European Chess Club Cup: Novy Bor and TAJFUN SK Ljubljana win titles

Novy Bor Chess Club and TAJFUN SK Ljubljana emerged victorious in the 39th European Chess Club Cup and the 28th European Women’s Chess Club Cup, respectively. Both competitions, held as 7-round Swiss tournaments, took place in Vrnjacka Banja, Serbia, from October 20-26.

Entering the decisive seventh round one point ahead of six teams tied for second, Novy Bor Chess Club faced off against top-seeded SuperChess. The Czech team clinched a crucial victory, thanks to David Anton Guijarro’s win over Jorden Van Foreest on board five, while all other games ended in draws. This win secured the title for Novy Bor, who finished the tournament with six wins and one draw.

Alkaloid claimed second place with a dominant 5-1 win over C’Chartres Echecs, while Bayegan Pendik Chess Sports Club drew with Turkish Airlines, and Sentimento Ajka BSK split points with TAJFUN-ŠK Ljubljana. Four teams ultimately tied for third, with Vados Chess Club, having defeated Beer Sheva Chess Club in the final round, taking the bronze medal on the strength of superior Olympiad-Sonneborn-Berger tiebreaks.

Final standings:

The final round of the women’s event saw the clash of leaders TAJFUN SK Ljubljana and the top seed Cercle d’Echecs de Monte Carlo. The Slovenian team captured the title with a 2.5-1.5 victory, courtesy of Olga Badelka’s win over Sarasadat Khademalsharieh.

The second seed, Garuda Ajka BSK, trailing the leaders by one point before the final round, swept Gambit Bonnevoie (3.5-0.5) to claim silver, while SuperBet, the only team to defeat the champions, finished in third place.

Final standings:

Photos: European Chess Union

Official website: clubcup2024.com/