European Women’s Rapid & Blitz Championship 2025: Batsiashvili and Roebers shine in Monte Carlo
The European Women’s Rapid & Blitz Chess Championship 2025 delivered high drama and top-class action. The event crowned two deserving champions, with Nino Batsiashvili winning the Rapid title and Eline Roebers claiming gold in Blitz.
The championships were held from January 8 to 12, 2026, in Monte Carlo, Monaco. Players competed at the Hotel Novotel, one of Europe’s most iconic chess venues.
The combined prize fund for the two events was €46,500. The Rapid Championship offered €31,300, while the Blitz Championship featured €15,200 in prizes.
This edition set a new participation record. A total of 154 players from 32 federations played in the Rapid event, while 145 players took part in the Blitz tournament.
European Women’s Blitz Championship 2025
The Blitz Championship was played on January 9. It followed a 13-round Swiss system with a time control of 3 minutes plus 2 seconds increment.
The battle for the title went down to the final round. IM Bella Khotenashvili of Georgia led the standings after Round 7. She entered the last round with 10 points from 12 games, leading by a full point.
Trailing closely were IM Oliwia Kiolbasa, IM Yuliia Osmak, and IM Eline Roebers. Top seed Roebers produced a crucial win against Khotenashvili in their head-to-head clash. That victory secured her the European Women’s Blitz title.
Four players finished tied for third place with 9.5 points. Oliwia Kiolbasa won the bronze medal thanks to a better Buchholz tiebreak.
European Women’s Rapid Championship 2025
The Rapid Championship took place from January 10 to 11. It was an 11-round Swiss-system tournament with a 15+10 time control.
GM Alexandra Kosteniuk of Switzerland took the sole lead after Round 7. She maintained her advantage until the final round.
In the last game, she faced GM Nino Batsiashvili of Georgia, who was trailing by one point. Batsiashvili needed a win and delivered under pressure. She defeated Kosteniuk and finished with 9 points out of 11, earning the gold medal.
Kosteniuk also scored 9/11 but settled for silver due to the head-to-head result.
Six players tied for third place with 8 points each. IM Sofio Gvetadze claimed the bronze medal on Buchholz tiebreaks.
Closing Ceremony and Awards
The closing ceremony was held on Sunday evening at the playing venue. Several dignitaries attended the event, including ECU President Zurab Azmaiparashvili and officials from the European Chess Union and Monaco Chess Federation.
The winners were honored during the award ceremony. Special prizes were also presented to the best veteran players (50+), best local Monaco players, top performers in rating categories, and regional award winners.
The European Women’s Rapid & Blitz Championship 2025 concluded as a memorable event, celebrating competitive spirit, elite performance, and the growing strength of women’s chess in Europe.
Photos: Patricia Claros Aguilar, FIDE_Chess
Source: FIDE CHESS NEWS
