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This year's European Club Cup kicked off in Vrnjacka Banja on Sunday with a colourful opening ceremony. 84 teams start in the open tournament, more than ever before.
The list of professional teams extends to around 15th place on the starting list. Behind them, most of the other teams will have travelled to the event at their own expense to play for points and a good placing in the company of many super grandmasters.
Magnus Carlsen and his Offerspill team are not taking part this time, but a number of other world class players are, including Gukesh, Abdusattorov, Praggnanandhaa (SuperChess from Romania), Erigaisi, Wei Yi, Yu Yangyi (Alkaloid from Montenegro), Vidit, Keymer, Harikrishna, Navara (Novy Bor from Czech Republic), Bu Xiangzhi, Radjabov, Fedoseev, Mamedyarov, (Bayegan Pendik Chess Sports Club from Turkey), Andreikin, Maghsoodloo, Tabatabaei (Turkish Airlines) and many more.
The above clubs are also the favourites to win the tournament, in that order, based on average Elo and seeding.
In the opening round, the favourites all came out on top, some of them by a wide margin. Vincent Keymer helped Novy Bor to a comfortable 5.5:0.5 win over De Stukkenjagers.
SV Erkenschwick fielded the Dutch IM and well-known chess trainer Robert Ris, three of his fellow countrymen and two young players. In the first round, the third division team faced one of the top teams, Turkish Airlines. It was a high-scoring victory for the Turkish team. On board six, however, 16-year-old Max Lutze caused a major upset.
Even more unexpected, however, was the victory of Francois Godart (Elo 2377, Gambit Bonnevoie I), who won against Praggnanandhaa (2746, SuperChess).
Results of round 1
| No. | Team | Team | Result | : | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | SuperChess | Gambit Bonnevoie I | 5 | : | 1 |
| 2 | Wasa SK | Alkaloid | ½ | : | 5½ |
| 3 | Novy Bor Chess Club | De Stukkenjagers | 5½ | : | ½ |
| 4 | Drejtesia-Trokadero | Bayegan Pendik Chess Sports Club | ½ | : | 5½ |
| 5 | Turkish Airlines | SV Erkenschwick | 5 | : | 1 |
| 6 | Blackthorne | TAJFUN-ŠK Ljubljana | 0 | : | 6 |
| 7 | Sentimento Ajka BSK | Viking Chess Club | 5 | : | 1 |
| 8 | Schaakclub De Pluspion Wachtebeke | Tuxera Aquaprofit Nagykanizsai Sakk Klub | ½ | : | 5½ |
| 9 | C'Chartres Echecs | Raahen Linnoitus | 6 | : | 0 |
| 10 | SOSS | Vugar Gashimov | ½ | : | 5½ |
| 11 | Beer Sheva Chess Club | La Tour d'Ans-Loncin | 5½ | : | ½ |
| 12 | Differdange | Rishon Le Zion A | 1 | : | 5 |
| 13 | Vados Chess Club | SK Reval-Sport | 5 | : | 1 |
| 14 | O.F.I. Chess Club | Kfar Saba | 1 | : | 5 |
| 15 | SK JAVES Modra | Jugović | 4½ | : | 1½ |
| 16 | Malerei 2000 Rapid Feffernitz | Zmaj | 1 | : | 5 |
| 17 | Elektroprivreda | SV Muelheim Nord | 6 | : | 0 |
| 18 | White Rose | Kavala Chess Club | 1½ | : | 4½ |
| 19 | SV Werder Bremen | Koninklijke Wetterse Vrijpion | 5½ | : | ½ |
| 20 | EtVaS | SK Rockaden | 0 | : | 6 |
| 21 | Riehen | Sussex Martlets | 4 | : | 2 |
| 22 | Aarhus Skakklub/Skolerne | Etude Ramat Gan Dov Porat Memorial | ½ | : | 5½ |
| 23 | ŠK K CERO INVEST Nitra | TSV Schönaich | 5½ | : | ½ |
| 24 | SK Doppelbauer Kiel | C.A. Silla Integrant Col-lectius | 1 | : | 5 |
| 25 | LSG | Bærum Schakselskap | 5 | : | 1 |
| 26 | Paul Keres 2 | GAMBIT ASEE | 1 | : | 5 |
| 27 | Perfect | SK 1911 | 4 | : | 2 |
| 28 | SK König Tegel | ŠK Dunajská Streda | ½ | : | 5½ |
| 29 | The Sharks | Sirmium Sremska Mitrovica | 5 | : | 1 |
| 30 | SK Radnicki | FC ST.Pauli 1910 eV Sabt | 0 | : | 6 |
| 31 | Lunds ASK | Gonzaga | 5 | : | 1 |
| 32 | Koninklijke Oostendse Schaakkring | Wood Green | 0 | : | 6 |
| 33 | Andreu Paterna | K.Sh Butrinti | 4 | : | 2 |
| 34 | Jyväs-Shakki | HSK Lister Turm | 2 | : | 4 |
| 35 | Koninklijke Brugse Schaakkring vzw | Diagonal Alcorcon | 6 | : | 0 |
| 36 | Ennis Chess Club | Paul Keres 1 | 1 | : | 5 |
| 37 | De Sprenger Echternach | Gambit Bonnevoie II | 5½ | : | ½ |
| 38 | ŠK Goč - Vrnjačka Banja | Skakklubben Nordkalotten | 0 | : | 6 |
| 39 | Crvena zvezda - Data Driven Lab | White Knights Chess Club | 3½ | : | 2½ |
| 40 | St Benildus | Breidablik Chess Club | 0 | : | 6 |
| 41 | ASD Pedone Isolano | UCD (University College Dublin) | 5 | : | 1 |
| 42 | Cardiff Chess Club | Rishon Le Zion B | 0 | : | 6 |
Games
There are 18 teams taking part in the women's tournament, which is also a large number. Montecarlo, with Elisabeth Pähtz on board four, is the strongest team, ahead of a few other teams that also have an Elo average above 2400.
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In the women's tournament, the favourite teams also started (mostly) without problems. However, WIM Trisha Kanyamarala (2160, Win Lionesses) caused an upset by beating IM Yuliia Osmak (2465, Gambit Bonnevoie).
Results of round 1
| No | Team | Team | Result | : | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cercle d'Echecs de Monte-Carlo | SK JAVES Modra | 4 | : | 0 |
| 2 | Rudar Kostolac | Garuda Ajka BSK | 1 | : | 3 |
| 3 | TAJFUN-ŠK Ljubljana | Wasa SK | 4 | : | 0 |
| 4 | Napredak Zenica | SuperChess Club | ½ | : | 3½ |
| 5 | Sirmium Sremska Mitrovica | Schachgesellschaft Solingen B | 4 | : | 0 |
| 6 | Rishon Le Zion | MSK CENTAR | ½ | : | 3½ |
| 7 | Gambit Bonnevoie | She Plays To Win Lionesses | 2½ | : | 1½ |
| 8 | SK Zmaj | Schachgesellschaft Solingen A | 1½ | : | 2½ |
| 9 | Crvena zvezda - Data Driven Lab | Tallinn Chess Club | 3 | : | 1 |
Games
