Buksa clinches Ukrainian Women’s Championship
IM Nataliya Buksa (on the far left) notched up a confident victory in the Ukrainian Women’s Championship (with classical time control). The 9-round Swiss tournament was held from 6-14 of December in Kherson with 20 players participating. Buksa scored 7½ points out of 9, winning seven games, making one draw, and losing just one encounter. After beating Anastasiia Dubovik in the last round encounter Nataliya was out of reach for her closest competitors. WGM Olga Babiy (in the center) who was a half-point behind the leader lost her last game and allowed IM Iulija Osmak (on the far right) to catch up with her, but took silver nonetheless as the winner of their direct encounter. Bronze goes to Iulija Osmak. Final standings: 1. IM Buksa Nataliya (2413) – 7½2. WGM Babiy Olga (2287) – 63. IM Osmak Iulija (2438) – 64. WIM Petrova Irina (2077) – 5½5. Hrebenshchykova Yelyzaveta (2083) – 5½6. WIM Rakhmangulova Anastasiya (2132) – 5½7. WCM Hryzlova Sofiia (2064) – 5½8. FM Berdnyk Mariia (2319) – 4½9. Barchuk Irina (2075) – 4½10. WFM Grineva Marianna (2001) – 4½ Official website: http://ukrchess.org.ua/
Alexandar Indjic and Teodora Injac win Serbian championship
Alexandar Indjic and Teodora Injac are the winners of the 14th Serbian chess championship. Two 10-player round-robins (open and women) were held in hotel “Fontana” in Vrnjačka Banja and stretched over December 07-13. Both became three-time national champions with Teodora taking her third title in a row. Alexandar repeated his success of 2014 and 2018. Playing no-compromise chess throughout the event Indjic made just two draws and despite losing two games finished a half-point ahead of Robert Markus, Alexandar Kovacevic, and Ivan Ivanisevic who tied for second. In the final round, Markus and Kovacevic had a theoretical chance to catch up with the leader but both settled for quick draws with Black. Final standings open: 1. GM Indjic Aleksandar (2604) – 62. GM Markus Robert (2592) – 5½3. GM Kovacevic Aleksandar (2482) – 5½4. GM Ivanisevic Ivan (2608) – 5½5. GM Perunovic Milos (2576) – 4½6. GM Todorovic Goran (2417) – 47. GM Lajthajm Borko (2383) – 48. IM Budisavljevic Luka (2501) – 49. IM Cabarkapa Novak (2463) – 310. GM Damljanovic Branko (2513) – 3 Teodora Injac, the only undefeated participant of the tournament, netted comfortable +4 in the first six rounds and smoothly sailed to the title finishing a full point ahead of Adela Velikic. Jovana Eric earned bronze. Final standings women: 1. WIM Injac Teodora (2290) – 6½2. WIM Velikic Adela (2278) – 5½3. WGM Eric Jovana (2278) – 54. WIM Drljevic Ljilja (2174) – 55. WGM Rapport Jovana (2308) – 4½6. WGM Benderac Ana (2202) – 47. WIM Gajcin Marina (2239) – 48. WGM Chelushkina Irina (2224) – 49. WFM Srdanovic Jovana (2149) – 3½10. WGM Prudnikova Svetlana (2181) – 3 Official website: http://serbiachess.net/ Photo: official website