GM Monika Socko (Poland) emerged as the winner of the European Women’s Championship 2022. It is probably the most significant achievement in the professional career of 8-time Polish Women’s Champion.
The European Women’s Championship, an 11-round Swiss tournament with classical time control, took place from August 20-31, 2022, in Prague, Czech Republic. The event, with a prize pool of €60,000 (€10,000 reserved for the champion), brought together 123 players from 28 countries.
Monika Socko grabbed the sole lead in Round 5 and never looked back. Coming into the final round on 8/10, a half-point ahead of Gunay Mammadzada (Azerbaijan), Aleksandra Maltsevskaya (Poland) and Lilit Mkrtchain (Armenia), Monika took a practical decision. Socko made a quick draw with Mkrtchain to secure the title as she had better tiebreaks over her main competitors.
Mammadzada and Maltsevskaya played a topsy-turvy game which eventually ended in a draw. As a result, Gunay took silver, but Alexandra and Lilit missed the podium as Ulviyya Fataliyeva (Azerbaijan) scored a crucial last-round victory over her compatriot Gulnar Mammadova and claimed bronze by dint of better Buchholz.
Final standings:
1 | GM | Socko, Monika | POL | 2423 | 8½ |
2 | IM | Mammadzada, Gunay | AZE | 2466 | 8 |
3 | WGM | Fataliyeva, Ulviyya | AZE | 2413 | 8 |
4 | IM | Mkrtchian, Lilit | ARM | 2362 | 8 |
5 | IM | Maltsevskaya, Aleksandra | POL | 2360 | 8 |
6 | IM | Bulmaga, Irina | ROU | 2403 | 8 |
7 | GM | Ushenina, Anna | UKR | 2423 | 7½ |
8 | IM | Sargsyan, Anna | ARM | 2378 | 7½ |
9 | IM | Brunello, Marina | ITA | 2341 | 7½ |
10 | IM | Salimova, Nurgyul | BUL | 2404 | 7½ |
The 2022 European Individual Women Chess Championship served as a qualification event for the FIDE Women’s World Cup 2023. According to the FIDE regulations and the ECU Board decision, 9 best players qualified for FIDE Women’s World Cup 2023.
Photo: Official website
Official website: ewcc2022.net/
