The European Women's Chess Championship returns to Rhodes

by Carlos Alberto Colodro
3/30/2025 – The 25th European Women's Chess Championship begins on 31 March 2025 in Rhodes, Greece, bringing together nearly 140 players from 34 European federations. Hosted at the Rodos Palace Conference Hotel, the tournament will include 11 players rated 2400 or above. Defending champion IM Ulviyya Fataliyeva will compete in the 11-round Swiss system event, which serves as a qualifier for the Women's World Cup. A total prize fund of €60,000 is at stake, with live coverage available online.
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Batsiashvili, Injac and Arabidze the top seeds

The 25th European Women's Chess Championship is set to commence on Monday, 31 March and will run until 11 April 2025. The tournament will take place at the Rodos Palace Conference Hotel in Rhodes, Greece.

The Championship will feature 136 players representing 34 European federations. Among the participants are 7 Grandmasters, 22 Woman Grandmasters, 24 International Masters and 20 Woman International Masters. The highest-rated competitors include:

  1. GM Nino Batsiashvili (GEO, 2473)
  2. IM Teodora Injac (SRB, 2454)
  3. IM Meri Arabidze (GEO, 2447)
  4. IM Stavroula Tsolakidou (GRE, 2445)
  5. IM Dinara Wagner (GER, 2440)
  6. IM Lela Javakhishvili (GEO, 2429)
  7. GM Anna Ushenina (UKR, 2428)
  8. GM Antoaneta Stefanova (BUL, 2426)
  9. GM Bella Khotenashvili (GEO, 2418)
  10. IM Klaudia Kulon (POL, 2401)

IM Ulviyya Fataliyeva (AZE, 2387) will be defending her title, having won the 2024 European Women's Chess Championship, which was also held at the same venue.

Ulviyya Fataliyeva

Ulviyya Fataliyeva

The competition will be conducted in an 11-round Swiss system format. The time control for each game is set at 90 minutes for the first 40 moves, with an additional 30 minutes until the end of the game, and a 30-second increment per move from move one.

As a qualification event for the FIDE Women's World Chess Cup, the European Chess Union (ECU) has determined that at least ten players will secure qualification.

The total prize fund for the event amounts to €60,000, with the champion receiving €10,000.

The tournament games will be broadcast live, accompanied by commentary from GM Alojzije Jankovic and Dragana Nikolovska. Viewers can follow the coverage through the ECU TV platform and the ECU YouTube channel.

The event is co-organised with the Region of South Aegean.

Starting rank - Top 30

No. Name Rtg
1 Batsiashvili, Nino 2473
2 Injac, Teodora 2454
3 Arabidze, Meri 2447
4 Tsolakidou, Stavroula 2445
5 Wagner, Dinara 2440
6 Javakhishvili, Lela 2429
7 Ushenina, Anna 2428
8 Stefanova, Antoaneta 2426
9 Khotenashvili, Bella 2418
10 Kulon, Klaudia 2401
11 Beydullayeva, Govhar 2400
12 Danielian, Elina 2398
13 Daulyte-Cornette, Deimante 2389
14 Mkrtchian, Lilit 2388
15 Fataliyeva, Ulviyya 2387
16 Narva, Mai 2380
17 Vega Gutierrez, Sabrina 2380
18 Maltsevskaya, Aleksandra 2376
19 Atalik, Ekaterina 2375
20 Milliet, Sophie 2371
21 Socko, Monika 2369
22 Roebers, Eline 2367
23 Bulmaga, Irina 2362
24 Kiolbasa, Oliwia 2360
25 Guichard, Pauline 2355
26 Gaponenko, Inna 2349
27 Mammadova, Gulnar 2342
28 Sliwicka, Alicja 2342
29 Savina, Anastasia 2331
30 Brunello, Marina 2330

...136 players

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Topics: European Women's Championship 2025
Carlos Colodro is a Hispanic Philologist from Bolivia. He works as a freelance translator and writer since 2012. A lot of his work is done in chess-related texts, as the game is one of his biggest interests, along with literature and music.
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