A 15-year-old Ukrainian girl has become the European chess champion
15-year-old Ukrainian chess player Anastasia Gnatyishyn sensationally won the European Chess Championship in Batumi. She started the tournament ranked 74th out of 150 participants, but managed to defeat the favorites and take home the gold. This is one of the biggest surprises of the tournament and a major new success for Ukrainian chess.
Ukrainian chess player Anastasia Gnatyishyn from Lviv delivered one of the most impressive performances of the tournament in Batumi, where the European Championship ended with an unexpected victory for the 15-year-old-year-old athlete, who wasn’t even among the top contenders before the start.
Hnatyshyn started in 74th place in the rankings among 150 participants, but over 11 rounds she scored 9 points and confidently finished in first place, becoming the fourth European champion in the history of Ukrainian women’s chess.
In the decisive round, the Ukrainian played with the white pieces against Polish chess player Klaudia Kulon, and a draw was enough for her to secure the title, which she confidently held onto, while her closest rivals lost points to each other. “A draw was enough for Nastya, who was playing with the white pieces. And she held on to it,” the report on the decisive match noted.
This victory was a logical continuation of the young Ukrainian’s strong season, as she had previously won the European Rapid Chess Championship, took bronze at the Ukrainian Classical Chess Championship, and also performed well in team competitions and the Olympic team trials. It is also noted that this year, Gnatyishyn has already become the runner-up in the qualifying tournament for the Olympic team in Uzhhorod, and also helped Ukraine win the prestigious Mitropa Cup team tournament, which made her victory in Europe even more symbolic.
The triumph in Batumi was not just a medal for the 15-year-old Ukrainian, but a true breakthrough in adult chess, which is already establishing her as one of the major discoveries on the European stage. This is reported by Sport.ua.
As a reminder, the soccer balls to be used at the 2026 World Cup will need to be charged before each game via built-in motion sensors.
The Spanish national team is the top favorite to win the World Cup, according to the Opta supercomputer. The list of main contenders for the title also includes the teams from England, France, and Argentina.
