Coming up: European Ch (update)

Update 3 April, 12.58 CET: the pairings of the first round are now in XLS-format on the site (men and women). Mamedyarov and Ivanchuk are missing unfortunately; it seems they were snatched by the Spaniards since they are on the participants list of the big rapid thing 'Villa de Ca?ɬ±ada de Calatrava' the coming weekend!

Tomorrow the 8th Individual European Chess Championships starts. This great event will be played until 16 April in the International Congress Centre in Dresden (Germany). It will be an 11 round Swiss with a rate of play that has become quite common by now: 90 minutes for 40 moves plus 30 minutes for the rest of the game plus 30 seconds per move.

Top players of the men's event: Mamedyarov (AZE, 2754), Ivanchuk (UKR, 2750), Jakovenko (RUS, 2691), Nisipeanu (ROM, 2689), Van Wely (NED, 2683), Tiviakov (NED, 2682), Vallejo Pons (ESP, 2679), Karjakin (UKR, 2678), Eljanov (UKR, 2675), Almasi (HUN, 2669) and Malakhov (RUS, 2663). In the women's event the elo favourites are the Kosintseva sisters (Nadezhda 2475, RUS and Tatiana 2459, RUS), Stefanova (2496, BUL), Socko (2481, POL) and Muzychuk (2474, SLO).

Dresden

Google Map: Dresden

The playing venue

Here the impressive participants list, copied from the official site. Naturally Mamedyarov should be the no. 1.

Nr.	Name	Country	Title	Elo
1	Ivanchuk, Vassily	UKR	g	2750
2	Jakovenko, Dmitry	RUS	g	2691
3	Nisipeanu, Liviu-Dieter	ROM	g	2689
4	Van Wely, Loek	NED	g	2683
5	Tiviakov, Sergei	NED	g	2682
6	Vallejo Pons, Francisco	ESP	g	2679
7	Karjakin, Sergey	UKR	g	2678
8	Eljanov, Pavel	UKR	g	2675
9	Almasi, Zoltan	HUN	g	2669
10	Malakhov, Vladimir	RUS	g	2663
11	Naiditsch, Arkadij	GER	g	2663
12	Timofeev, Artyom	RUS	g	2663
13	Georgiev, Kiril	BUL	g	2661
14	Bologan, Viktor	MDA	g	2658
15	Dreev, Alexey	RUS	g	2658
16	Gashimov, Vugar	AZE	g	2658
17	Jobava, Baadur	GEO	g	2658
18	Sargissian, Gabriel	ARM	g	2658
19	Smirin, Ilia	ISR	g	2654
20	Nielsen, Peter Heine	DEN	g	2651
21	Tkachiev, Vladislav	FRA	g	2649
22	Motylev, Alexander	RUS	g	2647
23	Volokitin, Andrei	UKR	g	2645
24	Areshchenko, Alexander	UKR	g	2644
25	Avrukh, Boris	ISR	g	2644
26	Sakaev, Konstantin	RUS	g	2641
27	Cheparinov, Ivan	BUL	g	2640
28	Beliavsky, Alexander G	SLO	g	2639
29	Kobalia, Mikhail	RUS	g	2639
30	Nijboer, Friso	NED	g	2638
31	Movsesian, Sergei	SVK	g	2637
32	Wojtaszek, Radoslaw	POL	g	2637
33	Volkov, Sergey	RUS	g	2636
34	Gourevich, Mikhail	TUR	g	2635
