European Team Championship – a pictorial retrospect

by ChessBase
11/14/2011 – Earlier this week Germany, starting as tenth seed, created a sensation by winning the title, with Azerbaijan and Hungary getting Silver and Bronze. But who were the strongest individual players in the open and women's sections? And who the most photogenic? We return to the ETCC in Porto Carras one more time with statistics and a beautiful pictorial by WGM Anastasiya Karlovich.
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3rd – 11th November in Halkidiki, Greece

The ETCC was a nine-round Swiss, with one open section and one section for the women’s teams. The time control was 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) had 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 were 38 teams in the former and 28 in the latter. The games were 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.

Here to refresh your memory are the final standings of the top teams. As we reported it was the tenth seed, Germany, who in the latter half of the Championship suddenly started winning and finished with a clear win on match points, although Armenia, Bulgaria or Azerbaijan had been in the lead foir most of the time.

Final top standings Open

Rk.
SNo
 Team
Gms
  + 
  = 
 – 
 TB1 
 TB2 
 TB3 
TB4
TB5
1
10
 Germany
9
7
1
1
15
22.5
183.0
154.50
142.0
2
3
 Azerbaijan
9
6
2
1
14
23.0
181.5
139.75
140.5
3
5
 Hungary
9
5
3
1
13
23.0
167.5
117.25
128.0
4
4
 Armenia
9
6
1
2
13
22.5
172.0
117.25
132.5
5
1
 Russia
9
6
1
2
13
21.5
174.5
123.50
134.0
6
9
 Netherlands
9
5
2
2
12
19.0
180.0
118.25
140.5
7
7
 Bulgaria
9
5
2
2
12
18.5
187.5
122.50
146.0
8
14
 Poland
9
4
3
2
11
22.0
159.0
95.25
124.0
9
17
 Romania
9
5
1
3
11
20.0
163.5
87.00
135.0
10
13
 Spain
9
5
1
3
11
19.5
183.0
108.50
142.0
11
22
 Italy
9
5
1
3
11
19.0
164.0
91.25
135.5

Final top standings Women

Rk.
SNo
 Team
Gms
  + 
  = 
 – 
 TB1 
 TB2 
 TB3 
TB4
TB5
1
1
 Russia
9
8
1
0
17
25.5
177.0
165.50
137.5
2
5
 Poland
9
6
2
1
14
23.0
178.0
133.25
138.5
3
3
 Georgia
9
7
0
2
14
22.5
181.0
134.00
139.0
4
2
 Ukraine
9
6
0
3
12
21.5
180.0
110.50
138.0
5
12
 France
9
6
0
3
12
21.0
172.5
107.50
133.5
6
8
 Bulgaria
9
5
1
3
11
19.5
175.5
100.00
135.5
7
4
 Armenia
9
4
3
2
11
19.0
182.0
104.00
139.5
8
7
 Germany
9
4
2
3
10
20.5
161.5
86.50
125.5
9
15
 Israel
9
4
2
3
10
19.0
164.5
85.00
125.5
10
11
 Slovenia
9
4
2
3
10
19.0
146.0
74.50
119.5

We now come to an important aspect of such events: who were the best players, who contributed most to the success of their teams? In the following tables we have removed the names of players who played less than seven games – you can click on the links below the tables to get a full list.

Best players by rating performance (seven games or higher)

