Cercle d’Echecs Monte Carlo Defends Their Title Followed by Spartak Vidnoe and T-Com Podgorica
October 24, 2008
The top seeds did not leave their leading spot in the European Clup Cup 2008 after their draw against T-Com Podgorica and won the European Club trophy for the second time in a row with 12 points. The closest teams shared 2-4.places with 10 points but Spartak Vidnoe of Russia gained the second place with 19.5 board points followed by T-Com Podgorica from Montenegro which had 19 points.Economist Saratov’s 16.5 board points was not enough for a medal. Details below.
T-Com Podgorica held Monte Carlo Chess Club to a draw to take the second place.
Cercle d’Echecs Monte Carlo needed only a draw in their last round game against T-com Podgorica to claim their second consecutive title and they drew with their Montengrin opponents. The game between GM Koneru and IM Muzyhuk ended as a draw despite white seemed to be the pressing side, in the end the game settled as a draw. IM Maric and GM Cramling drew fairly quietly while Dzagnidze won against IM Gaponenko while it was eventually cancelled out by IM Kovalevskaya’s win against IM Socko.
EPAM made a draw with Economist Saratov hence they will not be able to bring medals to home.
Economist Saratov
Ushenina-Zatonskih was a draw in 25 moves in the Exchange Slav while black managed gained a couple of pawns in a double-edged position between Atal?k and Harika which led to a win by the latter in the end. Paehtz-Matveeva game ended as a draw in French Winawer where neither side did not believe that they had a concrete way to make progress. Black blundered the knight at the edge of the board on a5 in Sharevich-Kovanova which led to an easy win for the Belorussian player but this win was not enough for her team since as a 2-2 draw and neither team were able to remain in the top three.
Spartak Vidnoe won 4-0 against Aspopirgos Athens to become the second in the ECC 2008.
Spartak Vidnoe faced Aspropirgos Attikis, the Greek team which performed very well throughout the event went down to the Russian team with 4-0 and this was only enough for gaining back the second place but not more.
Rudar Ugljevik from Bosnia, the team that almost left before the event completed the event with a 3-1 win over Madatech Haifa Chess Club thanks to the wins of WGM Stojanovic, WFM Vujic-Katanic and the draws of WIM Boric and Dragovic.
Potnari-Politehnica Iasi was one of the teams that had easy last round wins, namely against the French team Vandoeuvre, which has made some upsets through their 2008 campaign. Radnicki Rudovci won comfortably against Herzliya Chess Club, dropping only half point. Panevezys Chess Club faced the local participant of the European Club Cup, Galaxias Thessaloniki with 4-0. Gross-Lehna closed the 2008 campaign with 4-0 win over Bischwiller.
