Teodora Injac Wins 2025 European Women’s Chess Championship
IM Teodora Injac from Serbia has won the 25th European Women’s Chess Championship! She scored a brilliant 9.5 out of 11 games and finished 1.5 points ahead of her closest competitors.
The tournament was held in Rhodes, Greece, from March 31 to April 10, 2025. This scenic island hosted the championship for the second year in a row. It was an 11-round Swiss event with classical time control, bringing together nearly 140 players from 34 European countries. The tournament featured 7 Grandmasters, 22 Woman Grandmasters, 25 International Masters, and 20 Woman International Masters. The prize pool was €60,000, with €10,000 going to the champion.
Even though Injac was the second seed, she had a rough start. She lost her first game to Anastasia Kirtadze from Georgia. But she made a stunning comeback by winning nine games in a row! Her amazing streak helped her secure the title with one round to spare.
Three other players—IM Irina Bulmaga (Romania), IM Mai Narva (Estonia), and IM Aleksandra Maltsevskaya (Poland)—all scored 8 out of 11. Bulmaga and Narva took silver and bronze medals thanks to better tiebreak scores.
A group of ten players, including top seed GM Nino Batsiashvili (Georgia), tied for fifth place with 7.5/11.
One of the biggest surprises was WFM Anastasia Kirtadze. She led the event in the first half and even defeated the eventual champion. Although she struggled in the final rounds, she still finished with a solid 6.5 points and gained a massive 154 rating points!
Top Final Standings:
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IM Teodora Injac (Serbia) – 9.5
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IM Irina Bulmaga (Romania) – 8
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IM Mai Narva (Estonia) – 8
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IM Aleksandra Maltsevskaya (Poland) – 8
5–11. Seven players tied with 7.5 points each, including top seed GM Nino Batsiashvili.
This championship also served as a qualifying event for the upcoming FIDE Women’s World Chess Cup, scheduled for July 5–29 in Batumi, Georgia. 11 players qualified for this prestigious tournament.
Special Awards:
The ECU Commission for Women’s Chess presented the WOM ECU Performance Excellence Awards:
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IM Eline Robers (Netherlands) won the Junior U20 Award.
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WFM Anastasia Kirtadze (Georgia) won both the Junior U16 Award and the Performance Award for U2200 players.
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Andzhelika Nenova (Bulgaria) received the Performance Award for U2000 players.
These awards were presented by Antoaneta Stefanova, Chairperson of the ECU Commission for Women’s Chess.
The event ended with a grand closing ceremony attended by top officials of the European Chess Union, including ECU President Zurab Azmaiparashvili and other distinguished guests.
Official Website: ewcc2025.com
Photos: European Chess Union, Mark Livshitz, FIDE_chess
Source: FIDE CHESS NEWS
