European Women’s Chess Championship 2025 Underway
The sun-drenched shores of Rhodes, Greece, are once again the battleground for the highly anticipated European Women’s Chess Championship 2025. From March 31st to April 11th, the Rodos Palace Conference Hotel.
This prestigious tournament, known for its strength and importance, offers a substantial prize fund of 60,000 Euros, with the champion taking home 10,000 Euros. The high stakes and the opportunity to qualify for the World Cup make this event a crucial stepping stone for aspiring champions.
The competition is fierce, with Georgian Grandmaster Nino Batsiashvili leading the charge as top seed. Defending champion International Master Ulviyya Fataliyeva seeks to repeat her success.
And let’s not forget International Master Stavroula Tsolakidou, who will be a formidable opponent on home soil.
Early Shocks and Even Fights
The opening round of the championship delivered immediate drama, with several surprising upsets and hard-fought draws.
Significant Upset: WFM Anastasia Kirtadze (2180) stunned IM Teodora Injac (2454) escaping from a completely lost position.
Teodora was completely winning, black can mate white in three moves.
Kirtadze’s win serves as a powerful reminder to play until the very end. Had she resigned prematurely, even with a mate-in-two threat, she would have missed her chance.
Another Upset: WFM Bozhena Piddubna (2145) defeated IM Klaudia Kulon (2401).
The game was drifting towards a draw, with neither player holding a clear advantage.
Kulon blundered by capturing the h2 pawn, can you find the winning sequence for White?
Hard fought Draws
WGM Tereza Rodshtein (2410) ½ – ½ IM Stavroula Tsolakidou (2445)
IM Dinara Wagner (2440) ½ – ½ WFM Simona Bochnickova (2167)
Abdinova, Narmin (2165) ½ – ½ IM Lela Javakhishvili (2429)
These results underscore the depth of talent within the tournament and the potential for unexpected outcomes.
To find all the first round results: https://chess-results.com/tnr1135872.aspx?lan=1&art=2&rd=1&turdet=YES&flag=30
You can follow the games live: https://lichess.org/broadcast/25th-european-womens-chess-championship-2025/round-1/fMj4oFSU#boards
The tournament is off to a very exciting start. And the next rounds should provide just as many thrilling games. With the World Cup qualification spots on the line, every move counts.
