Nino Batsiashvili wins European Online Chess Championship
Georgian Grandmaster Nino Batsiashvili earned her latest acclaims on international stage with the win at the maiden European Online Chess Championship. Photo via European Chess Union.
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Georgia's chess Grandmaster Nino Batsiashvili took the crown among women in the European Online Chess Championship, as the first remote edition of the continent-wide tournament closing on Sunday.
Taking the ultimate honour at the end of the competition that involved competitors from national federations, Batsiashvili scored 10 points ahead of Russia's Polina Shuvalova and Daria Voit, both at 9.5 points.
The Georgian faced stiff competition at the tournament that involved 4,400 players including Grandmasters and International Masters. The eventual winner played not only against fellow women competitors but men including Alexey Sarana of Russia, who claimed the win among male entrants.
Congratulations to the #EOCC2020 winners Women's Category based in the combined Grand-Prix Standings of Group E'
— European Chess Union (@ECUonline) June 1, 2020
???? Batsiashvili Nino (GEO) 10 points
???? Polina, Shuvalova (RUS) 9.5 points
???? Daria, Voit (RUS) 9,5 points
photos: @ Yoav Nis, @EteriKublashvili and @ruchess_eng pic.twitter.com/6jHY6SC6Zf
Run via the Zoom software, fixtures of the championship were structured in five Elo rating categories, with the top group playing based on a Grand Prix format seeing 14 participants advancing to the knockout stage.
Batsiashvili, who defeated male competitors Igor Kovolenko of Latvia and Robert Hovhanesyan of Armenia, faced her opponents in the women's category in Group E.
The Georgian received the Grandmaster title in 2017, after a strong showing at the Isle of Man International where she exceeded 2,500 rating points to earn the honour.
She also scored a memorable draw against World Champion Magnus Carlsen at the 2015 Masters Open tournament in Qatar and was named by the FIDE among the world's top 100 female and male players in 2014.