European Team Chess Championship

The European Team Championship (often abbreviated in texts and games databases as ETC) is an international team chess event, eligible for the participation of European nations whose chess federations are located in zones 1.1 to 1.9. This more or less accords with the wider definition of Europe used in other events such as the Eurovision Song Contest and includes Israel, Russia and the former Soviet States. The competition is run under the auspices of the European Chess Union (ECU).

Championship history The idea was conceived in the early 1950s, when chess organisers became aware of the need for another international team event. Consequently, a Championship was devised and held every four years, with the intention of filling in the gaps between Olympiads. More recently, the Championship has grown in importance and popularity and is regarded as a prestigious tournament in its own right.

The first Championship Final was held in Vienna and Baden bei Wien in 1957 (August 22–28). It was a double round robin and notable for the surprise victory of the Yugoslav team over the Soviet team in their second encounter.

For the next twenty years, Championships occurred at four-year intervals, although the Kapfenberg event was delayed by a year. Since 1977, successive tournaments have mainly been held on a three and then a two-year cycle. A separate Women's Championship, following the same cycle and venues as the open Chmapionship, was established at Debrecen in 1992.

Championship format

Over the early years, the formula altered incrementally, to allow the participation of a growing number of teams. At the inaugural event, only four places were made available for the Finals and some teams expected to do well, simply failed to qualify from the preliminary rounds. By 1973, the competition had expanded to roughly double the size and there were twenty-four nations in the preliminaries, competing for eight places in the Finals, held in Bath. Conversely, over the same period, the number of boards played in a match was reduced from ten to eight, presumably to reduce costs for organisers and participatory federations.

Into the new millennium, the format has changed radically and is now based on a Swiss system in nine rounds, on the model of the Olympiad, with one section for the open teams and one section for the women's teams, considered as separate competitions. At Gothenburg in 2005, the open competition comprised 40 teams (including Sweden B and Sweden C) and the women's competition, 26 teams (including Sweden B). Each round was contested over four boards and squads included a reserve.

Historically, teams played for the pleasure of winning the Europa Cup, but nowadays this has been overshadowed by the popular medal-winning format of the 'Olympics' and Chess Olympiad. Gold, silver and bronze medals are awarded to the top three teams and also as board prizes for outstanding individual performances.

Plovdiv 2003 heralded a major change in the scoring methodology. Both the open and women's events were, for the first time, scored by total of match points, rather than game points as had previously been the case. Game points are still recorded for purposes of tie-breaking.

