Ivanchuk wins European Championship – in Turkish

by ChessBase
5/30/2004 – He is one of the deepest chess players in the world, but Vassily Ivanchuk has many other talents. For instance he managed to pick up enough Turkish to thank his host at the closing ceremony in their native tongue! You don't believe it? We have videos, pictures, games and results.
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Fifth European Individual Chess Championship

The European Individual Chess Championship was staged by the Turkish Chess Federation, under the auspices of the European Chess Union and with the support of the General Directorate of Youth and Sport of the Turkish Republic. It ran from May 15 until May 30 2004 in Antalya, Kemer-Beldibi, Turkey. It was a 13-round Swiss, and the rate of play was 1.30 hours for the game + 30 seconds per move.

The winner after tie-break games was Ukraine GM Vassily Ivanchuk. Runners-up were Predrag Nikolic and Levon Aronian. Full results and games are given at the bottom of the page.

In the picture above Vassily Ivanchuk appreciatively examines his European Championship trophy. From left to right: Ali Nihat Yazici, the President of Turkish Chess Federation, GM Levon Aronian, who took third place, winner "Chucky", ECU president Boris Kutin and runner-up GM Predrag Nikolic. Ivanchuk won €8,000, Nikolic €5,000, Aronian €4,000. A total of €43,500 was paid out in cash.


Tiebreak games, with Nikolic vs Ivanchuk on the left


In the end it was Ivanchuk (with black on the left) who secured the title


Third place went to 21-year-old Armenian GM Levon Aronian

  • Video of Tie Break Final Round (9 MB)
    Ivanchuk arrives for the tie-break against Nikolic, meticulously adjusts his pieces, Nikolic has a question about the clock. We see other tie-break games waiting to begin. The arbiter starts the clocks and Ivanchuk kicks off with 1.e4 (Nikolic plays 1...e5).
  • Video cocktail party (4.2 MB)
    At the end of the tournament there was a cocktail party. The video shows Ivanchuk talking with Ali Nihat Yazici, the President of Turkish Chess Federation, then Predrag Nikolic chatting with ECU president Boris Kutin, and finally legendary Swedish GM Ulf Anderson.
  • Video Ivanchuk speaking in Turkish (2.6 MB)
    He is a man of many talents. Vassily Ivanchuk not only won the tournament, turns out he can thank his hosts in their native tongue. This is the one you do not want to miss.
  • Download the DivX codec if you cannot view the videos properly

All of the above videos and pictures are taken from the official site, which did some scruffy but very exciting blow-by-blow coverage. Click on the image below to get all the results and games. There are a large number of uncaptioned pictures, and videos in DivX format.

