European Club Cup 2025 R5: Vincent Keymer's exchange sac goes haywire against Arjun Erigaisi
SuperChess and Alkaloid have maintained perfect score at 40th European Chess Club Cup 2025 Open. Alkaloid defeated their coleaders and the defending champion, Novy Bor by 4-2. GM Arjun Erigaisi and GM Yangyi Yu scored the crucial victories for Alkaloid. Arjun ended GM Vincent Keymer's winning streak as the latter's bold exchange sacrifice did not go his way. GM Parham Maghsoodloo and GM Daniel Dardha scored important victories to ensure Superchess wins against Bayegan Pendik chess sports club 4-2. The coleaders Superchess and Alkaloid will inevitably clash in the penultimate round. Cercle d'échecs de Monte-Carlo maintains their sole lead in the Women. They defeated Crvena Zvezda 2.5-1.5 to maintain their perfect score 10/10. Round 6 starts today at 3 p.m. local time, 5:30 p.m. IST. Photo: Dr. Mark Livshitz / European Chess Club Cup 2025
Open: Superchess and Alkaloid coleaders, Women: Cercle d'échecs de Monte-Carlo still perfect
GM Arjun Erigaisi and GM Divya Deshmukh are the top Indians who won their respective sixth round games in Open and Women.
Open: Alkaloid - Novy Bor: 4-2
GM Arjun Erigaisi (2773) and GM Yangyi Yu (2720) scored the crucial victories for Alkaloid to help the team in winning the match against the defending champion, Novy Bor. The remaining four games ended in draws. Arjun defeated the in-form GM Vincent Keymer (2755) who scored a hat-trick of wins and was World no.4 in live ratings before this game.
Arjun - Keymer
Black made a questionable decision of sacrificing an exchange 9...hxg5 10.Bxa8 instead 9...c6 10.Nh3 d5 would have been fine for Black.
13...a6? was the decisive mistake 14.Qd4 attacking both b6 and g7-pawns simultaneously Qa7 15.Qxg7 Rf8 16.Bxc6 dxc6 17.dxe6 and White went on to convert his advantage into a win.
Replay Alkaloid - Novy Bor games
Superchess - Bayegan Pendik chess sports club: 4-2
GM Parham Maghsoodloo (2697) and GM Daniel Dardha (2605) scored the decisive wins for Superchess against GM Richard Rapport (2724) and the reigning World Rapid champion, GM Volodar Murzin (2664). The remaining four games ended in draws. World Champion, GM D Gukesh (2752) drew against FIDE Grand Swiss 2025 winner, GM Anish Giri (2759). GM Alexey Sarana (2661) held GM Nihal Sarin (2700) to a draw.
Replay Superchess - Bayegan Pendik chess sports club games
Women: Cercle d'échecs de Monte-Carlo - Crvena Zvezda: 2.5-1.5
GM Divya Deshmukh (2498) and GM Alexandra Kosteniuk (2469) scored the crucial victories for Cercle d'échecs de Monte-Carlo. It ensured the team wins the match against Crvena Zvezda by 2.5-1.5. GM Aleksandra Goryachkina (2541) was held ot a draw by IM Alina Bivol (2361). GM Elisabeth Paehtz (2408) lost to WIM Jovanna Srdanovic (2198).
Replay Cercle d'échecs de Monte-Carlo - Crvena Zvezda games
Replay live stream
Prizes
The total prize fund is €40000, €26000 in Open and €14000 in Women. The top three prizes in Open are - €8000, €6000 and €4000. For Women, they are - €5500, €3500 and €2000. Individual board prizes on each board €500.
Schedule
Every day round starts at 3 p.m. local time, 5:30 p.m. IST from 19th to 24th October 2025. The final round on 25th October starts 2 p.m. local time, 4:30 p.m. IST. The seven-round Swiss system tournament has a time control of 90 minutes for 40 moves plus 30 minutes for the rest of the game with an increment of 30 seconds per move, starting from move one. The tournament will be held in Rhodes, Greece.
