Greek Team Chess Championship 2011

Pnevmatiki Stegi Peristeriou retains the title, EES Korydallou finishes third

The 39th edition of the Greek Chess League, organized by the Greek Chess Federation and SA Halkidos “Palamidis O Evoefs”, has finished in Eretria Village Hotel, Eretria. A total of 530 players, of which 99 titled, participated in the Greek Team Chess Championship 2011.

The championship usually attracts a lot of top rated players and this year was not an exception, with GM Vassily Ivanchuk being the top rated player, and GM Judit Polgar, GM David Navara being present alongside with ex-Women’s World Champion GM Antoaneta Stefanova, ex-Women’s European Champion GM Pia Cramling and reigning Women’s European Champion GM Viktorija Cmilyte, to name a few.

Pnevmatiki Stegi Peristeriou retained the title and the Greek Cup winner SO Kavalas finished at the second place.

Photos by IA Andreas Kontokanis

Former Greek Team champion (1998) EES Korydallou finished at the third place with a wonderful performance. This is the third time that the club led by its President IA Takis Nikolopoulos, gets to this high level. The players of EESK played some excellent games and Nicola Capone made 6.5 points out of 7 matches.

Maria Ikonomopoulou, who last year was one of the two players of the field to play the maximum number of games and finish them with a perfect score, won against very strong players like WGM Botsari, WIM Havlikova and drew with WGM Zawadska.

The first board this year is the 22-year old GM Markus Ragger, leader of the Austrian national chess team, and second board the 29-year old GM Rafal Antoniewski from Poland.