Gukesh D, Divya Deshmukh bag double gold at 40th European Chess Club Cup
(Courtesy : @DGukesh/Twitter)
GM Nihal Sarin and Abhimanyu Puranik also won individual gold medals.
India’s World Champion duo D Gukesh and Divya Deshmukh capped off a successful campaign at the European Chess Club Cup 2025 with individual gold medals in their respective boards ahead of the all-important FIDE Chess World Cup in Goa.
The 40th European Chess Club Cup concluded in Rhodes, Greece, with SuperChess, featuring Gukesh Dommaraju, claiming the Open title after a dominating performance, and Cercle d’échecs de Monte-Carlo, with Divya Deshmukh in its line-up, triumphing in the Women’s section.
The prestigious tournament, held from October 19th to 25th saw top clubs from Europe compete in a seven round Swiss system format.
It featured a 40,000 Euros prize fund, with 26,000 Euros for the Open and 14,000 Euros for the Women’s event. In all, five clubs each competed against each other in the Open as well as Women’s category.
In the Open category, SuperChess dominated the event with a perfect 14/14 score. Their final-round win over Tuxera Aquaprofit Nagykanizsai Sakk Klub (3.5-2.5) sealed the title for them. Gulkesh led the charge with a dominating performance on Board 1.
Alkaloid and Novy Bor followed closely behind, finishing second and third respectively with 12 points each.
Also Read: FIDE World Cup 2025 Format Explained: Guide to the World Chess Championships spots
As far as Indian representation was concerned, they made a strong impact across the event. D Gukesh earned the Board 1 gold medal for SuperChess. He joined the tournament from the third round and recorded four points out of five which included two draws and three wins.
Nihal Sarin (Bayegan Pendik) and Abhimanyu Puranik (Alkaloid) also took home gold medals for outstanding individual scores while Aravindh Chithambaram also added a bronze on Board 4.
In the Women’s section, Cercle d’échecs de Monte-Carlo ended as the table toppers with 13/14 points. They drew 2-2 in the final round against Turkish Airlines Sports Club but it was enough to secure the championship. WGM Divya Deshmukh played a vital role in Monte-Carlo’s success, clinching Board 2 Gold for her consistent performance throughout the tournament.
Overall, Indian players claimed four individual gold medals, three in the Open and one in the Women’s section, ending on a high.
Who won the 40th European Chess Club Cup 2025 in Greece?
Team SuperChess won the Open title while team Cercle d’échecs de Monte-Carlo triumphed in the women’s section.
How did Indian players perform in 40th European Chess Club Cup 2025?
As far as Indian representation was concerned, they made a strong impact across the event.
D Gukesh earned the Board 1 gold medal for SuperChess. Nihal Sarin (Bayegan Pendik) and Abhimanyu Puranik (Alkaloid) also took home gold medals while Aravindh Chithambaram added a bronze on Board 4.
In the women’s section, Divya Deshmukh won god on Board 2.
How did D Gukesh and Divya Deshmukh perform at the 40th European Chess Club Cup 2025?
Gukesh won individual gold on Board 1 as well as the team gold with SuperChess. Similarly, Divya Deshmukh won individual gold on Board 2 and team gold with her team Cercle d’échecs de Monte-Carlo.
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Veeran Rajendran believes there’s never a dull moment in chess. A sports writer for over a decade and a chess trainer for the past five years, he spends most of his day playing, watching, or analysing the game. His work blends storytelling with strategy, making chess engaging for enthusiasts and newcomers alike.
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