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Anand, Socar and Batumi winners in Bilbao Chess |
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Sunday, 21 September 2014 07:16 |
Big favourite Socar from Azerbaijan confirmed all the predictions, getting the overall European title on the last day of Bilbao Chess 2014. Batumi from Georgia surprised those present by winning the women’s European title, even if they were not initially regarded as strong candidates.
At the European Club Cup, the best individual players in the tournament in terms of results were Fabiano Caruana from Italy (number 2 in the world’s ranking) in the open section, and Hou Yifán, the world women’s champion, in the women’s section.
The Bilbao Chess 2014 honour roll was completed at the Grand Slam Masters Final with five-times world champion Viswanathan Anand’s victory. As well as getting the title, the Indian player did his personal best ever in the five times he took part in the Bilbao competition. However, he lost his last game against Aronian, the reigning champion until this evening.
With this victory at the Masters Final, Anand, who is also preparing for the World Championship rematch against Magnus Carlsen, who took the title away from him a few months ago, adds to his résumé the one title that was missing so far.
Bilbao Masters Final standings:
1. Anand (India) - 11 points
2. Aronian (Armenia) - 10 points
3. Ponomariov (Ukraine) - 5 points
4. Vallejo (Spain) - 5 points
European Club Cup Open final standings:
1. Socar (Azerbaijan)
2. G-Team Novy Bor (Czech Republic)
3. Malakhite (Russia)
Women’s European Club Cup final standings:
1. Batumi (Georgia)
2. Montecarlo (Monaco)
3. SHMM Nashelie (Russia)
The Bilbao Grand Slam Masters Final is one of the most prestigious tournaments in the world, as well as one of the few in reaching level 22, the highest in terms of competitive quality in the chess sphere. Vallejo got his first victory today, this time over Ponomariov.
During the Bilbao Chess 2014 closing ceremony, Bilbao mayor Ibon Areso handed over the trophy and medals to the new European champion. Socar thus replaces Czech G-Team Novy Bor, who surprisingly won the title last year in Rhodes. Gabino Martínez de Arenaza, Provincial Director of Tourism and Foreign Trade, proclaimed Anand winner of the Bilbao Masters Final 2014.
The Indian Grandmaster succeeds his opponent today, Levon Aronian, in the Masters Final title. Aronian has won the title twice — the last one, in 2013 —, just like number 1 in the world ranking and reigning world champion Magnus Carlsen. The list of winners includes Veselin Topalov from Bulgaria, who won the first edition back in 2008, and Vladimir Kramnik from Russia, who won in 2010.
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