Results Open section YearLocationGoldSilverBronze1957 ViennaPaul KeresDavid BronsteinMikhail TalBoris SpasskyTigran PetrosianVasily SmyslovMark TaimanovViktor KorchnoiAlexander TolushIsaac BoleslavskyYuri AverbakhLev AroninSvetozar GligorićAleksandar MatanovićBorislav IvkovPetar TrifunovićAndrija FudererNikola KaraklajićSrećko NedeljkovićBorislav MilićMario BertokBraslav RabarBožidar ĐuraševićTomislav RakićMiroslav FilipLuděk PachmanLadislav AlsterFrantišek ZítaJúlius KozmaJán ŠefcJiří FichtlFrantišek PithartJosef RejfířJaroslav JežekFrantišek BlatnýMaximilian Ujtelky1961 OberhausenMikhail BotvinnikMikhail TalPaul KeresTigran PetrosianVasily SmyslovViktor KorchnoiEfim GellerMark TaimanovLev PolugaevskySemyon FurmanAlexander TolushVladimir BagirovSvetozar GligorićPetar TrifunovićAleksandar MatanovićMario BertokMilan MatulovićMijo UdovčićDragoljub ČirićBorislav MilićSrećko NedeljkovićDragoljub MinićDražen MarovićBožidar ĐuraševićLászló SzabóLajos PortischGedeon BarczaIstván BilekTibor FlorianKaroly HonfiErvin HaágJózsef PogátsGyőző ForintosLevente LengyelJózsef SzilyLászló Navarovszky1965 HamburgTigran PetrosianMikhail BotvinnikViktor KorchnoiVasily SmyslovDavid BronsteinLeonid SteinMark TaimanovYuri AverbakhNikolai KrogiusIsaac BoleslavskyAnatoly LeinAnatoly LutikovBorislav IvkovSvetozar GligorićAleksandar MatanovićMilan MatulovićBruno ParmaPetar TrifunovićMato DamjanovićMijo UdovčićDragoljub ČirićDragoljub MinićDražen MarovićIvan BuljovčićLajos PortischLászló SzabóIstván BilekLevente LengyelGedeon BarczaGyőző ForintosKaroly HonfiPéter DelyJános FleschGyula KlugerJózsef PogátsLászló Navarovszky1970 KapfenbergTigran PetrosianViktor KorchnoiLev PolugaevskyEfim GellerVasily SmyslovMark TaimanovMikhail TalPaul KeresLeonid SteinRatmir KholmovYuri BalashovAivars GipslisLajos PortischLevente LengyelLászló SzabóGedeon BarczaLászló BárczayIstván BilekPéter DelyIstván CsomGyőző ForintosKaroly HonfiAndrás AdorjánErvin HaágWolfgang UhlmannBurkhard MalichReinhart FuchsArtur HenningsHeinz LiebertLothar ZinnFriedrich BaumbachLutz EspigWerner GolzLothar VogtManfred SchönebergDetlef Neukirch1973 BathBoris SpasskyTigran PetrosianViktor KorchnoiAnatoly KarpovMikhail TalVasily SmyslovEfim GellerGennady KuzminVladimir TukmakovYuri BalashovSvetozar GligorićBorislav IvkovLjubomir LjubojevićAleksandar MatanovićBruno ParmaAlbin PlanincDragoljub VelimirovićMilan MatulovićEnver BukićDragoljub MinićLajos PortischLászló SzabóIstván BilekZoltán RibliIstván CsomGyőző ForintosAndrás AdorjánGyula SaxKaroly HonfiJános Tompa1977 MoscowAnatoly KarpovTigran PetrosianLev PolugaevskyMikhail TalYuri BalashovEfim GellerOleg RomanishinVitaly TseshkovskyIosif DorfmanEvgeny SveshnikovLajos PortischZoltán RibliGyula SaxIstván CsomAndrás AdorjánIván FaragóLászló VadászLászló BárczayPéter LukácsLászló HazaiLjubomir LjubojevićSvetozar GligorićAleksandar MatanovićDragoljub VelimirovićBruno ParmaBorislav IvkovEnver BukićKrunoslav HulakMilorad KneževićSrđan Marangunić1980 SkaraAnatoly KarpovMikhail TalTigran PetrosianLev PolugaevskyEfim GellerYuri BalashovOleg RomanishinRafael VaganianArtur YusupovGarry KasparovLajos PortischZoltán RibliAndrás AdorjánGyula SaxIstván CsomIván FaragóLászló VadászJózsef PintérPéter LukácsLászló HazaiTony MilesMichael SteanJohn NunnJonathan SpeelmanRaymond KeeneWilliam HartstonJonathan MestelRobert BellinPaul LittlewoodSimon Webb1983 PlovdivAnatoly KarpovLev PolugaevskyTigran PetrosianRafael VaganianAlexander BeliavskyVladimir TukmakovLev PsakhisOleg RomanishinArtur YusupovEfim GellerLjubomir LjubojevićSvetozar GligorićPredrag NikolićVlatko KovačevićBojan KurajicaKrunoslav HulakDušan RajkovićBožidar IvanovićStefan ĐurićMišo CebaloLajos PortischZoltán RibliGyula SaxJózsef PintérAndrás AdorjánIstván CsomIván FaragóAttila GrószpéterAttila SchneiderTamás Horváth1989 HaifaValery SalovAlexander BeliavskyRafael VaganianMikhail GurevichBoris GelfandLev