European Schools

[LawrenceCooper]

Gold for England in the Under 7 open, girls & Under 9 girls.

http://chess-results.com/tnr630377.aspx ... EN&flag=30
http://chess-results.com/tnr630371.aspx ... EN&flag=30
http://chess-results.com/tnr630372.aspx ... EN&flag=30

[David Sedgwick]

This is fantastic news. I am especially pleased for Zoe Veselow, who had a horrible experience in the last round of the European Hybrid Youth Championships in October 2021.

I can't remember the last time that England had three Gold medals in the same World or European Youth event. Indeed, has it ever happened?

Of course, it has to be recognised that it was to our advantage that the Russians were not there.

[Christopher Kreuzer]

A bronze medal as well in the U11 Open from Jan Murawski:

http://chess-results.com/tnr630379.aspx ... NG&flag=30

The gold medals were from Kushal Jakhria (U7 Open), Bodhana Sivanandan (U7 Girls) and Zoe Veselow (U9 Girls).

Bodhana Sivanandan won the U7 Girls with a perfect 7/7!

I noticed that the U11 was won by a CM with a rating of 2358, which seems a bit startling.

I then looked at the overall medal statistics, and discovered that Turkey scooped most of the medals:

https://chess-results.com/tnr630379.asp ... 35&flag=30

16 medals for Turkey (5 golds, 6 silvers, 5 bronzes).

Next closest country is England with 3 golds and a bronze. Georgia got six medals (one gold, two silvers, three bronzes). Ecuador (CORRECTION: ECU are: "Bulgarian players playing under the European Chess Union flag") got three medals. Seven other countries (including someone playing under the FIDE flag) got one medal each.

Were the two players under FIDE previously Russia? (The winner of the U15 Open appears to be Russian or at least have been registered RUS in the near past, but David's point still stands as most Russians not there.)

https://chess-results.com/tnr630382.asp ... ID&flag=30

So what is the story there? The event took place in Rhodes, close to Turkey, so that would explain a large presence from Turkey (32 players) and Greece (56 players) with the next largest contingent from England (27 players) followed by Georgia (12 players), but why the strong players from Turkey and the impressive haul of medals?

Other strong (titled) players from Turkey include the IM Isik Can (2423) who won the U17 Open (with FM Atakan Mert Bicer, 2356, coming second).

Isik Can became the youngest IM in the history of Turkish chess in 2018 aged 13:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=shXmrk5-e0s

[Ian Thompson]

Ecuador got three medals. Seven other countries (including someone playing under the FIDE flag) got one medal each.

I think you'll find that the "Ecuadorean" players are actually Bulgarian players playing under the European Chess Union flag and the FIDE players are Russian.

[Wadih Khoury]

I can't remember the last time that England had three Gold medals in the same World or European Youth Championships. Indeed, has it ever happened?

Tiny clarification, it was the European schools, not the European Youth.

[David Sedgwick]

Tiny clarification, it was the European schools, not the European Youth.

Thank you. I have made a minor edit to my post.

[Christopher Kreuzer]

Ecuador got three medals. Seven other countries (including someone playing under the FIDE flag) got one medal each.

I think you'll find that the "Ecuadorean" players are actually Bulgarian players playing under the European Chess Union flag and the FIDE players are Russian.

Thank you. Corrected!

[Joseph Conlon]

No players from France or Spain, two from Germany, one from Italy. Does anyone know whether this is a Covid thing, or do these federations not play this event on policy/political reasons?

[Wadih Khoury]

No players from France or Spain, two from Germany, one from Italy. Does anyone know whether this is a Covid thing, or do these federations not play this event on policy/political reasons?

I think France never goes to the school event. For the others, it might still be post COVID nervousness.

[Roger Lancaster]

In the WorId Cadets/Youth Rapid, which immediateIy foIIowed in Rhodes, Bodhana won the girIs u8 with a cIean 9/9 (with Zoe third on 7/9), Eugenia Karas won the girIs u14 with 6/7 and KushaI was third (6.5/9) in the open u8.