Vladimir Potkin Becomes European Champion
Silver for Radoslaw Wojtaszek and bronze for Judit Polgar
The 12th European Individual Chess Championship was held in Aix‐les‐Bains, France, from March 21st (day of arrival) to April 3rd (day of departure).
393 players from 41 countries, also including five under ECU flag, took participation. Among them was an impressive number of Grandmasters, 167, and 63 International Masters.
Russian Grandmaster Vladimir Potkin, who started furiously with five consecutive victories, maintained the lead with a series of draws and by adding another win in the later stages, to eventually share the first place with three other players and claim the title of the European Champion on superior tiebreak.
Potkin, seeded only 43rd before the start of the competition, finished with 8,5 points, together with GM Radoslaw Wojtaszek (silver), Judit Polgar (bronze) and Alexander Moiseenko. Potkin boasted a fantastic 2822 elo performance, which was also the first tiebreak criteria.
The Championship was a qualifier for the next World Chess Cup. Top 23 finishers book tickets for Khanty-Mansiysk. The prize fund amounted to 113.700 EUR for regular and 6.300 EUR for special prizes.
Final standings (top finishers):
1 GM Potkin Vladimir RUS 2653 8.5
2 GM Wojtaszek Radoslaw POL 2711 8.5
3 GM Polgar Judit HUN 2686 8.5
4 GM Moiseenko Alexander UKR 2673 8.5
5 GM Vallejo Pons Francisco ESP 2707 8
6 GM Ragger Markus AUT 2614 8
7 GM Feller Sebastien FRA 2657 8
8 GM Svidler Peter RUS 2730 8
9 GM Mamedov Rauf AZE 2667 8
10 GM Vitiugov Nikita RUS 2720 8
11 GM Zhigalko Sergei BLR 2680 8
12 GM Jakovenko Dmitry RUS 2718 8
13 GM Korobov Anton UKR 2647 8
14 GM Inarkiev Ernesto RUS 2674 8
15 GM Postny Evgeny ISR 2585 8
16 GM Azarov Sergei BLR 2615 7.5
17 GM Khairullin Ildar RUS 2634 7.5
18 GM Kobalia Mikhail RUS 2672 7.5
19 GM Guliyev Namig AZE 2522 7.5
20 GM Zherebukh Yaroslav UKR 2560 7.5
21 GM Riazantsev Alexander RUS 2679 7.5
22 GM Iordachescu Viorel MDA 2626 7.5
23 GM Lupulescu Constantin ROU 2626 7.5
24 GM Mcshane Luke J ENG 2683 7.5
25 GM Fridman Daniel GER 2661 7.5
26 GM Motylev Alexander RUS 2677 7.5
27 GM Ivanisevic Ivan SRB 2617 7.5
28 GM Jobava Baadur GEO 2707 7.5
29 GM Parligras Mircea-Emilian ROU 2598 7.5
30 GM Romanov Evgeny RUS 2624 7.5
31 GM Esen Baris TUR 2528 7.5
32 GM Nielsen Peter Heine DEN 2670 7.5
33 GM Cheparinov Ivan BUL 2664 7.5
34 GM Gustafsson Jan GER 2647 7.5
35 GM Kulaots Kaido EST 2601 7.5
36 GM Smirin Ilia ISR 2658 7.5
37 GM Saric Ivan CRO 2626 7.5
38 GM Pashikian Arman ARM 2642 7.5
39 GM Edouard Romain FRA 2600 7.5
40 GM Bologan Viktor MDA 2671 7.5
41 GM Beliavsky Alexander G SLO 2619 7.5
42 GM Rublevsky Sergei RUS 2678 7.5
43 GM Volkov Sergey RUS 2621 7.5
44 GM Sjugirov Sanan RUS 2643 7.5
There should have been a playoff.