PolugaevskyViacheslav EingornVladimir TukmakovIvan SokolovKrunoslav HulakBogdan LalićMiodrag TodorcevicVlatko KovačevićDragan BarlovOgnjen CvitanStefan ĐurićRobert HübnerVlastimil HortEric LobronStefan KindermannMatthias WahlsJörg HicklKlaus BischoffStefan Mohr1992 DebrecenGarry KasparovEvgeny BareevVladimir KramnikAlexey DreevAlexey VyzmanavinVassily IvanchukAlexander BeliavskyOleg RomanishinViacheslav EingornIgor NovikovNigel ShortJonathan SpeelmanMichael AdamsJohn NunnTony Miles1997 PulaNigel ShortMichael AdamsJonathan SpeelmanMatthew SadlerJulian HodgsonEvgeny BareevPeter SvidlerVadim ZvjaginsevIgor GlekYuri YakovichVladimir AkopianRafael VaganianSmbat LputianArtashes MinasianAshot Anastasian1999 BatumiSmbat LputianArtashes MinasianAshot AnastasianLevon AronianArshak PetrosianPeter LekoJudit PolgárZoltán AlmásiAlexander CherninJózsef PintérArtur YusupovRobert HübnerRustem DautovChristopher LutzChristian Gabriel2001 LeónLoek van WelyJeroen PiketSergei TiviakovErik van den DoelFriso NijboerÉtienne BacrotJoël LautierChristian BauerJean-Marc DegraeveLaurent FressinetChristopher LutzRobert HübnerGerald HertneckKlaus BischoffRainer Buhmann2003 PlovdivPeter SvidlerEvgeny BareevAlexander GrischukAlexander MorozevichAlexander KhalifmanBoris GelfandIlya SmirinEmil SutovskyBoris AvrukhMichael RoizZurab AzmaiparashviliBaadur JobavaMikheil MchedlishviliGiorgi KacheishviliMerab Gagunashvili2005 GothenburgLoek van WelyIvan SokolovSergei TiviakovJan TimmanErik van den DoelBoris GelfandEmil SutovskyIlya SmirinBoris AvrukhSergey Erenburg Étienne BacrotJoël LautierIosif DorfmanLaurent FressinetChristian Bauer2007 Crete Peter SvidlerAlexander MorozevichAlexander GrischukEvgeny AlekseevDmitry Jakovenko Levon AronianVladimir AkopianGabriel SargissianKaren AsrianSmbat Lputian Teimour Radjabov Vugar Gashimov Qadir Huseynov Shakhriyar Mamedyarov Rauf Mamedov 2009 Novi Sad Teimour Radjabov Vugar Gashimov Qadir Huseynov Shakhriyar Mamedyarov Rauf Mamedov Peter Svidler Alexander Morozevich Dmitry Jakovenko Evgeny Alekseev Evgeny Tomashevsky Pavel Eljanov Andrei Volokitin Zahar Efimenko Yuri Drozdovskij Yuriy Kryvoruchko 2011 Porto Carras Arkadij Naiditsch Georg Meier Daniel Fridman Jan Gustafsson Rainer Buhmann Teimour Radjabov Vugar Gashimov Shakhriyar Mamedyarov Qadir Huseynov Eltaj Safarli Peter LekoZoltán AlmásiFerenc Berkes Csaba BaloghZoltan Gyimesi 2013 Warsaw Shakhriyar Mamedyarov Teimour Radjabov Eltaj Safarli Rauf Mamedov Qadir Huseynov Étienne Bacrot Maxime Vachier-Lagrave Romain Édouard Vladislav Tkachiev Hichem Hamdouchi Alexander Grischuk Peter Svidler Dmitry Andreikin Alexander Morozevich Evgeny Tomashevsky 2015 Reykjavík Peter Svidler Alexander Grischuk Evgeny Tomashevsky Ian Nepomniachtchi Dmitry Jakovenko Levon AronianGabriel SargissianSergei MovsesianHrant MelkumyanKaren H. Grigoryan Peter Leko Richárd Rapport Zoltán Almási Ferenc Berkes Csaba Balogh 2017 Crete Shakhriyar Mamedyarov Teimour Radjabov Arkadij Naiditsch Rauf Mamedov Gadir Guseinov Alexander Grischuk Ian Nepomniachtchi Nikita Vitiugov Maxim Matlakov Daniil Dubov Pavel Eljanov Yuriy Kryvoruchko Ruslan Ponomariov Yuriy Kuzubov Martyn Kravtsiv 2019 Batumi Dmitry Andreikin Nikita Vitiugov Kirill Alekseenko Maxim Matlakov Daniil Dubov Vassily Ivanchuk Yuriy Kuzubov Andrei Volokitin Alexander Moiseenko Vladimir Onischuk Michael Adams Luke McShane David Howell Gawain Jones Nicholas Pert 2021 Čatež ob Savi Anton Korobov Andrei Volokitin Yuriy Kuzubov Kirill Shevchenko Volodymyr Onyshchuk Alireza FirouzjaMaxime Vachier-LagraveÉtienne BacrotMaxime LagardeJules Moussard Jan-Krzysztof DudaRadosław WojtaszekKacper PiorunWojciech MorandaPaweł Teclaf2023 Budva Alexandr Predke Alexey Sarana Aleksandar Inđić Robert Markuš Velimir Ivić Vincent KeymerRasmus SvaneMatthias BlübaumAlexander DonchenkoDmitrij Kollars Haik M. 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Women section