“We summarize the continental championship in Batum ”, – WRITE: Sport.ua
Three finals!
The peculiarity of the competition is the presence of three (and some say about four) finals for our national team. The fact is that at first, in the 5th round, Ukraine, which until the 2nd round at that time, met with the current champions of the continent-the Serbs, who came in the intermediate 1st place. Igor Kovalenko’s victories over Alexandard Ingzich on the 3rd chessboard (black punished the opponent for the incorrect victim of the elephant) and Igor Samunenkov over Robert Marcush on the 4th chessboard (Serb missed a matte attack) caused the overall success of Ukraine-3: 1.
The second finale was the 7th round match against the Netherlands. At that time, Ukrainians were ahead of the representatives of the country of tulips by one point. The highlight of that tour is that it happened after a day of rest. In chess is considered a day of recreation in team competitions coaching, and it is not for nothing that the first after renewal of the championship is a competitive day, usually clearly demonstrates coaching (you can say, Captain, but chess is a qualification. Well, and can there be doubts about the quality of preparation when such well -known experiences as Alexander Bilyavsky and Adrian Mikhalchyshyn are taken for the matter! Well, on the 1st chessboard Ruslan Ponomarev, black played a draw from the position of force with a powerful seven hundred Anisha Giri. Andrei Volokitin’s party and Jordan Van Forest did not delay: Grasmists quickly agreed to peace. Instead, Igor Samunenkov and Erwin L’ami win the naked kings. And here Igor Kovalenko again marked the victory! In a closed position, he pressed the white position, which was led by Luke Van Veli, and, after all, the Dutchman could not stand the tension, and the passing pawn vertically with played a decisive role. So, the second finale is won! However, this time with a minimum account.
The third finale is in the penultimate round. The opponent is an ambitious Azerbaijan, who became the closest persecutor of Ukrainians. It is noticeable that that day and the football teams of the two countries found out more in the eye match. Unlike players, our chess players have lost their opponents. Millie’s harassment brought not a stranger to Ukraine by Rauf Mammadov, having played Andrei Volokitin. Ruslan Ponomarev had a rather promising position on the 1st chessboard in a party against Shakhriyar Mamadyarov (two pawns per quality), but it was decided not to take risks, this party was concluded a peace agreement, and in the match Ukraine was satisfied with a minimum losing. It was strategically for me, the right decision, because on additional indicators, Ukrainians were still ahead of the Azerbaijanis before the final day (3 times the continent champions, by the way!), And the fate of “gold” was in our hands. It is noticeable that some Azerbaijani sites wrote boldly after the victory over the Ukrainians that their national team came to 1 place. I occasionally appreciate the professional virtues of colleagues, but this mistake I was somewhat reminded me of the opinion of another Azerbaijan journalist, who wrote that their football team in the match with Ukraine deserved at least one point. The head coach of the Azerbaijan football team also expressed a similar opinion. I understand that XG (2,73: 0.65) for such “prof” is not an argument, and the study of mathematics of additional chess coefficients, probably, is still Bina Newton. Zonneborn-Berger? No, they did not hear. It is much easier to write something spiritual for emotional compatriots and not too pleasant for rivals.
Let it be there, and before the last round, there was much more chances for the title in Ukraine. And, by and large, the struggle for 1st place did not work. Azerbaijan lost to Serbs 1: 3. All parties of the match were effective, and Rauf Mammadov, who the day before revealed his best qualities in the match with our team, lost by all articles of Alexandrandar Injich. What is noticeable, it was possible to admit its defeat by a large account, about the 45th course, but Rauf felt up to the 66th, stubbornly without preferring to put up with reality, or, if you want, to rest the fate. In the meantime, the Ukrainians played about equal with the British: from three drawing parties, two made a draw from the standpoint of force (with extra pawns). But Igor Samunenkov confidently played Luke McShein in the seriously figured endshil. So, Victoria over the British with a score of 2.5: 1.5 summed up the winning European Championships for Ukrainians. Our team has 15 points, 2 points lagged in silver winners – Azerbaijanis and bronze medalists – Serbs.
It is symbolic that the combatant Igor Kovalenko brought the most points to our team: 6.5 out of 8. He also won the individual “gold” on the 4th chessboard. Four years ago, when Ukraine first became a European champion, they emphasized that the decisive goal was scored by Shevchenko (it was Kirill Shevchenko, who then spoke under the Ukrainian flag, won his party in the match against the Russians). Instead, there are now some decisive heads on Kovalenko’s account.
Igor Samunenkov also played perfectly, scoring 5.5 points with 8. He has an individual “gold” on the 5th chessboard, or among the spare. In general, as for me, Ukrainian players were very competently tactically distributed on the chessboards, which became the key to the triumph.
All his parties at the championship played a draw Ruslan Ponomarev. He got to restrain the pressure of the famous seven hundred, which in most of our direct rivals played on the 1st chessboard. Andrei Volokitin and Anton Korobov lost to one party. Unfortunately, our team did not manage to repeat the result of 4 years ago, when Ukrainian Grasmaster became champions without losing any party! From that team to the national team now Anton Korobov and Andrey Volokitin. At the same time, in the 4th round, Volokitin won a very important victory (and thus brought the team triumph over the rating-favorite) over the German Mattias Blubaum, literally wetting the protection of the 2-time European champion in his personal stand.