Final standings

Rank SNo.   Name Rtg FED Pts BH. BH. Rp
1 1 GM Ivanchuk Vassily 2716 UKR 9 85½ 100½ 2707
2 6 GM Nikolic Predrag 2648 BIH 9 81 96 2699
3 14 GM Navara David 2602 CZE 8½ 85½ 101 2708
4 7 GM Aronian Levon 2645 ARM 8½ 83 97 2690
5 16 GM Miroshnichenko Evgenij 2599 UKR 8½ 82½ 97 2666
6 3 GM Gurevich Mikhail 2672 BEL 8½ 82½ 97 2682
7 18 GM Istratescu Andrei 2587 ROM 8½ 82 96½ 2669
8 19 GM Kempinski Robert 2586 POL 8 85½ 100½ 2655
9 11 GM Krasenkow Michal 2609 POL 8 85 100½ 2681
10 15 GM Agrest Evgenij 2601 SWE 8 81½ 95 2644
11 2 GM Milov Vadim 2680 SUI 8 81 95½ 2649
12 12 GM Asrian Karen 2605 ARM 8 80 94½ 2616
13 10 GM Sargissian Gabriel 2614 ARM 8 80 94 2636
14 8 GM Macieja Bartlomiej 2633 POL 8 76½ 90½ 2606
15 25 GM Gashimov Vugar 2565 AZE 8 76 90 2629
16 22 GM Naiditsch Arkadij 2571 GER 8 74½ 86 2595
17 5 GM Mamedyarov Shakhriyar 2657 AZE 7½ 84½ 98½ 2630
18 4 GM Radjabov Teimour 2670 AZE 7½ 84 99 2630
19 29 GM Guseinov Gadir 2548 AZE 7½ 82 95 2596
20 23 GM Andersson Ulf 2570 SWE 7½ 81 92½ 2618
21 28 GM Parligras Mircea 2549 ROM 7½ 79½ 92½ 2596
22 24 GM Stefansson Hannes 2567 ISL 7½ 77 90½ 2599
23 36 GM Iljushin Alexei 2529 RUS 7½ 76½ 89½ 2534
24 32 GM Stocek Jiri 2543 CZE 7½ 75½ 88½ 2562
25 30 GM Nyback Tomi 2545 FIN 7 86 99 2627
26 21 GM Izoria Zviad 2573 GEO 7 82 96 2595
27 17 GM Anastasian Ashot 2587 ARM 7 80½ 94 2556
28 9 GM Jobava Baadur 2616 GEO 7 80 94½ 2582
29 31 GM Chatalbashev Boris 2543 BUL 7 76½ 89½ 2515
30 39 IM Mastrovasilis Athanasios 2488 GRE 7 76 89½ 2515
31 37 IM Radulski Julian 2497 BUL 7 74 87½ 2511
32 35 IM Smeets Jan 2531 NED 7 72½ 85 2462
33 26 IM Cheparinov Ivan 2555 BUL 7 69½ 82½ 2492
34 40 GM Akesson Ralf 2476 SWE 6½ 79 92½ 2544
35 27 GM Hulak Krunoslav 2550 CRO 6½ 79 91 2525
36 49 IM Grunberg Mihai-Lucian 2401 ROM 6½ 78½ 92½ 2534
37 20 GM Minasian Artashes 2585 ARM 6½ 77½ 92 2503
38 33 GM Halkias Stelios 2541 GRE 6½ 77½ 91½ 2497
39 38 GM Nedev Trajce 2489 MKD 6½ 73½ 87½ 2500
40 41   Pashikian Arman 2466 ARM 6½ 72½ 84½ 2474
41 52 IM Erdogdu Mert 2369 TUR 6½ 71 83½ 2432
42 13 GM Markowski Tomasz 2605 POL 6½ 69 82 2427
43 48 IM Kristjansson Stefan 2404 ISL 6½ 64 75 2394
44 51 IM Haznedaroglu Kivanc 2395 TUR 6½ 60 71½ 2372
45 56   Iotov Valentin 2342 BUL 6 74 87½ 2459
46 34 IM Petrosian Tigran L 2539 ARM 6 74 85½ 2453
47 46 IM Neubauer Martin 2418 AUT 6 69½ 81 2410
48 50 IM Soylu Suat 2397 TUR 6 64½ 76 2379
49 43 IM Van Der Stricht Geert 2450 BEL 6 64 77 2340
50 47 IM Mazi Leon 2417 SLO 6 62 74½ 2295
51 57 FM Bakalarz Mieczyslaw 2333 LUX 6 61½ 73½ 2324
52 58 IM Yilmaz Turhan 2311 TUR 5½ 68 80 2406
53 45 GM Jonkman Harmen 2421 NED 5½ 67 79 2343
54 42 IM Drabke Lorenz 2453 GER 5½ 66½ 77 2365
55 60 FM Bayram Yakup 2292 TUR 5½ 66 78 2348
56 71   Aleskerov Faik 2167 AZE 5½ 64 75 2335
57 54 IM Atakisi Umut 2344 TUR 5½ 63 75½ 2329
58 44 IM Klinova Masha 2436 ISR 5½ 62½ 75 2285
59 63 FM Erdogan Hakan 2252 TUR 5½ 54½ 66½ 2219
60 53 FM Thorfinnsson Bjorn 2345 ISL 5 66 77½ 2270
61 59 FM Karadeniz Emre 2310 TUR 5 65 76½ 2279
62 61   Erturan Yakup 2273 TUR 5 64½ 76½ 2286
63 55 WGM Mamedjarova Zeinab 2343 AZE 5 61½ 74 2277
64 74   Ersahin Bulent 2070 TUR 5 58½ 70 2229
65 62   Esen Baris 2262 TUR 5 57½ 68½ 2217
66 64   Idrizaj Abedin 2249 FID 5 54½ 64 2185
67 66   Yeke Serkan 2238 TUR 4½ 65 75½ 2278
68 70   Demirel Tolga 2183 TUR 4½ 58½ 69½ 2213
69 69 WIM Mamedjarova Turkan 2191 AZE 4½ 55 65 2163
70 68   Bente Bjoern 2219 GER 4 57½ 67½ 2167
71 73 WFM Yildiz Betul Cemre 2108 TUR 4 57 67 2160
72 67   Makolli Perparim 2228 FID 4 56½ 67½ 2134
73 72   Goksel Doga Cihan 2130 TUR 3½ 54½ 64 2112
74 65   Kose Serkan 2244 TUR 3 59 70½ 2118

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