European Youth Rapid and Blitz Chess Championships 2022 took place from 20-22 July in Hotel Lazart Thessaloniki, Greece.

250 players from 28 European federations participated in the events which were played within 6 age categories: U8, U10, U12, U14, U16, and U18, open and girls separately.

The first event on the schedule was European Youth Rapid Chess Championship 2022 which was held on 20th and 21st July. The Closing ceremony of the event took place on Thursday evening, with the ECU Secretary General Mr. Theodoros Tsorbatzoglou, the Vice President of Mitropa Chess Association and Secretary General of Slovenian Chess Federation Ms. Nina Rob, Tournament Director Mr. Nikos Kalesis and FIDE Events Commission member George Mastrokoukos taking part in the Awarding ceremony.

Maksym Kryshtafor (UKR) was the Winner of the U8 open section scoring 8/9 points. Uzun Pavlo (UKR) scored 7.5 points and claimed silver medal, while Kovacs Balasz (ROU) won bronze with 6.5 points.

Ukrainian players topped the final standings in the Girls U8 section. Svitlana Russieva (UKR) convincingly won the event netting 8/9 points, finishing two points ahead of her compatriots Tetyana Molchanova who took silver and Bierta Gutserieva (bronze).

Andrei Negrean (ROU) scored impessive 8/9 points and became a sole winner in the Open U10 category. Three players tied for the second place scoring 6.5 points, each, with tiebreaks favoring  Shilon Rahav Eliran (ISR) who claimed silver and Diachek Andriy (UKR) taking bronze. clinched bronze and Hanache Kai (ENG) came fourth

Solomiia Svitenko (UKR) and Varvara Matskevich (FIDE) shared first place in the Girls U10 section scoring 8 points, each. According to the first tiebreak criteria – direct encounter -  Svitenko  lifted the trophy as she defeated Matskevich in the fourth round. Evangelia Siskou (GRE) ended up iwth 6.5 points and won bronze medal.

Tykhon Cherniaiev (GER) emerged as the sole winner of the Open U12 section with the score of 7.5/9 points. Three players were in a tie for second place netting 7 points each, with Henry Edward Tudor (ROU)  and Pawel Sowinski (POL) claiming silver and bronze respectively thanks to better tiebreaks over Patryk Cieslak (POL) was fourth.

There was a three-way tie for the top position in Girls U12 as well with Anja Beber (SLO) taking the title by dint of slightly better tiebreaks over Arya Aydogan (TUR) was second, while Sona  Krkyasharyan (ARM) won bronze medal.

Svyatoslav Bazakutsa (UKR) and FM Jakub Seemann (POL) were in a tie for the first place of the Open U14 category as they scored 7.5 points, each. Since they drew their fifth round game, the first tiebreak criteria – the direct encounter wasn’t enough to determine the winner. Svyatoslav won the gold medal thanks to the better Bucholz, and Seemann Jakub claimed silver. Mykhailo Podolskyi and Pilshofer Paul scored 6 points each to tie for bronze medal, but Podolskyi Mykhailo had better tiebreaks and came third.

Five players were in a tie for the first place in the Girls U14 category. Sofija Vasiljeva had best tiebreaks and won the event, Guid Taja (SLO) came second, Pert Nina (ENG) clinched bronze.

FM Aron Pasti (HUN) lifted the trophy in Open U16 section scoring 7.5 points. Two players followed him with 6.5 points, each, with tiebreaks favoring FM Edvin Trost (SWE) the silver medalist and FM Laurenz Borrmann won bronze.

WFM Luisa Bashylina (GER) triumphed in the Girls U16 category with 7 points. She finished half a point ahead of Vesna Mihelic (SLO) and Weronika Zabrzanska (POL) who tied for second place scoring 6.5 points, each. Tiebreak criteria favored Mihelic Vesna (SLO) who clinched silver and Zabrzanska Weronika (POL) claimed bronze.

IM Ruben Gideon Koellner (GER), IM Marcell Borhy (HUN) and FM Olexiy Bilych (UKR) tied for the top of the Open U18 section. According to tiebreaks, the gold medal goes to Gideon Ruben , IM MarcellBorhy won silver and FM Bilych Olexiy came third.