No. Ti. Name Rtg Team Perf.
Pts.
Gms
%
Bo.
1 GM Mamedyarov Shak. 2733 Azerbaijan 2866
7.0
9
77.8
3
2 GM Adams Michael 2734 England 2841
6.5
9
72.2
1
3 GM Grischuk Alexander 2752 Russia 2837
5.5
8
68.8
1
4 GM Aronian Levon 2802 Armenia 2833
5.5
8
68.8
1
5 GM Almasi Zoltan 2707 Hungary 2809
6.0
8
75.0
2
6 GM Bauer Christian 2641 France 2797
6.5
8
81.3
4
7 GM Naiditsch Arkadij 2712 Germany 2794
5.0
8
62.5
1
8 GM Gashimov Vugar 2757 Azerbaijan 2792
6.0
9
66.7
2
11 GM Topalov Veselin 2768 Bulgaria 2779
5.5
9
61.1
1
12 GM Morozevich Alexander 2762 Russia 2775
4.0
6
66.7
3
13 GM Bologan Viktor 2665 Moldova 2769
6.5
9
72.2
1
14 GM Sutovsky Emil 2696 Israel 2765
5.5
8
68.8
1
15 GM Postny Evgeny 2640 Israel 2762
6.0
8
75.0
4
16 GM Meier Georg 2659 Germany 2758
5.5
9
61.1
1
17 GM Sargissian Gabriel 2671 Armenia 2754
6.5
9
72.2
3
18 GM Cheparinov Ivan 2650 Bulgaria 2748
5.5
9
61.1
2
19 GM Karjakin Sergey 2763 Russia 2745
4.5
7
64.3
2
20 GM Gustafsson Jan 2633 Germany 2732
4.5
7
64.3
3
21 GM Shirov Alexei 2705 Spain 2729
5.0
8
62.5
2
22 GM Sulskis Sarunas 2577 Lithuania 2725
6.0
9
66.7
1
23 GM Akopian Vladimir 2681 Armenia 2723
5.0
8
62.5
2
24 GM Beliavsky Alexander 2617 Slovenia 2723
5.0
9
55.6
1
25 GM Giri Anish 2714 Netherlands 2723
5.0
9
55.6
1
26 GM Radjabov Teimour 2781 Azerbaijan 2718
4.5
9
50.0
1
27 GM Leko Peter 2720 Hungary 2717
5.5
9
61.1
1
29 GM Vallejo Francisco 2705 Spain 2716
5.0
9
55.6
1
30 GM Wojtaszek Radoslaw 2705 Poland 2713
4.5
8
56.3
1
31 GM Jobava Baadur 2678 Georgia 2712
6.5
8
81.3
1
32 GM Jones Gawain C B 2635 England 2706
6.0
9
66.7
3
33 GM Caruana Fabiano 2727 Italy 2705
5.0
8
62.5
1
34 GM Laznicka Viktor 2703 Czech Rep. 2705
4.5
8
56.3
1
35 GM Brunello Sabino 2575 Italy 2700
5.5
8
68.8
3

Best players by rating performance (seven games or higher

No.
Ti.
 Name Rtg Team Perf.
Pts.
Gms
%
Bo.
1
IM
 Muzychuk Anna 2557 Slovenia 2782
8.5
9
94.4
1
2
GM
 Lahno Kateryna 2549 Ukraine 2632
5.0
7
71.4
1
3
GM
 Dzagnidze Nana 2516 Georgia 2593
5.0
8
62.5
1
4
GM
 Kosteniuk Alexandra 2439 Russia 2575
5.5
7
78.6
3
5
IM
 Khurtsidze Nino 2440 Georgia 2573
6.5
8
81.3
3
6
GM
 Kosintseva Tatiana 2526 Russia 2559
6.0
8
75.0
2
7
IM
 Ushenina Anna 2463 Ukraine 2538
6.0
8
75.0
2
8
WGM
 Zawadzka Jolanta 2326 Poland 2524
5.5
8
68.8
2
9
GM
 Kosintseva Nadezhda 2546 Russia 2524
5.5
9
61.1
1
10
WIM
 Ohme Melanie 2361 Germany 2521
6.5
8
81.3
2
12
WGM
 Szczepkowska-H. Karina 2379 Poland 2513
6.0
8
75.0
3
13
GM
 Socko Monika 2479 Poland 2505
5.5
9
61.1
1
14
GM
 Danielian Elina 2507 Armenia 2488
5.0
9
55.6
1
15
WGM
 Videnova Iva 2297 Bulgaria 2482
6.0
9
66.7
1
16
IM
 Milliet Sophie 2386 France 2477
5.5
9
61.1
1
17
WIM
 Bulmaga Irina 2334 Romania 2468
6.5
9
72.2
3
18
IM
 Muzychuk Mariya 2460 Ukraine 2468
5.5
8
68.8
4
19
GM
 Peng Zhaoqin 2379 Netherlands 2465
4.5
8
56.3
1
20
IM
 Melia Salome 2392 Georgia 2460
5.0
7
71.4
4
21
IM
 Dembo Yelena 2468 Greece 2459
5.5
9
61.1
1
22
IM
 Ciuksyte Dagne 2327 England 2446
6.0
8
75.0
1
24
IM
 Gunina Valentina 2514 Russia 2440
4.5
7
64.3
2
25
GM
 Stefanova Antoaneta 2531 Bulgaria 2440
3.5
7
50.0
1
26
IM
 Sedina Elena 2343 Italy 2431
5.0
7
71.4
1
27
IM
 Paehtz Elisabeth 2457 Germany 2428
3.5
7
50.0
1
28
IM
 Mkrtchian Lilit 2469 Armenia 2424
5.5
9
61.1
2
29
WIM
 Ozturk Kubra 2239 Turkey 2416
6.0
9
66.7
2
30
IM
 Moser Eva 2448 Austria 2414
5.0
8
62.5
1
32
WGM
 Vojinovic Jovana 2346 Montenegro 2408
5.5
9
61.1
1
33
WGM
 Mamedjarova Zeinab 2314 Azerbaijan 2406
5.0
9
55.6
1

