Bayegan Pendik and Monte-Carlo Reign Supreme at European Chess Club Cups in Budva

Record Participation in Budva

BUDVA, MONTENEGRO — The 41st European Chess Club Cup and the 30th European Women’s Chess Club Cup concluded on October 23 at the Hotel Slovenska Plaza in Budva, Montenegro. A record 130 teams entered the event, surpassing the previous mark of 122 set in Rhodes in 2025, with 108 clubs in the Open section and 22 in the Women’s section.

The two-day finale determined the continental club champions after seven rounds of Swiss-format play. Bayegan Pendik Sports Chess Club of Turkey claimed the Open title, while Cercle d’Échecs de Monte-Carlo successfully defended its Women’s crown.

Open Section: Turkish Club Prevails on Tiebreaks

Heading into the decisive seventh round, three clubs sat level at the summit: Bayegan Pendik, SuperChess of Romania, and Novy Bor of the Czech Republic. The top clash saw Bayegan Pendik face SuperChess directly, while Novy Bor met Elektroprivreda of Montenegro.

Bayegan Pendik edged past SuperChess 3.5-2.5 on the back of wins from GM Anish Giri and GM Amin Tabatabaei. GM Jorden van Foreest secured a point for SuperChess, but the remaining boards drew, confirming the match victory for the Turkish side.

Novy Bor won its match against Elektroprivreda through victories from GMs Nihal Sarin, Pentala Harikrishna, and David Navara. Both Bayegan Pendik and Novy Bor finished the tournament with 13 match points, but Bayegan Pendik claimed gold on superior tiebreaks, with Novy Bor settling for silver.

• Third place: Rishon LeZion A (Israel) with 12 match points
• Six teams scored 11 match points, tying for fourth place — a position guaranteeing qualification for the inaugural European Super League
• SuperChess (Romania) secured fourth and the Super League spot via tiebreaks

Women’s Section: Monte-Carlo Retains Crown

Three teams entered the final round level on top in the Women’s event: Cercle d’Échecs de Monte-Carlo, CE Gambit Bonnevoie of Luxembourg, and Odlar Yurdu of Azerbaijan.

Cercle d’Échecs de Monte-Carlo swept its Georgian opponents to finish with 12 match points. CE Gambit Bonnevoie narrowly defeated Crvena Zvezda of Serbia 2.5-1.5, with victories from GM Anna Ushenina and IM Aleksandra Maltsevskaya, also reaching 12 match points. Sirmium Sremska Mitrovica of Serbia thrashed Odlar Yurdu 3.5-0.5 to finish on 10 match points.

Monte-Carlo and Bonnevoie tied on match points, but the Monégasque club won the tiebreaks to defend its title. Sirmium Sremska Mitrovica claimed bronze on tiebreaks over Odlar Yurdu.

• Gold: Cercle d’Échecs de Monte-Carlo (Monaco) — 12 match points
• Silver: CE Gambit Bonnevoie (Luxembourg) — 12 match points
• Bronze: Sirmium Sremska Mitrovica (Serbia) and Odlar Yurdu (Azerbaijan) — 10 match points each

Looking Ahead

The top-performing teams from both sections earn qualification spots for the inaugural European Super League, marking a new chapter in European club chess.

Source

This report is based on information published by FIDE — International Chess Federation.

Official source: https://www.fide.com/european-chess-club-cup-winners-crowned-in-budva-montenegro/