WFM Martyna Wikar (POL) dominated the Girls U18 section scoring 8/9. WFM Emilia Dylag (POL) and Eszter Sulyok (HUN) tied for the second place with 7.5 points, each, but Dylag Emilia came second according to tiebreaks, and Sulyok Eszter won bronze.

European Youth Blitz Chess Championships 2022 were played on 22nd July with the closing ceremony held right after the final round. ECU Chief Executive officer Mr. Erald Dervishi, FIDE Vice President Ms. Anastasia Sorokina and Tournament Director Mr. Nikos Kalesis took part in the awarding ceremony.

Maksym Kryshtafor (UKR) scored perfect 18/18 (!) to win the double crown at the European Youth & Rapid Chess Championship 2022. Geroge Chen (ENG) was second with 13.5 points and Stefan Apostu Rares (ROU) won bronze with 13 points.

Svitlana Russieva (UKR) triumphed in the Girls U8 tournament winning another gold medal at the event. Dominika Hachkailo (UKR) clinched silver with 13 points and Bierta Gutserieva (UKR) was third with 11 points.

After winning gold at the European Rapid U10 Championship, Andrei Negrean (ROU) clinched gold also in Blitz event scoring 14.5 points. Hanache Kai (ENG) won silver with 13 points and Diachek Andriy (UKR) came third with 12.5 points.

Varvara Matskevich (FIDE) and Solomiia Svitenko (UKR) tied for the top of the Girls U10 section scoring 15.5 points, each. This time, tiebreak criteria favored  Matskevich who won the blitz championship in this category. Aleksandra Meshkova (FIDE) came third with 13 points.

Tykhon Cherniaiev (GER) won the second trophy at the event winning the European Blitz Chess Championship 2022 in Open U12 section with 16.5 points. Lukas Dotzer (AUT) won silver medal with 14 points, and Patryk Cieslak (POL) clinched bronze with 13 points.

Arya Aydogan (TUR) won the Girls U12 section netting 14.5 points. Sona Krkyasharyan (ARM) came second with 14 points, and Kler Caku (ALB) finished the event in the third place with 12 points.

FM Jakub Seemann (POL) was the Winner of the Open U14 category. Svyatoslav Bazakutsa (UKR) clinched silver with 13 points and Cnejev Vladimir-Alexandru (ROU) won bronze with 12.5 points.

Sofja Vasiljeva (LAT) clinched gold in the Girls U14 section scoring 14 points. Ema Hajdinic (CRO) was second with 12 points, and two players tied for bronze with 11 points each. Taja had better tiebreaks and took bronze.

FM Valentyn Prokofiev (UKR) won gold medal in the Open U16 sections with 14 points. Petar Kovac (CRO) claimed silver with 13 points and FM Palczert Matyas (HUN) came third with 11.5 points.

WCM Klean Shuqja (ALB) was the sole winner of the Girls U16 category scoring 12.5 points. She finished half a point ahead of WFM Luisa Bashylina (GER) and WCM Sofia Blokhin (EST) who tied for the second place with 12 points, each. Bashylina won silver as she defeated Blokhin in the second round of the event, and Blokhin Sofia took bronze.

FM Tobias Koelle (GER) triumphed in the Open U18 section with 13 points. FM Marius Fromm (GER) and IM Jonasz Baum (POL) tied for silver scoring 12 points, each, but according to Bucholz, FM Fromm Marius won silver and Baum Jonasz clinched bronze.

WFM Martyna Wikar (POL) was convincing in the Girls U18 section and won the event with 14.5 points. Second-placed WFM Dorina Demeter (HUN) had 11 points, and Ruzic Pia Marie (SLO) won bronze with 10.5 points.

Final rankings and all results can be found here.

The top-board games of the Open and Girls U14, U16 and U18 categories were broadcasted live through major chess channels. The games can be replayed here.

Text and photos: https://www.europechess.org/

Official website: https://thessaloniki2022.europechess.org/events/