11 teams on 100% at European Club Cup

Eleven teams won both their matches in the first two rounds at the European Club Cup in Plovdiv. The top players active in Bulgaria include Aronian, Eljanov, Grischuk, Mamedyarov, Ivanchuk, Gelfand, Shirov and Radjabov.

The European Club Cup for Men and Women started on October 16th 2010 in Plovdiv, Bulgaria (about 130 km south-east of the capital Sofia). A total of 351 players participate in the open section, of which 135 GMs, 61 IMs, 247 titled all together and 22 players from 37 in the world are with ELO more than 2700 with the top rated participant being current world number 3, Levon Aronian (ELO 2783).

The women section has 64 players with 10 GMs, 23 IMs, 51 players titled players and 9 players from 15 in the world are with ELO more than 2500 with the top rated participant being Koneru Humpy (ELO 2593).

Team SOCAR Azerbaijan are the rating favorites in open section (Mamedyarov, Grischuk, Shirov, Radjabov, Vachier-Lagrave, Kasimdzhanov, Mamedov, Safarli) and team Cercle d'Echecs de Monte Carlo are the rating favorites in women section (Koneru, Hou, Muzychuk, Cramling , Skripchenko).

Both sections play seven rounds (Swiss) from Monday October 18th till Sunday October 24th. Each round starts at 15:00 local time (14:00 CET).

The opening ceremony was held Saturday evening at the Bendida Hall of Novotel Plovdiv. FIDE President Kirsan Ilyumzhinov, ECU President Silvio Danailov, the President of the Bulgarian Chess Federation Stefan Sergiev, and Deputy Mayor of the City of Plovdiv Georgi Titiukov greeted the players and guests.

This was the first official event opening ceremony after Khanty-Mansiysk to be attended by the re-elected FIDE President Kirsan Ilyumzhinov and the newly elected ECU President Silvio Danailov together. "The delegates of the 81st FIDE Congress didn't vote by accident for Silvio as the leader of the European Chess Union. In Europe and the world Silvio is well known as a talented manager and organiser and I want to wish him big succes and luck on his further work in the European Chess Union,” said Ilyumzhinov.



Already two of the seven rounds have been played, and so far the upsets were only seen at individual boards. Yugra is the only top 10 team in the Open section that didn't win both matches but they have a good reason, as they played their compatriots from St Petersburg already in round 2 (all draws and Ivanchuk beating Jakovenko on board 1).

European Club Cup 2010 | Open | Round 2 Standings


European Club Cup 2010 | Women | Round 2 Standings

Selection of games rounds 1-2

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Photos © Échiquier Guingampais Chess Club

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