No Ambition, Peak Result: Fataliyeva Is 2024 European Women's Champion

IM Ulviyya Fataliyeva won clear first at the European Women's Championship on Monday. Fataliyeva was unstoppable throughout the event, finishing undefeated a full point ahead of the field. 

IM Nataliya Buksa finished second with the top tiebreaks among the eight players with 7.5. IM Lela Javakhishvili scored a critical last round victory to place third. Nine-year-old WCM Bodhana Sivanandan earned her first WIM norm. 

Standings - Top 10

Full standings are available here.

Every year, the European Women's Championship draws many of the top women from countries across Europe. This year's edition included eight grandmasters and many titled players. In addition to competing for the prize fund of 60,000 Euros, it's a qualification event for the Women's World Cup, offering qualification spots to the top 10 finishers. 

The tournament launched with a festive opening ceremony, featuring a traditional Greek dance performance.

Traditional Greek dance enriched the Opening ceremony of the European Women’s Chess Championship 2024 which kicked off today in #Rhodes! 🇬🇷♟️ #ewcc2024 pic.twitter.com/y9xbtsxT4u

— European Chess Union (@ECUonline) April 19, 2024

Starting with four wins in a row, Fataliyeva was one of the leaders from the start. In round seven, she took over the sole lead by defeating WGM Govhar Beydullayeva in a dynamic fight.

In the next round, Fataliyeva overcame WIM Alicja Sliwicka with a strategic grind that culminated in a mating attack. 

With these back-to-back wins with Black, Fataliyeva stretched her lead to a full point, which she kept to the end. Fataliyeva shared about her mindset during the event:

I quit all my ambition. For a long time, you're playing with all ambitions and then failure and then again failure. We talked about it with our trainers not to focus on the result but to focus on the process in order to improve ourselves. I quit all my ambition, and I turned out to have the best tournament.

I quit all my ambition, and I turned out to have the best tournament."

―Ulviyya Fataliyeva

Thanks everyone,especially my dear friend @steff_vatly https://t.co/aMblK9qOds

— UlviyyaFataliyeva (@fataliyeva96) April 29, 2024

Buksa finished at the top of the pack of players tied for second. In round eight, she defeated IM Olga Zimina with a combination of tactical fireworks and endgame technique. Can you find the idea that jumpstarted her attack?

Black to move.

In the last round, four-time Georgian Women's Champion Javakhishvili won a double-edged fight vs. IM Salome Melia to leap into third. 

Sivanandan had a peak performance of her own, earning her first WIM norm and gaining 73 FIDE rating points. Her biggest upset of the event was her round-two victory vs. WIM Mariam Mkrtchyan. Her combination of dynamic and strategic play shows her exceptional depth of understanding for a nine-year-old.

After the game, Sivanadan shared: "I'm happy to be here... I'm trying to win all the games."

I'm trying to win all the games.

―Bodhana Sivanandan

FM Nadya Toncheva also reached new heights. Finishing with three victories in a row, she earned her WGM title, her second IM norm, and qualification for the next Women's World Cup. In the penultimate round, she defeated IM Sophie Milliet by first generating pressure on the queenside and then switching gears to spur a dangerous kingside attack. 

🎟️ WORLD CUP TICKET PUNCHED! 🎟️
Nadya Toncheva is going back to the World Cup next summer!
She qualified by making Top 10 at the European Championship, just like last year (!), despite not even being an IM! 🤯👏👏https://t.co/bjYvMMfDBG
📷: Jim Laga#chess #womeninchess #EWCC24 https://t.co/Whhfs3M8oo pic.twitter.com/fjhQcHI2us

— Women's Chess Coverage (@OnTheQueenside) April 29, 2024

Beyond the chessboard, the tournament was particularly eventful for WFM Monika Stojkovska, who got engaged on the rest day. 

Today is the free day at the European Women’s Chess Championship 2024 in #Rhodes, #Greece!

Most of the players decided to use their free time to visit the Medieval of old town of Rhodes, but for the others, today is a very special day!

The participant of the #ewcc2024, Monika… pic.twitter.com/IlmTxK5OgA

— European Chess Union (@ECUonline) April 24, 2024

The European Women's Chess Championship is the most important over-the-board women's event in Europe. From April 19-29, more than 180 women competed in a 10-round Swiss for a prize fund of 60,000 Euros. The time control was 90 minutes for 40 moves, with 30 more minutes for the rest of the game and a 30-second increment per move starting on move one.