Replay Round 5 Open games
Replay Round 5 Women games
Round 5 Open results
| No. | SNo | Team | MP | Res. | : | Res. | MP | Team | SNo | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | Alkaloid | 8 | 4 | : | 2 | 8 | Novy Bor | 3 | ||
| 2 | 4 | SuperChess | 8 | 4 | : | 2 | 7 | Bayegan Pendik chess sports club | 1 | ||
| 3 | 5 | Tuxera Aquaprofit Nagykanizsai Sakk Klub | 7 | 5 | : | 1 | 7 | CE Nyon | 18 | ||
| 4 | 27 | Limhamns SK | 7 | 1½ | : | 4½ | 7 | Turkish Airlines sports club | 9 | ||
| 5 | 16 | MTK Budapest | 6 | 1 | : | 5 | 6 | Vugar Gashimov | 6 | ||
| 6 | 7 | Rishon Le Zion #1 | 6 | 4½ | : | 1½ | 6 | SK K Cero Invest Nitra | 20 | ||
| 7 | 21 | KSK Rochade (BEL) | 6 | ½ | : | 5½ | 6 | Kfar Saba | 8 | ||
| 8 | 10 | Beer Sheva | 6 | 3½ | : | 2½ | 6 | SG Winterthur | 26 | ||
| 9 | 28 | SK Dunajska Streda | 6 | 2½ | : | 3½ | 6 | SV Werder Bremen | 11 | ||
| 10 | 12 | Schachfreunde Berlin 1903 | 6 | 4 | : | 2 | 6 | Ippotis Rhodes chess club | 29 |
Standings after Round 5
| Rk. | SNo | Team | Games | + | = | - | TB1 | TB2 | TB3 | TB4 | TB5 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 4 | SuperChess | 5 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 134 | 24,5 | 89,5 | 179 | |
| 2 | 2 | Alkaloid | 5 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 132 | 23,5 | 93 | 186 | |
| 3 | 9 | Turkish Airlines sports club | 5 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 9 | 124 | 23,5 | 88,5 | 157,5 | |
| 4 | 5 | Tuxera Aquaprofit Nagykanizsai Sakk Klub | 5 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 9 | 117,5 | 23,5 | 82,5 | 144 | |
| 5 | 3 | Novy Bor | 5 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 8 | 117 | 22 | 93 | 139 | |
| 6 | 8 | Kfar Saba | 5 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 8 | 111 | 22 | 90,5 | 132 | |
| 7 | 6 | Vugar Gashimov | 5 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 8 | 107,5 | 22,5 | 84 | 121 | |
| 8 | 7 | Rishon Le Zion #1 | 5 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 8 | 99 | 22 | 81,5 | 119 | |
| 9 | 12 | Schachfreunde Berlin 1903 | 5 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 8 | 98 | 18,5 | 85,5 | 124 | |
| 10 | 13 | SG Riehen | 5 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 8 | 97,5 | 22 | 81,5 | 119 |
Round 6 pairings
| No. | SNo | Team | MP | Res. | : | Res. | MP | Team | SNo | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 4 | SuperChess | 10 | : | 10 | Alkaloid | 2 | ||||
| 2 | 9 | Turkish Airlines sports club | 9 | : | 9 | Tuxera Aquaprofit Nagykanizsai Sakk Klub | 5 | ||||
| 3 | 3 | Novy Bor | 8 | : | 8 | Beer Sheva | 10 | ||||
| 4 | 11 | SV Werder Bremen | 8 | : | 8 | Vugar Gashimov | 6 | ||||
| 5 | 7 | Rishon Le Zion #1 | 8 | : | 8 | Schachfreunde Berlin 1903 | 12 | ||||
| 6 | 13 | SG Riehen | 8 | : | 8 | Kfar Saba | 8 | ||||
| 7 | 14 | Sigil Fund Pardubice | 8 | : | 7 | Bayegan Pendik chess sports club | 1 | ||||
| 8 | 25 | Kavala | 7 | : | 7 | Silla-Integrant Col.lectius | 15 | ||||
| 9 | 18 | CE Nyon | 7 | : | 7 | Limhamns SK | 27 | ||||
| 10 | 35 | Guzelbahce Satranc Spor Kulubu | 7 | : | 7 | Perfect | 22 |
Round 5 Women results
| No. | SNo | Team | MP | Res. | : | Res. | MP | Team | SNo | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | Cercle d'échecs de Monte-Carlo | 8 | 2½ | : | 1½ | 6 | Crvena Zvezda | 8 | ||
| 2 | 3 | Tajfun SK Ljubljana | 6 | ½ | : | 3½ | 6 | Sirmium Sremska Mitrovica | 5 | ||
| 3 | 13 | De Stukkenjagers | 6 | 0 | : | 4 | 5 | SuperChess | 4 | ||
| 4 | 2 | Turkish Airlines sports club | 5 | 1½ | : | 2½ | 4 | CE Gambit Bonnevoie | 6 | ||
