Valentin Dragnev (Ottakring) and Katharina Newrkla (SK Austria Wien) are the new chess champions of Austria.
The 2024 National Championships took place in the Oberbank Donau Forum in Linz from July 27 to August 4. Both competitions were 9-round Swiss tournaments with classical time control.
The Upper Austrian Regional Association organized the championships to mark its 75th anniversary and created optimal playing conditions in the Oberbank Donau Forum. A record prize fund of almost 30,000 Euros provided additional motivation for the participants.
In the open event, the fate of the title was decided in Rounds 6 and 7 as Dragnev defeated his main rivals, GMs Felix Blohberger and Dominik Horvath. He took the sole lead and extended it to a full point with another win against Laurenz Borrmann. In the final round, a draw was enough for Dragnev to secure his second national title (netting 7.5/9) and the first prize of 5,000 Euros.
In a minor sensation, the young FM David Schernthaner scored 6.5, tied for second place with four players and took the silver, also completing an IM norm. The top seed, Dominik Horvath, Felix Blohberger, Lukas Leisch and Robert Ernst, finished on the same points. The bronze medal went to Horvath based on a better Buchholz.
Final standings:
|
1 |
GM |
Dragnev, Valentin |
2557 |
7½ |
|
2 |
FM |
Schernthaner, David |
2329 |
6½ |
|
3 |
GM |
Horvath, Dominik |
2561 |
6½ |
|
4 |
GM |
Blohberger, Felix |
2527 |
6½ |
|
5 |
IM |
Leisch, Lukas |
2394 |
6½ |
|
6 |
FM |
Ernst, Robert |
2292 |
6½ |
|
7 |
FM |
Balint, Peter |
2317 |
6 |
|
8 |
FM |
Borrmann, Laurenz |
2378 |
6 |
|
9 |
FM |
Postlmayer, Jakob |
2358 |
6 |
|
10 |
Kienböck, Benjamin |
2215 |
6 |
Katharina Newrkla from Vienna, who lives in Barcelona, triumphed in the women's category, securing gold with 5.5 points. Newrkla took the lead in the seventh round with a win in a direct duel against Nikola Mayrhuber and confidently carried her advantage over the finish line with draws against Shengelia and Benjamink Kienböck.
In the battle for the podium, Nikola Mayrhuber, Veronika Exler, Jasmin-Denise Schloffer and Nino Kardzadze each scored 5/9. The silver medal goes to Mayrhuber, while Exler claimed bronze.
Florian Charaus from Upper Austria won an Oberbank Open held simultaneously with the championship, ahead of the Slovakian Radoslav Flasik and the rating favorite Maximilian Mostbauer (Upper Austria).
Written by Gerald Huemer
Photos: official website
Official website: schach.at/