If you celebrate any national teams that have not been in the winners, I will say about the second team of Georgia. She not only ahead of her country’s first team (this is definitely a fundamental moment), but also gained more than all other points in separate parties (22.5). And according to the former system of calculating the glasses would be proclaimed by the champion. It would be, of course, super -sensation! All in this team are four hundred, no more, but in total the boys won 16 parties in Batumi! Our chess players-the new champions of the continent-won only in 9 parties. At the same time, there are much less, of course, they lost and minimally beat the second Georgian team in the 1st round. As a result, Georgia-2 ranked 6th, with the 29th starting rating. Unconditional success!
I will also note the progress of the Turkish national team. With the 18th starting rating, this team closed the top 10. And the Turks became the only one The team that played its match against future Ukrainian champions. Well, and by the number of points in parties – 21 – the Turkish national team only gave way to Ukrainians (21.5).
Vice -Impressure without defeats!
No matchic defeat was suffered by the women’s national team of Ukraine in Batum! Our compatriots in this have become a unique team at the current European Championship. Everyone else lost. The Ukrainians were defeated and two teams that were ahead of our girls by rating: Georgians and Poles. However, after the Championship distance, our team did not win more than twice in a row. And the large number of matches (most of all among the search engines – 4) did not allow to rise to the highest step of the pedestal (polka, except in matches with Ukraine, more points were not lost and, in the end, quite confidently got the golden victorious harbor). However, the final 2nd place of Ukraine can undoubtedly be considered success, especially, considering that the three previous continental Ukrainian championships remained without awards.
Anna Ushenina and Natalia Zhukova played in Batumi as best! In their account-6 points out of 8 possible. Anna Ushenina became the best on the 2nd chessboard, in particular, in a brilliant style, she beat Poland Alexander Maltsevskaya in a brilliant style, organizing a fairytale attack on the King of Black. No less striking attack came out in that match in Natalia Zhukova (she, by the way, eventually became the 2nd on the 4th chessboard)-black in the party against Olivia Kolbasa. After a unfortunate defeat at the start of a little -known chess player from Austria, all other parties of the young Bozhena Poddubna played perfectly. Her asset has 5 points from 7 and 2nd place per 5th chessboard, or among the spare. 50%result (4 out of 8) in Yulia Osmak, who played on the 1st chessboard. I will note specially her vivid harassment (which, after all, led to the victory in the match) over the titled Georgian Nana Dagnidze (passing pawn vertically D played a significant role, and not quite the correct sacrifice of a light figure, made by opponent, added. Not everything came out of the experienced Inna Gaponenko (1.5 points in 5 parties). However, I will note her accurate protection in the party with Georgian Lela Javakhishvili, who did not allow the representative of the host country to carry out a full attack on the King of White.
I will emphasize the interesting feature of women’s competitions-a large number of teams, which, after all, took places according to their rating: 5 out of 36-almost like a lottery once in Soviet times. The victory of the Polish team is natural, because winning 8 out of 9 championship matches is a great achievement. I will note that the main contribution to the success of the Polish team was made by two exrosites, which are adequate to the position on the Russian-Ukrainian war. Alina Kashlinskaya scored 6.5 points out of 9 possible (played in all rounds without rest!), And in the account of Alexander Maltsevskaya-6 points out of 9 possible (also did not miss any tour!). I already mentioned Olivia Kolbas in the context of her defeat from our Natalia Zhukova. However, in other parties, a 25-year-old native of the 30,000th northeastern Polish town of Augustv has revealed its best qualities. 5.5 points out of 8 possible and individual “gold” on the 3rd chessboard-a great result!
Unconditional success and 3rd place of the German national team, where the role of the first violin was taken over by Anna-Maria Klek. Among the vanquished Germans, in particular, the famous Georgian chess player Nino Batsashvili, as well as the artistan representative of Greece Anastasia Avramid. Well, I will specially note a good game of neo-neomic, natives of Kiev, 2-time champion of Ukraine Kateryna Dolzhikova. It became better on the 5th chessboard, or among the spare. And her torture in the Maraton 83-Come Party against Azerbaijanka Gulnar Mammadova led to the general victory of the German team over a very difficult rival. I will note that before the last round, the German team of Germany applied even for “gold”. And the Ukrainians Zakhar Yefimenko and Vladimir Baklan played a significant role in its achievement, who made painstaking coaching work.
But the first Georgian team raised a sensation with a minus sign. The absolute rating of the focus in the native walls managed only the 6th final place. 3 Defeat in 9 rounds, bad form of Nana Dzagnidze’s leader, unstable Nino Batsiashvili game are not those satellites that they take with them, going for European “gold”.
Two syllables
Well, I do not refrain from the total outcome of the open and female sections of the European Championship. For a long time, I have brought out a formula that, I think, is best characterized by general achievements. This is the sum of the places of women and men. Everything is very simple: the smallest means the best total result. So: according to this indicator, Ukraine is an undeniable winner of the Batumian competition. We have 3. Next-Germany, which has 7 (by the way, a higher contribution to this rather high figure, as paradoxically, the women’s team, not the male, which was a rating in the open section), in Azerbaijan-12, in Romania-13 and in Poland.
I recall that a few years ago, one famous Ukrainian coach, noting the successes and prospects of our women’s team, at the same time predicted the difficult fate of the men’s team in large tournaments. Well, from there, the men’s national team of Ukraine twice rose to the highest stage of the European pedestal of honor. And during the start of a full -scale war, it is the second significant team of Ukrainians on chessboards (I remind that in 2022 our women’s team won the “gold” of the Chess Olympiad for the constant captain of the architect of most success of women’s chess chess Mikhail Brodsky). So, it’s not so bad in our chess kingdom! About problems – other times. Let’s celebrate!
Alexei Ryzhkov