| 5 | 12 | She plays to win Lionesses #1 | 4 | 3½ | : | ½ | 4 | Wasa SK | 10 | ||
| 6 | 17 | Streatham & Brixton | 4 | 1 | : | 3 | 4 | SK Zmaj | 11 | ||
| 7 | 7 | C'Chartres échecs | 3 | 4 | : | 0 | 4 | ISL Federation | 15 | ||
| 8 | 9 | MSK Centar ASEE | 3 | 2½ | : | 1½ | 2 | Gostivar club | 14 | ||
| 9 | 18 | She plays to win Lionesses #2 | 2 | 1½ | : | 2½ | 2 | Ippotis Rhodes chess club | 19 | ||
| 10 | 20 | Ippotis Radnicki | 0 | 0 | : | 4 | 2 | Aris Thessalonikis | 16 |
Standings after Round 5
| Rk. | SNo | Team | Games | + | = | - | TB1 | TB2 | TB3 | TB4 | TB5 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | Cercle d'échecs de Monte-Carlo | 5 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 82 | 15 | 59,5 | 119 | |
| 2 | 5 | Sirmium Sremska Mitrovica | 5 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 8 | 57 | 14,5 | 53,5 | 77 | |
| 3 | 4 | SuperChess | 5 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 7 | 58 | 14 | 50 | 65 | |
| 4 | 3 | Tajfun SK Ljubljana | 5 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 6 | 61 | 11,5 | 61 | 63 | |
| 5 | 8 | Crvena Zvezda | 5 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 6 | 59,5 | 11,5 | 61,5 | 70 | |
| 6 | 6 | CE Gambit Bonnevoie | 5 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 6 | 47 | 11,5 | 62 | 65 | |
| 7 | 12 | She plays to win Lionesses #1 | 5 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 6 | 38 | 12,5 | 48,5 | 50 | |
| 8 | 11 | SK Zmaj | 5 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 6 | 37 | 10,5 | 52,5 | 53,5 | |
| 9 | 13 | De Stukkenjagers | 5 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 6 | 22,5 | 8 | 53 | 55 | |
| 10 | 2 | Turkish Airlines sports club | 5 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 5 | 50 | 12 | 61 | 62 |
Round 6 pairings
| No. | SNo | Team | MP | Res. | : | Res. | MP | Team | SNo | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 4 | SuperChess | 7 | : | 10 | Cercle d'échecs de Monte-Carlo | 1 | ||||
| 2 | 8 | Crvena Zvezda | 6 | : | 8 | Sirmium Sremska Mitrovica | 5 | ||||
| 3 | 11 | SK Zmaj | 6 | : | 6 | Tajfun SK Ljubljana | 3 | ||||
| 4 | 6 | CE Gambit Bonnevoie | 6 | : | 6 | She plays to win Lionesses #1 | 12 | ||||
| 5 | 13 | De Stukkenjagers | 6 | : | 5 | Turkish Airlines sports club | 2 | ||||
| 6 | 9 | MSK Centar ASEE | 5 | : | 5 | C'Chartres échecs | 7 | ||||
| 7 | 10 | Wasa SK | 4 | : | 4 | Aris Thessalonikis | 16 | ||||
| 8 | 19 | Ippotis Rhodes chess club | 4 | : | 4 | ISL Federation | 15 | ||||
| 9 | 18 | She plays to win Lionesses #2 | 2 | : | 4 | Streatham & Brixton | 17 | ||||
| 10 | 14 | Gostivar club | 2 | : | 0 | Ippotis Radnicki | 20 |
Links
|
SuperChess clinches 40th European Club Cup with a perfect score, Alkaloid second and Novy Bor third
@ 26/10/2025 by Shahid Ahmed (en) |
|
European Club Cup 2025 R6: World Champion Gukesh beats Arjun Erigaisi, powers SuperChess to sole lead
@ 25/10/2025 by Shahid Ahmed (en) |
|
European Club Cup 2025 R4: Aravindh Chithambaram plays awesome chess
@ 23/10/2025 by Shahid Ahmed (en) |
|
European Club Cup 2025 R3: World Champion Gukesh makes a beautiful exchange sac
@ 22/10/2025 by Shahid Ahmed (en) |
|
European Club Cup 2025 R2: Favorites prevail
@ 21/10/2025 by Shahid Ahmed (en) |
|
European Club Cup 2025 R1: Aravindh, Abhimanyu, Vidit, Harikrishna and Vantika make a winning start
@ 20/10/2025 by Shahid Ahmed (en) |
|
16 Indians set to take part at European Chess Club Cup 2025 starting today
@ 19/10/2025 by Shahid Ahmed (en) |