Nana Dzagnidze claims silver at Euro Women’s Chess Championship

Georgia’s Grand Master Nana Dzagnidze has claimed second place and silver medal at the European Women's Chess Championship that concluded this week in Slovakia.

Dzagnidze, a World Blitz Chess Championship-winner and former European Women’s Champion, finished behind Russia’s Valentina Gunina in the tournament.

Ukraine’s Anna Ushenina came third at the competition where participants vied not only for silver but qualifying spots at the next Women's world knockout championships.

The Georgian Grand Master photographed during competition hosted in Slovakia. Photo: Ministry of Culture and Sport of Georgia press office.

Hosted in the picturesque location of the Vysoke Tatry mountains, the European Championship ran 11 rounds.

Praised by chess.com website as "without doubt one of the toughest female chess opens, with huge strength in depth”, it featured over 140 participants including 13 Grand Masters.

Dzagnidze was defeated by Gunina in Round 8 of the competition, and was confirmed as second-place winner through tie-break regulations after sharing results for a joint second place with six other players.

For the Georgian, the silver at the competition follows a win at the World Blitz Chess Championship in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia in December.

She also triumphed at the European Individual Women’s Chess Championship in the Latvian capital of Riga last year.

She is currently 11th in World Chess Federation’s rankings of Top 100 women players, behind compatriot Nino Batiashvili, who also competed at the European Championship.