35	Asrian, Karen	ARM	g	2634
36	Miroshnichenko, Evgenij	UKR	g	2632
37	Riazantsev, Alexander	RUS	g	2629
38	Socko, Bartosz	POL	g	2629
39	Sutovsky, Emil	ISR	g	2629
40	Moiseenko, Alexander	UKR	g	2627
41	Fedorov, Alexei	BLR	g	2624
42	Tomashevsky, Evgeny	RUS	g	2624
43	Smirnov, Pavel	RUS	g	2621
44	Hracek, Zbynek	CZE	g	2619
45	Khalifman, Alexander	RUS	g	2619
46	Balogh, Csaba	HUN	g	2616
47	Efimenko, Zahar	UKR	g	2616
48	Kozul, Zdenko	CRO	g	2616
49	Postny, Evgeny	ISR	g	2616
50	Khenkin, Igor	GER	g	2611
51	Graf, Alexander	GER	g	2610
52	Bauer, Christian	FRA	g	2609
53	Mchedlishvili, Mikheil	GEO	g	2609
54	Korneev, Oleg	RUS	g	2606
55	Najer, Evgeniy	RUS	g	2605
56	Roiz, Michael	ISR	g	2605
57	Nyback, Tomi	FIN	g	2604
58	Vitiugov, Nikita	RUS	m	2604
59	Bocharov, Dmitry	RUS	g	2602
60	Aleksandrov, Aleksej	BLR	g	2601
61	Jussupow, Artur	GER	g	2599
62	Khismatullin, Denis	RUS	g	2599
63	Golod, Vitali	ISR	g	2597
64	Kritz, Leonid	GER	g	2597
65	Landa, Konstantin	RUS	g	2596
66	Minasian, Artashes	ARM	g	2595
67	Laznicka, Viktor	CZE	g	2593
68	Grigoriants, Sergey	RUS	g	2592
69	Petrosian, Tigran L.	ARM	g	2592
70	Huzman, Alexander	ISR	g	2591
71	Damljanovic, Branko	SRB	g	2590
72	Galkin, Alexander	RUS	g	2590
73	Kempinski, Robert	POL	g	2590
74	Popov, Valerij	RUS	g	2590
75	Vaganian, Rafael A	ARM	g	2590
76	Nataf, Igor-Alexandre	FRA	g	2589
77	Svetushkin, Dmitry	MDA	g	2588
78	Anastasian, Ashot	ARM	g	2587
79	Bartel, Mateusz	POL	g	2587
80	Kacheishvili, Giorgi	GEO	g	2587
81	Nepomniachtchi, Ian	RUS	m	2587
82	Predojevic, Borki	BIH	g	2587
83	Atalik, Suat	TUR	g	2586
84	Khairullin, Ildar	RUS	m	2586
85	Guseinov, Gadir	AZE	g	2585
86	Babula, Vlastimil	CZE	g	2584
87	Gustafsson, Jan	GER	g	2584
88	Azarov, Sergei	BLR	g	2583
89	Halkias, Stelios	GRE	g	2583
90	Ftacnik, Lubomir	SVK	g	2582
91	Van Den Doel, Erik	NED	g	2581
92	Kurnosov, Igor	RUS	g	2580
93	Luther, Thomas	GER	g	2580
94	Potkin, Vladimir	RUS	g	2580
95	Yakovich, Yuri	RUS	g	2577
96	Stefansson, Hannes	ISL	g	2576
97	Pavasovic, Dusko	SLO	g	2575
98	Kharlov, Andrei	RUS	g	2572
99	Romanishin, Oleg	UKR	g	2572
100	Palac, Mladen	CRO	g	2571
101	Prusikin, Michael	GER	g	2571
102	Brkic, Ante	CRO	m	2570
103	Nevednichy, Vladislav	ROM	g	2567
104	Lupulescu, Constantin	ROM	g	2566
105	Stocek, Jiri	CZE	g	2566
106	Werle, Jan	NED	g	2566
107	Solak, Dragan	SRB	g	2564
108	Iordachescu, Viorel	MDA	g	2563
109	Drozdovskij, Yuri	UKR	g	2562
110	Savchenko, Boris	RUS	m	2562
111	Agrest, Evgenij	SWE	g	2561
112	Baramidze, David	GER	g	2561