Pictorial impressions from the European Championship in Porto Carras

By Anastasiya Karlovich

The 2011 European Team Chess Championship was held 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. Also called Chalkidiki the peninsula is one of the peripheral units of Greece, part of the periphery of Central Macedonia.


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Set like a gem in 1763 hectares (17 million sq. m.) of incredibly beautiful grounds, it is a paradise of green, fringed by seemingly endless sandy beaches, in fact nine kilometers of them! The Porto Carras Grand Resort is located 110 km (75-minute drive) south of the international airport of Thessaloniki, and includes in its 1763 hectares three hotel divisions, each in a different style, a casino, an ultra-modern thalassotherapy centre and spa, an international-standard 18-hole golf course, a private 315-berth marina, a 5,000 seat convention centre and Greece’s largest organic vineyard.

Other chess events that were held in Porto Carras include the 2010 World Youth Chess Championships with almost 1400 participants (the largest FIDE event ever!), the Greek School Championships of 2008, 2009 and 2010 and the International Open “Summer Cup” tournaments of 2008, 2009 and 2010.


The official Hotel Sithonia hosted all players of the European Team Championship


A beautiful and inviting sculptured swimming pool on the grounds of the hotel


A small cruise boat brings tourists from the hotel to the nearest village


Sunset on the beach in Porto Carras


The playing hall could be reached in a ten-minute walk, but many chess players...


... preferred to use the special little trains to commute


The Congress Hall in which last year's World Youth Championship was also played


Inside the playing venue, with a round in full swing


German women’s team: IM Elisabeth Pähtz, WGM Marta Michna, WIM Melanie Ohme, WIM Sarah Hoolt

The last seconds of the round four game Topalov-Svidler, which was the last to finish in the match Russia-Bulgaria. Playing white former FIDE world champion Veselin Topalov managed to win and brought the victory for his team in the fourth round. One round later Bulgaria won against Germany and became the sole leader with nine points.

In the fourth round the second seed Ukrainian team lost to Germany by an amazing ½ :3½ result. In the above picture you see Ponomariov (facing Naiditsch) and Eljanov, who both lost their games, Moiseenko, who drew and Efimenko who lost. On the right a bemused Veselin Topalov.

Before the start of the fifth round between Russia and Ukraine Peter Svidler jokes with his good friend Vassily Ivanchuk. The match ended in three draws and one win for the Russians, thanks to the efforts and solid endgame technique of Alexander Morozevich.


The Armenian team, with Aronian, Movsessian, Akopian and Sargissian, above in
their fifth round games against Denmark, whom the beat 3½-½

The Greek team won few important matches and became one of the leaders of the event. Above we see Hristos Banikas facing Baadur Jobava of Georgia in their round four encounter. Greece won this match 2½:1½.

The Russian Women’s Team comprehensively dominating in this event, leading from start to finish. Above we see the Kosintseva sisters Nadezhda and Tatiana, Valentina Gunina and Alexandra Kosteniuk.


Elina Danielian and Nana Dzagnidze analyze their very sharp game, which was drawn.
The Georgian team managed to win the match 2½-1½.


Alexandra Kosteniuk with her trademark ring fingernails with the colours of the Russian flag


Anna Ushenina from the Ukrainian team


Viktor Korchnoi playing for the Swiss team


Jan Gustafsson for the German team


Alexander Motylev with the mother of all flash diffusers


One of the arbiters, Effi Andrikopoulou, was lucky and won 4000 Euros in the hotel casino lottery


Three famous coaches sitting on a ledge... Arshak Petrosyan, Adrian Mikhalchishin and Mikhail Gurevich


FIDE commercial director Geoffrey Borg chatting with GMs Robert Fontaine Katerina Lahno, who are a couple


The youngest player in the tournament during her very exciting encounter with chess pieces


The traditional party with disco and dance

Links

The games were broadcast live on the official web site and on the chess server Playchess.com. If you are not a member you can download a free Playchess client there and get immediate access. You can also use ChessBase 11 or any of our Fritz compatible chess programs.

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