While the top GM's are playing the Grand Prix in Baku (Azerbaijan), the "second (European) league" is playing in Plovdiv (Bulgaria) for the European title.

Men's competition is a massive 337 players 11 round swiss tournament. Here is the classification after 6 rounds:

http://www.eicc2008.com/en/standings_men_round_6.html

This event also serves as a qualification for next year's World Cup. First 22 players will qualify.



In the women's section there are 159 participants who also play 11 round swiss system. All the best European women players are participating. Here is the classification after 6 rounds:

http://www.eicc2008.com/en/standings_women_round_6.html

First 13 will qualify for this years Women world championship.

The winners are Sergei Tiviakov and Kateryna Lahno, both scoring 8.5/11, half a point more then a bunch of players.

http://www.eicc2008.com/en/standings_men_round_11.html
http://www.eicc2008.com/en/standings_women_round_11.html

For Kateryna this is the second European title (she won in 2005) making her the first player to win this competition twice.

Tomorrow are the tie-breaks for silver and bronze, and for qualification places. Curiously now the regulations say that first 23 qualify for World Cup and first 14 for the Women world championship. Either somebody changed it, or my eyes and mind are playing tricks on me

After exciting tie-breaks the final classification in men's competition is:

1. Sergei Tiviakov
2. Sergei Movsesian
3. Sergey Volkov

(yes, your name had to be Sergey to have a chance for the medal )

Players who qualified for the next World Cup are (in no particular order): Yuriy Kryvocruchko, Tomi Nyback, Pavel V Tregubov, Vladimir Baklan, Boris Grachev, Erwin L'Ami, Maxime Vachier-Lagrave, Emil Sutovsky, Viktor Laznicka, Dusko Pavasovic, Zahar Efimenko, Ioannis Papaioannou, Alexander Khalifman, Evgeniy Najer, Dmitry Andreikin, Gabriel Sargissian, Jan Gustafsson, Laurent Fressinet, Ilia Smirin, Viktor Bolognan and first three players of course.


In women's competition following players took gold, silver and bronze:

1. Kateryna Lahno
2. Viktorija Cmilyte
3. Anna Ushenina

Players who also qualified for Women world championship are: Yelena Dembo, Lilit Mkrtchian, Almira Skripchenko, Natalia Zhukova, Pia Cramling, Natalija Pogonina, Anna Muzychuk, Antoaneta Stefanova, Nana Dzagnidze, Elina Danielian and Maia Lomineishvili.




You can download all games here.