113	Epishin, Vladimir	RUS	g	2561
114	Sedlak, Nikola	SRB	g	2561
115	Markus, Robert	SRB	g	2560
116	Heberla, Bartlomiej	POL	g	2557
117	Hillarp Persson, Tiger	SWE	g	2557
118	Jovanovic, Zoran	CRO	g	2557
119	Zelcic, Robert	CRO	g	2557
120	Shomoev, Anton	RUS	g	2556
121	Kuzubov, Yuriy	UKR	g	2554
122	Markowski, Tomasz	POL	g	2553
123	Lopez Martinez, Josep Manuel	ESP	m	2550
124	Berelovich, Aleksandar	UKR	g	2549
125	Naumann, Alexander	GER	g	2549
126	Cao, Sang	HUN	g	2548
127	Buhmann, Rainer	GER		2547
128	Sorokin, Maxim	RUS	g	2547
129	Mastrovasilis, Dimitrios	GRE	g	2546
130	Arutinian, David	GEO	g	2544
131	Mastrovasilis, Athanasios	GRE	g	2543
132	Bobras, Piotr	POL	g	2542
133	Mista, Aleksander	POL	g	2542
134	Andersson, Ulf	SWE	g	2541
135	Dizdar, Goran	CRO	g	2541
136	Jankovic, Alojzije	CRO	g	2541
137	Oleksienko, Mikhailo	UKR	g	2541
138	Gajewski, Grzegorz	POL	g	2540
139	Chuchelov, Vladimir	BEL	g	2539
140	Neverov, Valeriy	UKR	g	2539
141	Zhigalko, Sergei	BLR	m	2539
142	Smeets, Jan	NED	g	2538
143	Zhigalko, Andrey	BLR	g	2538
144	Narciso Dublan, Marc	ESP	g	2537
145	Cvitan, Ognjen	CRO	g	2536
146	Novikov, Stanislav	RUS	g	2535
147	Ovetchkin, Roman	RUS	g	2534
148	Godena, Michele	ITA	g	2533
149	Pashikian, Arman	ARM	m	2532
150	Shanava, Konstantine	GEO	g	2532
151	Evdokimov, Alexander A.	RUS	g	2531
152	Petrik, Tomas	SVK	m	2531
153	Ruck, Robert	HUN	g	2531
154	Georgiev, Vladimir	MKD	g	2529
155	Iljin, Artem	RUS	m	2529
156	David, Alberto	LUX	g	2528
157	Rogozenko, Dorian	ROM	g	2527
158	Kulaots, Kaido	EST	g	2526
159	Dziuba, Marcin	POL	m	2525
160	Slobodjan, Roman	GER	g	2525
161	Sulskis, Sarunas	LTU	g	2525
162	Kotanjian, Tigran	ARM	g	2524
163	Shengelia, Davit	GEO	g	2523
164	Frolyanov, Dmitry	RUS	m	2521
165	Parligras, Mircea	ROM	g	2520
166	Rodshtein, Maxim	ISR	m	2520
167	Jenni, Florian	SUI	g	2519
168	Erdos, Viktor	HUN	m	2518
169	Pert, Nicholas	ENG	g	2518
170	Winants, Luc	BEL	g	2516
171	Berescu, Alin	ROM	m	2510
172	Iljushin, Alexei	RUS	g	2510
173	Potapov, Alexander	RUS	g	2510
174	Andreikin, Dmitry	RUS	m	2509
175	Gallagher, Joseph G.	SUI	g	2509
176	Jones, Gawain	ENG	m	2509
177	Andriasian, Zaven	ARM	g	2508
178	Kunin, Vitaly	GER	g	2507
179	Maze, Sebastien	FRA	g	2506
180	Iotov, Valentin	BUL	m	2505
181	Dgebuadze, Alexandre	BEL	g	2504
182	Kanep, Meelis	EST	g	2504
183	Stanojoski, Zvonko	MKD	g	2504
184	Boros, Denes	HUN	m	2502
185	Hera, Imre	HUN	m	2501
186	Howell, David	ENG	m	2501
187	Murariu, Andrei	ROM	g	2501
188	Romanov, Evgeny	RUS	m	2501
