5) 48... Kg6 49. c7
Kf5 50. Nd8 Rc3+ 51. Kg2 h4 52. g4+ Kxg4 53. Nb7 Kf5 54. Rg7 Ke6 55. Nd8+ Kf5
56. Nb7 Ke6 57. Nd8+ Kf5 58. Nb7 Ke6 1/2-1/2
The other three games Svidler-Anish Giri, Van Wely-Grischuk and Stellwagen-Morozevich
were also drawn.
The Bulgaria-Poland match saw a spirited fight between Veselin Topalov and
Wojtaszek Radoslaw on the top board that lasted 88 moves. The players entered
a single rook and opposite coloured bishop endgame on move 45 and a long battle
for the initiative followed, ending in a well-deserved draw.
[Event "18th European Teams"] [Site "Porto Carras GRE"] [Date "2011.11.05"]
[Round "3.1"] [White "Topalov, Veselin"] [Black "Wojtaszek, Radoslaw"] [Result
"1/2-1/2"] [ECO "E15"] [WhiteElo "2768"] [BlackElo "2705"] [PlyCount "175"]
[EventDate "2011.11.03"] [WhiteTeam "Bulgaria"] [BlackTeam "Poland"] [WhiteTeamCountry
"BUL"] [BlackTeamCountry "POL"] 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 b6 4. g3 Bb7 5. Bg2
c5 6. d5 exd5 7. Ng5 h6 8. Nh3 g6 9. Nc3 Bg7 10. Nf4 O-O 11. O-O Nc6 12. Ncxd5
Rb8 13. Rb1 Nxd5 14. Nxd5 d6 15. b3 a6 16. Bb2 Ne5 17. Qc1 Bxd5 18. Bxd5 Qe7
19. Rd1 h5 20. Qc2 Kh7 21. Rd2 b5 22. Bxe5 Bxe5 23. cxb5 axb5 24. a4 Qa7 25.
Rdd1 Rb6 26. e3 Kg7 27. axb5 Rxb5 28. Bc4 Rb6 29. Rd2 Ra8 30. Qe4 Qb8 31. Rbd1
Ra7 32. Qd5 Qc7 33. Kg2 Qe7 34. h3 Bc3 35. Rc2 Bf6 36. Rdd2 Qe5 37. Qxe5 Bxe5
38. f4 Bf6 39. Kf3 Be7 40. Ra2 Rbb7 41. Ke4 Bf8 42. Bd5 Re7+ 43. Kf3 Rec7 44.
Rdc2 Rxa2 45. Rxa2 Be7 46. Ra8 Bf6 47. Ke2 Re7 48. Kd3 h4 49. g4 g5 50. Ra6
gxf4 51. exf4 Bd4 52. Rxd6 Re3+ 53. Kc4 Rxh3 54. Rd7 Rc3+ 55. Kb5 h3 56. Rxf7+
Kg6 57. Rd7 h2 58. Kc6 Be3 59. Be4+ Kf6 60. g5+ Ke6 61. f5+ Ke5 62. Re7+ Kf4
63. f6 Bd4 64. Re8 Kxg5 65. f7 Bg7 66. Rg8 Kf6 67. f8=Q+ Bxf8 68. Rxf8+ Ke5
69. Re8+ Kd4 70. Bd5 Rxb3 71. Re4+ Kd3 72. Rh4 Rb2 73. Kxc5 Ke3 74. Kd6 Re2
75. Ke5 Kf2+ 76. Kf4 Kg1 77. Rg4+ Kf2 78. Bf3 Rd2 79. Be4 Re2 80. Bh1 Rd2 81.
Rg2+ Ke1 82. Rg8 Kf2 83. Be4 Re2 84. Ba8 Rd2 85. Kg4 Ra2 86. Bb7 Rb2 87. Bc6
Rc2 88. Ba8 1/2-1/2
Cheparinov and Georgiev were held by Bartel and Macieja respectively and it
was Aleksander Delchev on board three who picked up the point for Bulgaria with
a spectacular tactical win involving two sacrifices over Miton.
