The two winners of the 13th European Individual Senior Chess Championship, GM Mark Tseitlin (ISR) and WGM Margarita Voiska finished with 7.5 and 7 points, respectively.
Unlike the women’s tournament, where Voiska had secured her title one round before the final leg, the final ranking in the men’ section was not clear until the last moment.

GM Mark Tseitlin (ISR) drew quickly against GM Nikolai Pushkov (RUS). With a grandmaster technique in the endgame, GM Evgeny Sveshnikov (LAT) squeezed a win against Anatoli Shvedchikov and got the silver medal with 7.0 points. Six players shared 3rd to 8th at 6.5/9. 

However, the bronze was awarded to former European senior champion GM Nikolai Pushkov on the tiebreak criteria, followed by GM Evgeni Vasiukov (RUS), GM Petar Velikov (BUL), GM Bosko Abramovic (SRB) IM Mark Berkovich (ISR) and Victor Bojarinov (RUS) etc.

GM Petar Velikov arrived 5th and had the best ranking among Bulgarians in this section. In the last game of the round and on this tournament GM Ermenkov Evgeny drew against IM Vladimir Karasev (RUS) and finished 11th with 6 points. GM Ivan Radulov is 13th with the same score.

The Bulgarian hosts are jubilant. Eleven-time individual champion of Bulgaria for women, participant in 15 Olympic Games, and winner of countless tournaments, WGM Margarita Voiska (BUL) achieved another triumph – European senior champion for women. While Voiska was dominating throughout the whole tournament, there was a tense fight for the distribution of the rest top rankings.

Final Standings – Open:

1 GM Tseitlin Mark D ISR 2380 7.5
2 GM Sveshnikov Evgeny LAT 2534 7.0
3 GM Pushkov Nikolai RUS 2352 6.5
4 GM Vasiukov Evgeni RUS 2460 6.5
5 GM Velikov Petar BUL 2417 6.5
6 GM Abramovic Bosko SRB 2471 6.5
7 IM Berkovich Mark A ISR 2354 6.5
8 Bojarinov Victor A RUS 2343 6.5
9 IM Shvedchikov Anatoli I. RUS 2359 6.0
10 IM Maryasin Boris ISR 2336 6.0
11 GM Ermenkov Evgenij BUL 2423 6.0
12 IM Pritchett Craig W SCO 2352 6.0
13 GM Radulov Ivan BUL 2291 6.0
14 IM Karasev Vladimir I RUS 2354 6.0
15 FM Raicevic Momcilo MNE 2370 6.0
16 GM Balashov Yuri S RUS 2481 6.0
17 FM Vujacic Borivoje SRB 2293 5.5
18 Yakimenko Alexander A. RUS 2196 5.5
19 GM Butnorius Algimantas LTU 2398 5.5
20 FM Iliushkin Evgeny RUS 2304 5.5
21 IM Lederman Leon ISR 2243 5.5
22 GM Okhotnik Vladimir FRA 2411 5.5
23 FM Rooze Jan BEL 2369 5.5
24 IM Cvetkovic Srdjan SRB 2399 5.5
25 FM Dragasevic Srdja MNE 2279 5.5
26 GM Rajkovic Dusan SRB 2420 5.5
27 IM Nevednichy Boris M MDA 2209 5.5
28 IM Bogdanov Valentin UKR 2388 5.5

Chess Daily News from Susan Polgar
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