189	Simacek, Pavel	CZE	m	2501
190	Wells, Peter	ENG	g	2501
191	Polak, Tomas	CZE	g	2500
192	Bromberger, Stefan	GER	m	2495
193	Jianu, Vlad-Cristian	ROM	m	2493
194	Caruana, Fabiano	ITA	m	2492
195	Manolache, Marius	ROM	m	2491
196	Geller, Jakov	RUS	m	2490
197	Volke, Karsten	GER	m	2490
198	Maiwald, Jens-Uwe	GER	g	2489
199	Ragger, Markus	AUT	m	2487
200	Gordon, Stephen	ENG	m	2486
201	Jakubowski, Krzysztof	POL	m	2483
202	Jaracz, Pawel	POL	g	2483
203	Williams, Simon	ENG	m	2483
204	Zysk, Robert	GER	m	2483
205	Cornette, Matthieu	FRA	m	2482
206	Iskusnyh, Sergei	RUS	g	2482
207	Nechepurenko, Roman V.	RUS	f	2481
208	Karpatchev, Aleksandr	RUS	g	2478
209	Meier, Georg	GER	m	2478
210	Porper, Eduard	ISR	m	2477
211	Stern, Rene	GER	m	2476
212	Van Der Weide, Karel	NED	g	2476
213	Akesson, Ralf	SWE	g	2475
214	Marzolo, Cyril	FRA	m	2472
215	Starostits, Ilmars	LAT	m	2472
216	Bindrich, Falko	GER	m	2469
217	Libiszewski, Fabien	FRA	m	2469
218	Saric, Ivan	CRO	m	2469
219	Holzke, Frank	GER	m	2467
220	Szabo, Krisztian	HUN	m	2465
221	Gutman, Lev	GER	g	2464
222	Borriss, Martin	GER	m	2463
223	Meijers, Viesturs	LAT	g	2462
224	Hunt, Adam	ENG	m	2461
225	Banusz, Tamas	HUN	m	2459
226	Handke, Florian	GER	g	2459
227	Siebrecht, Sebastian	GER	m	2457
228	Fernandes, Ant?ɬ?nio	POR	g	2452
229	Urban, Klaudiusz	POL	m	2452
230	Gasthofer, Alexander	GER	m	2450
231	Guliev, Logman	AZE	m	2450
232	Ivanov, Mikhail M	RUS	g	2450
233	Landenbergue, Claude	SUI	m	2450
234	Lobzhanidze, Davit	GEO	m	2450
235	Pert, Richard	ENG	m	2450
236	Loeffler, Stefan	GER	m	2448
237	Womacka, Mathias	GER	m	2448
238	Esen, Baris	TUR	m	2447
239	Orlov, Andrey	RUS	m	2447
240	Safarli, Eltaj	AZE	m	2445
241	Zaragatski, Ilja	GER		2445
242	Zezulkin, Jurij	BLR	g	2445
243	Grunberg, Mihai-Lucian	ROM	m	2439
244	Skoberne, Jure	SLO	m	2436
245	Guseinov, Elmir	AZE	m	2432
246	Alsina Leal, Daniel	ESP	f	2430
247	Zeller, Frank	GER	m	2430
248	Paehtz, Thomas	GER	g	2427
249	Sanikidze, Tornike	GEO	m	2426
250	Pirrot, Dieter	GER	m	2420
251	Wichmann, Cliff	GER	f	2419
252	Soloviov, Sergei N.	RUS	m	2418
253	Kaplan, Sasha	ISR	f	2417
254	Manca, Federico	ITA	m	2417
255	Zueger, Beat	SUI	m	2415
256	Brener, Ilja	GER	f	2413
257	Khmelniker, Ilya	ISR	m	2411
258	Zude, Erik Dr.	GER	m	2411
259	Can, Emre	TUR	f	2409
260	Erdogdu, Mert	TUR	m	2409
261	Figura, Atila Gajo	GER	f	2408
262	Ardeleanu, Alin	ROM	m	2407
263	Berg, Klaus	DEN	m	2406
264	Danilov, Ilie Vladimir	ROM	m	2405
265	Kuba, Guenter	AUT	m	2403
266	Ris, Robert	NED	m	2403
