Celebrating 40 years of the European Chess Union: A legacy of unity, growth, and excellence
FIDE and the global chess community warmly congratulate the European Chess Union (ECU) on the momentous occasion of its 40th anniversary. Founded in 1985 in Graz, Austria, the ECU has grown into one of the most active and influential continental federations within FIDE, uniting 54 national chess federations across Europe. Over the past four decades, the ECU has played a vital role in advancing chess at all levels — from grassroots and school programs to elite competitions. It has organized countless continental events, including its flagship European Individual Championships and the European Club Cup, as well as numerous team and youth tournaments, helping to shape generations of European chess talents. Beyond the board, the ECU has championed innovation and inclusivity, promoting educational chess initiatives and gender equality in the sport. “I hope that FIDE and the ECU will work together to rebuild and refresh the foundation of European chess in the years to come. FIDE is ready to partnerwith you and assist in this endeavor. We are committed and await the guidance of this General Assembly on what we should prioritize next year to promote chess in Europe and globally,” said FIDE President Arkady Dvorkovich at the ECU General Assembly, held during the European Team Championship in Batumi. The FIDE President was the guest of honor at Saturday night’s gala celebrating the European Chess Union’s 40th anniversary. In recognition of their efforts and contributions, Arkady Dvorkovich presented ECU President Zurab Azmaiparashvili and ECU Secretary General Theodoros Tsorbatzoglou with the FIDE Medal of Merit. As the ECU enters its fifth decade, it continues to look ahead with ambition — building on a rich legacy of excellence, cooperation, and passion for chess. Happy 40th Anniversary to the European Chess Union!
European Team Championship 2025: Ukraine and Poland lead with three rounds to go
After Round 6 of the European Team Chess Championship 2025 in Batumi, Georgia, Ukraine and Poland hold the sole leads in the Open and Women’s sections, respectively. Ukraine scored a narrow victory over France, thanks to GM Igor Kovalenko (UKR, 2669), who defeated GM Pierre Laurent-Paoli (FRA, 2570). GM Ruslan Ponomariov (UKR, 2633) had a promising opportunity to score a full point against GM Marc’Andria Maurizzi (FRA, 2624) but missed the key idea to transpose into a winning pawn endgame, and the game ended in a draw. The encounters on the second and fourth boards were solid and also concluded in draws. With this result, Ukraine preserved its sole lead in the tournament with 11/12 match points. The Netherlands emerged victorious against Serbia, posting a convincing 3–1 win to stay within striking distance of the leaders. GM Anish Giri (NED, 2759) defeated GM Alexandr Predke (SRB, 2634), while GM Jorden Van Foreest (NED, 2697) outplayed GM Alexey Sarana (SRB, 2661). The games on the remaining two boards were drawn. The Netherlands trails Ukraine by just one team point, while Azerbaijan, which defeated Armenia 2.5–1.5, now sits in third place. In the Women’s Championship, Poland extended their lead to three match points after a commanding 3–1 victory over Georgia. IM Alina Kashlinskaya (POL, 2450) beat GM Nana Dzagnidze (GEO, 2496), and IM Aleksandra Maltsevskaya (POL, 2394) prevailed over GM Nino Batsiashvili (GEO, 2469), while the other two games were drawn. Poland leads with a perfect score of 12/12, followed by Germany, Ukraine, and Romania, each with 9 match points. October 11 is a free day, and Round 7 will start on October 12 at 15:00 local time. All results, rankings and pairings can be found HERE. Photo gallery by ECU Live video broadcast of the games with commentaries by GM Alojzije Jankovic and WGM Keti Tsatsalashvili can be found on the ECU TV platform or ECU YouTube channel. Text and photos: European Chess Union Official website: etcc2025.com/