Ulviyya Fataliyeva wins European Women's Championship 2024

by André Schulz
4/30/2024 – Ulviyya Fataliyeva is European Women's Champion 2024. The International Master from Azerbaijan dominated the tournament from beginning to end and led by one point going into the final round. With a last-round-draw against her closest rival, Nino Batiashvili, Fataliyeva secured the title. | Photos: European Chess Union

ChessBase 17 - Mega package - Edition 2024 ChessBase 17 - Mega package - Edition 2024

It is the program of choice for anyone who loves the game and wants to know more about it. Start your personal success story with ChessBase and enjoy the game even more.

More...

Ulviyya Fataliyeva was the dominant player at the 24th European Women's Championship. The 27-year-old from Azerbaijan started the tournament with four wins - as did Marta Garcia from Spain. The marquee match in round five against the Spaniard ended in a draw, but after defeating young Ukrainian Bozhena Piddubna in round six, Fataliyeva began to pull away from the rest of the field.

Ulviyya Fatalyeva

Going into the final round, Fatalyeva was a full point ahead of the rest of the field, but in the final round, she faced her closest rival, Georgia's Nino Batsiashvili, and could not afford to lose this game.

Nino Batsiashvili

After all, in the event of a tie, the direct comparison would have decided the tournament, and therefore Batsiashvili needed to win to catch Fataliyeva and win the tournament. However, Fataliyeva managed to draw and became European Women's Champion 2024.

Ulviyya Fataliyeva may not be a European or World Champion, but she is no stranger to the sport. In 2010, she was the U14 European Champion for girls. In 2018, she repeated her success in the U18 girls' competition. In 2022, Fataliyeva, who plays for the Azerbaijan national team, finished third at the European Women's Championship.

Ukraine's Nataliya Buksa won the silver medal at this year's European Championships, which was organised by the Greek Chess Federation in Rhodes. Buksa had a better tiebreak than Lela Javakhishvili and Nino Batiashvili who finished third and fourth with the same number of points.

Special attention was given to nine-year-old Bodhana Sivanandan from England, the youngest participant. With 4.5/10 she finished well above her expected score and made her first WIM-norm.

For unknown reasons, a number of players were absent for the final round, some even before, or did not play any games, including well-known players such as Bella Kotenashvili, Antoaneta Stefanova, Ekaterina Atlaik and Mitra Hejazipour. The latter explained that she had fallen ill and had to go to hospital for treatment. The same explanation is likely to apply to the other players.

Final standings after ten rounds

1 24
IM Fataliyeva, Ulviyya AZE 2377 8,5 0 58,5 61,5 5 7 2564 10 21,6
2 16
IM Buksa, Nataliya UKR 2394 7,5 0 58,5 63,5 4 6 2441 10 7,5
3 6
IM Javakhishvili, Lela GEO 2447 7,5 0 58 62,5 5 6 2509 10 7,8
4 7
GM Batsiashvili, Nino GEO 2445 7,5 0 58 62 5 6 2438 10 1,6
5 17
IM Bulmaga, Irina ROU 2394 7,5 0 57,5 62 5 6 2459 10 9,3
6 8
IM Mammadzada, Gunay AZE 2436 7,5 0 56,5 61,5 5 6 2500 10 8,2
7 65
FM Toncheva, Nadya BUL 2258 7,5 0 54,5 58,5 6 7 2499 20 64,6
8 10
IM Tsolakidou, Stavroula GRE 2424 7,5 0 51 55,5 5 6 2431 10 2,2
9 29
IM Mkrtchian, Lilit ARM 2366 7,5 0 50 53 5 5 2354 10 -0,2
10 45
WIM Sliwicka, Alicja POL 2315 7 0 62 66 5 6 2480 20 46
11 13
WGM Beydullayeva, Govhar AZE 2402 7 0 60,5 64,5 5 5 2442 10 5,6
12 1
IM Osmak, Yuliia UKR 2459 7 0 57,5 62,5 5 7 2441 10 -1,2
13 57
WIM Kubicka, Anna POL 2292 7 0 57,5 62 5 6 2438 20 41,6
14 77
WGM Krasteva, Beloslava BUL 2220 7 0 57 60 5 6 2470 20 69,2
15 38
IM Kulon, Klaudia POL 2348 7 0 56,5 61,5 4 6 2463 10 16
16 4
IM Wagner, Dinara GER 2453 7 0 55 59,5 5 4 2458 10 1
17 53
IM Zimina, Olga ITA 2299 7 0 51 55 5 5 2422 10 18,7
18 66
WIM Velikic, Adela SRB 2258 7 0 50,5 54,5 4 7 2367 20 31,6
19 79
WIM Wikar, Martyna POL 2214 6,5 0 61,5 64,5 5 5 2410 20 59
20 14
IM Narva, Mai EST 2401 6,5 0 57,5 62 5 5 2388 10 -1,3
21 26
IM Balajayeva, Khanim AZE 2371 6,5 0 57 61 5 4 2399 20 9
22 34
IM Brunello, Marina ITA 2353 6,5 0 53,5 58 5 5 2406 10 8,6
23 43
IM Melia, Salome GEO 2322 6,5 0 53 57 5 5 2326 10 3,1
24 62
WIM Terbe, Julianna HUN 2274 6,5 0 53 57 4 5 2380 20 31,4
25 89
WIM Ibrahimova, Sabina AZE 2175 6,5 0 53 55,5 5 6 2298 20 54
26 36
WGM Zawadzka, Jolanta POL 2351 6,5 0 48,5 53 5 5 2303 10 -5,1
27 39
IM Houska, Jovanka ENG 2340 6,5 0 47,5 51,5 5 5 2259 10 -6,9
28 15
GM Danielian, Elina ARM 2397 6,5 0 47 51 5 4 2312 10 -9,6
29 72
WIM Lehaci, Miruna-Daria ROU 2242 6,5 0 45 49 5 5 2266 20 10,2
30 19
IM Milliet, Sophie FRA 2392 6 0 59 64,5 5 4 2333 10 -7,2

180 players

Games

Links


André Schulz started working for ChessBase in 1991 and is an editor of ChessBase News.