267	Wippermann, Till	GER	m	2403
268	Butnorius, Algimantas	LTU	m	2402
269	Donchenko, Anatoly	GER	m	2402
270	Rocha, Sergio	POR	m	2400
271	Spie?É??, Gunter	GER	f	2398
272	Richter, Michael	GER	m	2396
273	Buchal, Stephan	GER	f	2393
274	Degtiarev, Evgeny	GER	f	2393
275	Georgiadis, Ioannis	GRE		2388
276	Ziska, Helgi Dam	FAI	m	2388
277	Grooten, Herman	NED	m	2387
278	Estremera Panos, Sergio	ESP	m	2386
279	Strohhaeker, Raoul	GER	f	2386
280	Moor, Roger	SUI	m	2385
281	Atakisi, Umut	TUR	m	2384
282	Potapov, Pavel	RUS	m	2380
283	Bakalarz, Mieczyslaw	LUX	m	2378
284	Martinovic, Sasa	CRO	f	2378
285	Sievers, Stefan	GER	f	2376
286	Brendel, Oliver	GER	m	2370
287	Meinhardt, Maximilian	GER	f	2369
288	Vehi Bach, Victor M.	ESP	m	2368
289	Vuilleumier, Alexandre	SUI	f	2368
290	Bach, Matthias	GER	f	2364
291	Philippe, Christophe	FRA	m	2364
292	Erturan, Yakup	TUR	f	2360
293	Jirka, Jiri	CZE	m	2360
294	Savickas, Airidas	LTU	f	2360
295	Zherebukh, Yaroslav	UKR		2359
296	Pitl, Gregory	GER	m	2357
297	Espig, Lutz	GER	g	2351
298	Roos, Michael	GER	m	2349
299	Beck, Frederik	GER		2346
300	Pajeken, Wolfgang	GER	f	2346
301	Rahls, Peter	GER	f	2338
302	Sobolevsky, Leonid	UKR	m	2336
303	Bruned, Yvain	ESP	f	2335
304	Becker, Martin	GER		2332
305	Michalczak, Thomas	GER	f	2332
306	Bogner, Sebastian	GER	m	2331
307	Eisenbeiser, Amadeus	GER	f	2329
308	Sowray, Peter	ENG	f	2325
309	Paehtz, Thomas Jr.	GER		2318
310	Becker, Michael	GER	f	2313
311	Durarbeyli, Vasif	AZE		2312
312	Kersten, Uwe	GER	f	2311
313	Schlawin, Marlon	GER		2306
314	Jahnel, Guenther	GER	f	2303
315	Peterson, Eric	SVK	f	2302
316	Fruebing, Stefan	GER	f	2301
317	Loxine, Jakov	RUS	f	2301
318	Jorczik, Julian	GER		2294
319	Schuetze, Norman	GER		2287
320	Zesch, Ludwig	GER	f	2287
321	Dinger, Florian	GER		2286
322	Giemsa, Stephan	GER	f	2286
323	Koepke, Christian	GER	f	2285
324	Loew, Gerald	GER	f	2285
325	Lorscheid, Gerhard	GER	f	2285
326	Grant, Jonathan	SCO		2283
327	Vaznonis, Vytautas	LTU	f	2279
328	Eichner, Sebastian	GER	f	2276
329	Nagatz, Frank	GER		2276
330	Schulz, Michael	GER		2274
331	Nagel, Bernhard	GER		2273
332	Luechtemeier, Peter	GER		2270
333	Asauskas, Henrikas	LTU	f	2264
334	Armbrust, Florian	GER		2261
335	Slavin, Alexei	RUS		2261
336	Hindermann, Felix	SUI		2260
337	Huschenbeth, Niclas	GER		2259
338	Van Hoolandt, Patrick	MNC	f	2257
339	Graf, Felix	GER		2249
340	Startsev, Vladimir	RUS		2246
341	Makolli, Perparim	EU		2245
342	Wilke, Werner	AUT		2245
343	Kues, Hendrik	GER		2243
