European School Chess Championship – winners crowned

The European School Chess Championship 2025 took place from 29 May to 8 June at the Complex Amiral – Comandor – Orfeu in Mamaia, Romania. The event was played in six age categories: U7, U9, U11, U13, U15 and U17, open and girls sections separately, with the participation of more than 200 players coming from 14 European federations. The European School Chess Championship 2025 is part of the ECU Chess Calendar and is also part of the Junior Chess Calendar and the European Chess Calendar

Mete Aras Akbudak (TUR) emerged as the sole Winner of the U7 category with the score of 8 points and clinched gold medal. Victor Bojica (ROU, 1479) won silver with 7 points, while Alexios Alexandrakis (GRE) claimed bronze medeal scoring 6.5 points.

Girls U7 section was played in 7 rounds, and Ermina-Ioana Covalciuc (ROU) and Elif Dila Koyuncu (TUR) tied for the top scoring 6 points each. Ermina-Iona Covalciuc lifted the Winners’ trophy thanks to a direct encounter tiebreak and won the event after losing the first round and winning eight consecutive games. Elif Dila Koyuncu won silver, while Sophia Kaliskami (GRE) came third with 5 points.

Lukyan Huzela (UKR, 1612) won the Open U9 tournament scoring 7 points. Three players tied for silver scoring 6.5 points, but Adam-Alexandru Mihai (ROU, 1781) had the best tiebreaks to claim silver, Matija Arsenijevic (SRB, 1589) won bronze, and Alexandre Berishvili (GEO, 1656) finished in the fourth place.

Lile Svanadze (GEO, 1613) convincingly won the Girls U9 category with the score of 8.5 points. Sabina-Teodora Dutcovici (ROU, 1472) was second with 7.5 points and Sophia-Lenina Matala (ROU, 1459) came third with the score of 6 points.

Iustin Larion (ROU, 1958) and CM Ali Poyraz Uzdemir (TUR, 2108) tied for the first place in the Open U11 category, scoring 7 points each. Thanks to direct encounter win, Iustin Larion won gold, Ali Poyraz came second, and Denys Farkash (UKR, 1954) clinched bronze medal with 6.5 points thanks to better tiebreaks than Stoyan Iliev (BUL, 1713).

Sara Saltkhutsishvili (GEO, 1639) won Girls U11 tournament with the score of 8 points. Weronika Trzcinska (POL, 1568) claimed silver with 7 points, and WCM Maria Anistoroaei (ROU, 1776) with 6.5 points.

Gabriel Gabadadze (GEO, 2063) and Davit Tatvidze (GEO, 2117) scored 7.5 points each to tie for gold in the Open U13 section. Gabriel Gabadadze scored a win over Davit Tatvidze in the fourth round and thanks to direct encounter tiebreak clinched gold, Davit Tatvidze finished second, and Kerem Sarp Yekeler (TUR, 1965) won bronze with the score of 7 points.

Three girls scored 7 points each to tie for the top of the Girls U13 section and the tiebreak criteria determined the Winner. Alina Baluh (UKR, 1671) had the best tiebreaks and won gold, WCM Selin Torun (TUR, 1828) came second, and Kaja Rzadkowska (POL, 2002) won bronze.

Andria Kviriashvili (GEO, 2055) won the Open U15 section scoring 5.5/7 points, and finished half a point ahead of CM Alexandru Ioan Constantinoiu (ROU, 2073) and Erekle Tabatadze (GEO, 2189) who tied for silver. With better tiebreaks, Alexandru Ioan Constantinoiu came second and Erekle Tabatadze finished third.

Ela Mullakutukcu (TUR, 1751) won the Girls U15 section with 6.5 points. Barbare Ashotia (GEO, 1901) was trailing by half a point and clinched silver medal, and Tekla Koghuashvili (GEO, 1891) won bronze with 5.5 points.

Open and Girls sections U17 were merged in one tournament with separate prizes. Victor-Dominic (ROU, 1844) won the Championship with 6.5 points and better tiebreaks than Ozgur Deniz Hasirci (TUR, 2149) and CM Matei-Valeriu Mogirzan (ROU, 2046) who won silver and bronze respectively with the same score.

Daria-Ana Marcu (ROU, 1860) was the best ranked girl in the tournament with 5 points and better tiebreaks than Maria Criveanu (ROU, 1743) who came second. Hena Karadas (TUR, 1903) was third with the score of 4.5 points.

The Closing ceremony of the event took place with the attendance of the ECU Treasurer Ion-Serban Dobronauteanu, Vice-President of the Romanian Chess Federation Alin-Mile Berescu, Secretary General of the Romanian Chess Federation Gabriel Grecescu, member of the Romanian Chess Federation Board Nanu Costica-Ciprian, Tournament Director Elena Cristian and other distinguished guests.