[Event "18th Euro-TCh Open"] [Site "Porto Carras/Greece"] [Date "2011.11.06"]
[Round "3"] [White "Delchev, Aleksander"] [Black "Miton, Kamil"] [Result "1-0"]
[ECO "B17"] [WhiteElo "2620"] [BlackElo "2628"] [Annotator "Kruttika"] [PlyCount
"81"] [EventDate "2011.??.??"] [WhiteTeam "Bulgarien"] [BlackTeam "Polen"] [WhiteTeamCountry
"BUL"] [BlackTeamCountry "POL"] 1. e4 c6 2. d4 d5 3. Nc3 dxe4 4. Nxe4 Nd7 5.
Nf3 Ngf6 6. Ng3 g6 7. h4 h5 8. Bc4 Bg7 9. Qd3 $146 Nd5 10. O-O N7f6 11. Re1
Bg4 12. Ne5 Qc8 $4 {a terrible oversight} (12... O-O) 13. Nxg6 $1 fxg6 14. Qxg6+
Kf8 15. Rxe7 $1 {double whammy!} Kxe7 16. Qxg7+ Kd6 17. Bxd5 cxd5 (17... Nxd5
18. Ne4+ Ke6 19. Nc5+ Kd6 20. Qe5#) 18. Qxf6+ Qe6 19. Bf4+ Kc6 20. Qxe6+ Bxe6
21. Re1 {and white has more than enough compensation} Rae8 22. Re3 Kd7 23. Ra3
a6 24. Rb3 b5 25. Be5 Rh7 26. a4 Kc6 27. a5 Kd7 28. Rf3 Rc8 29. c3 Rf7 30. Re3
Rh7 31. b4 Rg8 32. Ne2 Rh6 33. Nf4 Bf7 34. Nd3 Kd8 35. Nc5 Rhg6 36. g3 Re8 37.
Rf3 Bg8 38. Rf5 Rh6 39. f3 Be6 40. Rg5 Bc8 41. Bf4 1-0
The English team recovered from their 1.5-2.5 defeat to hosts Greece in round
two and drew with Armenia.
Top standings after three rounds
Women's section
Here Russia left no room for doubt with a 4-0 sweep over Romania. Serbia put
up a stiff resistance to their stronger opponents Georgia but were overcome
2.5-1.5. GM Nana Dzagnidze saved the day for her team by beating Natasa Bojkovic
on board one, while her compatriots Lela Javakhishvili, Nino Khurtsidze and
Melia Salome were held by their opponents Chelushkina Irina, Stojanovic Andjelija
and Drljevic Ljilja.
Top standings after three rounds
Picture gallery
Pictures on the official ETCC
website are provided by Anastasiya Karlovich,
Tzveta Karavelova and Goran Urosevic.
Choo-CHOO, dammit! Players riding a toy train to the venue
So you used to play for Slovakia?? Armenian comrades Levon Aronian and Sergey
Movsesian
Spectators watching a game (Shirov-Parligras, which Black won convincingly)
GM David Navara (left, trademark smile) leading the Czech team
GM Sergey Karjakin, whose draw with Jan Smeets cost Russia a win against
the Netherlands
GM Ian Nepomniachtchi of Russia, taking an off in round three
Needs no introduction – GM Viktor Kortchnoi, 80, playing on board two
for Switzerland
GM Nadezhda Kosintseva in the second round against GM Hoang
Thanh Trang of Hungary who proved a match for her and split the point
GM Alexandra Kosteniuk with the Russian flag painted on her fingernail
WIM Drljevic Ljilja of Serbia, who held Georgian IM Melia Salome
The Greeks: WGM Makroupoulou Marina and IM Dembo Yelena
GM Teimour Radjabov of Azerbaijan who drew with Greek GM Banikas although
his team cruised to victory
http://photo.chessdom.com/displayimage.php?album=315&pos=107
The Romanian women’s team lead by WGM Alina L'ami (or l'Ami) fell
to Russia
The Armenian women’s team: Elina Danielian, Lilit Mkrtchian, Lilit
Galojan, Maria Kursova
Copyright
ChessBase