344	Lubbe, Nicolas	GER		2243
345	Hartoch, Robert G.	NED	m	2242
346	Yaksin, Oleg	RUS		2236
347	Bakker, Sven	NED		2232
348	Klokas, Konstantinos	GRE		2231
349	Bente, Bjoern	GER		2228
350	Lochte, Thomas	GER		2221
351	Logothetis, Sotirios	GRE		2221
352	Sejkora, Vlastimil	CZE	f	2213
353	Lyell, Mark	ENG	f	2212
354	Bruned, Boris	ESP		2211
355	Srienz, Christian	AUT		2208
356	Czap, Bernhard	GER		2207
357	Herbold, Manfred	GER		2204
358	Kalvaitis, Sigitas	LTU		2201
359	Ringoir, Tanguy	BEL		2200
360	Kayser, Felix	GER		2194
361	Natsidis, Christoph	GER		2183
362	Kregelin, Jan	GER		2181
363	Janda, Zdenek	CZE		2180
364	Kongevold, Hans I.	NOR		2178
365	Siedentopf, Daniel	GER		2178
366	Jaenig, Reinhard	GER		2176
367	Windelband, Jens	GER		2174
368	David, Dan-Ariell	GER		2173
369	Leiber, Bernard	GER		2172
370	Zweschper, Erich	GER		2170
371	Minescu, Dragos Olivar	ROM		2164
372	Murariu, Niky	GER		2148
373	Khudaverdieva, Afag	AZE		2146
374	Perlitz, Sven	GER		2141
375	Geske, Julian	GER		2138
376	Kuehner, Christian	GER		2135
377	Gnirk, Torsten	GER		2131
378	Kaphle, Stephan	GER		2128
379	Salzberg, Gregor	GER		2123
380	Zelbel, Patrick	GER		2123
381	Baer, Soeren	GER		2121
382	Godoj, Veit	GER		2113
383	Almond, Richard	ENG		2109
384	Johansen, Paul	NOR		2108
385	Kostopoulos, Evangellos	GRE		2103
386	Hutchinson, Norman	ENG		2101
387	Boettger, Lukas	GER		2096
388	Ojagverdiyev, Zaur	AZE		2095
389	Magar, Johannes	GER		2093
390	Mayer, Frank	GER		2083
391	Ahmadov, Vusal	AZE		2079
392	Chapman, Alan	ENG		2069
393	Pick, Stefan	GER		2067
394	Kottwitz, Daniel	GER		2066
395	Fink, Leander	GER		2064
396	Grigoryan-Lyell, Meri	ENG	wf	2061
397	Kleinert, Juergen	GER		2060
398	Schiefner, Ray	GER		2047
399	Salewski, Bernd	GER		2043
400	Marville, Gregoire	BEL		2020
401	J?ɬ§gerflod, Kent	SWE		2016
402	Kaphle, Sebastian	GER		2010
403	Calder, Dennis	GER		2009
404	Glantz, Robert	GER		1991
405	Schmidt, Raul	ROM		1979
406	Stips, Felix	ITA		1964
407	Ringoir, Guy	BEL		1949
408	Bruned, Vianney	ESP		1945
409	Muehle, Hans-Bernd	GER		1944
410	Hesselbarth, Karlheinz	GER		1929
411	Katte, Nicolas	GER		1928
412	Grosse, Manfred	AUT		1923
413	Schnoor, Ekkehard	GER		1905
414	Katte, Oliver	GER		1689
415	Hanemann, Henno	GER		----
416	Kirsch, Andreas	GER		----
417	Swinkels, Robin	NED	g	----

Obviously, something went wrong with Robin Swinkels' entry. He's not a GM and his rating is 2422. However, this list uses the January ratings when Robin still had 2428.