Teodora Injac finished with 9,5/11, added 18,7 ELO points to her rating with performance of 2592. She finished 1,5 points ahead of silver medalist Irina Bulmaga and bronze medalist Mai Narva. However, Injac met only two GM opponents, Natalia Zhukova and Bella Khotenashvili, and thus could not complete a norm.

The success of Teodora Injac underlines an amazing generation of Serbian chess players. Last year the European Individual Champion in the open section was also from Serbia, as Aleksandar Indjic won EICC 2024. Before Injic and Injac, Serbia did not have individual gold medals on the European scene.

Photo edit by OnTheQueenside, modification of an original image by US Open. Asked where is the men champion Indjic, OnTheQueenside says, “He does not fit! He is too tall!”

The success of Teodora Injac, round by round

Round 1: Anastasia Kirtadze vs. Teodora Injac – 1-0 (round report)

Round 2: Teodora Injac vs. Ana Silva – 1-0 (round report)

Round 3: Bozhena Piddubna vs. Teodora Injac – 0-1 (round report)

Round 4: Teodora Injac vs. Polina Shuvalova – 1-0 (round report)

Round 5: Natalia Zhukova vs. Teodora Injac – 0-1 (round report)

Round 6: Teodora Injac vs. Eline Roebers – 1-0 (round report)

Round 7: Mai Narva vs. Teodora Injac – 0-1 (round report)

Round 8: Teodora Injac vs. Bella Khotenashvili – 1-0 (round report)

Round 9: Lilit Mkrtchian vs. Teodora Injac – 0-1 (round report)

Round 10: Teodora Injac vs. Irina Bulmaga – 1-0 (round report)

Round 11: Aleksandra Maltsevskaya vs. Teodora Injac – ½-½ (round report)

More about Teodora Injac

Teodora Injac is a Serbian chess player born on May 26, 2000, in Belgrade. She holds the titles of International Master (IM) and Woman Grandmaster (WGM). She made history as the youngest winner of the Women’s Serbian Chess Championship, claiming the title in 2018 at age 17, and successfully defended it in 2019 and 2020. She has represented Serbia in multiple international competitions, including four European Team Chess Championships (2017, 2019, 2021, and 2023), where she earned a gold medal for the best performance on the first board in 2023, achieving her first Grandmaster (GM) norm. She also won a bronze medal at the 2018 World Youth Chess Championship in Greece.

European Women Individual Chess 2025 final standings

The Women Grand Prix in Pune, India, follows the Women Grand Prix in Nicosisa. Aleksandra Goryachkina is in the lead with. Thanks to her first place in both the Shymkent and Monaco legs, along with an excellent shared 3rd in Cyprus, everything seems to point towards her qualification. She has already played her three events, and will not be present in Pune.

The second spot is up for grabs, with several players in reach. Five of them will be competing in Pune – Alina Kashlinskaya, Humpy Koneru, Batkhuyag Munguntuul, Zhu Jincer, and Harika Dronavalli. Full list of participants

The series spans six events across 2024 and 2025:

1. Tbilisi, Georgia (August 14–25, 2024):
   • Winner: Alina Kashlinskaya (wildcard)
   • Notable: Humpy Koneru and Nurgyul Salimova tied for second (5.5/9, 100 points each). Goryachkina scored 5/9 (70 points).
   • Participants: Included Koneru, Goryachkina, Salimova, Vaishali, Anna Muzychuk, Tan Zhongyi, Mariya Muzychuk, Batkhuyag, Kosteniuk, and Kashlinskaya.
2. Shymkent, Kazakhstan (October 29–November 9, 2024):
   • Winner: Aleksandra Goryachkina (6/9, 130 points).
   • Notable: Tan Zhongyi took second (5.5/9, 110 points). Kateryna Lagno and Vaishali tied for third (5/9, 90 points each).
   • Participants: Included Goryachkina, Tan Zhongyi, Lagno, Vaishali, Harika Dronavalli, Divya Deshmukh, Bibisara Assaubayeva, Elisabeth Paehtz, Sarasadat Khademalsharieh, and Polina Shuvalova.
3. Monaco (February 18–28, 2025):
   • Winners: Aleksandra Goryachkina, Batkhuyag Munguntuul, and Humpy Koneru tied for first (5.5/9, 110 points each; Goryachkina won tiebreak).
   • Notable: Kateryna Lagno led early but finished fourth (5/9, 80 points) after losing to Khademalsharieh. Tan Zhongyi also scored 5/9 (80 points).
   • Participants: Goryachkina, Koneru, Lagno, Tan Zhongyi, Dronavalli, Batkhuyag, Assaubayeva, Kosteniuk, Paehtz, Khademalsharieh.
4. Nicosia, Cyprus (March 14–25, 2025):
   • Winner: Anna Muzychuk (6/9, 130 points).
   • Notable: Goryachkina and Tan Zhongyi tied for second (5.5/9, 110 points each). Zhu Jiner replaced Lei Tingjie.
   • Participants: Goryachkina, Anna Muzychuk, Tan Zhongyi, Zhu Jiner, Mariya Muzychuk, Salimova, Vaishali, Deshmukh, Stavroula Tsolakidou, Shuvalova.
5. Pune, India (April 13–24, 2025, starts tomorrow):
   • Participants: Humpy Koneru, Divya Deshmukh, Vaishali Rameshbabu, Harika Dronavalli, Nurgyul Salimova, Bibisara Assaubayeva, Alexandra Kosteniuk, Polina Shuvalova, Alina Kashlinskaya, Salome Melia.
   • Notable: Lagno and Khademalsharieh withdrew; replaced by Kashlinskaya and Shuvalova. No results yet, but Koneru and the Indian players are expected to leverage home advantage.
6. Grosslobming, Austria (May 6–17, 2025, upcoming):
   • Participants: Not fully confirmed, but likely includes Goryachkina, Tan Zhongyi, Anna Muzychuk, and others based on rotation.
   • Notable: The final event will decide the second qualifier if Pune doesn’t settle it.

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EIWCC 2025: European Women’s Chess Championship 2025 / EIWCC preview / Live games with computer analysis / List of European Women Chess Champions Reports: Round 1 / Round 2 / Round 3 / Round 4 / Round 5 / Round 6 / Round 7 / Round 8

Today’s round was opened by the ECU President Mr. Zurab Azmaiparasvhili who played the first ceremonial move on the top board game between IM Teodora Injac and IM Lilit Mkrtchian.

IM Teodora Injac (SRB, 2454) kept the sole lead in the event after defeating IM Lilit Mkrtchian (ARM, 2388) in today’s 9th round. The position was very balanced out of the opening, but Lilit Mrktchian had a passive approach and allowed her opponent to take the edge and valuable space advantage. Teodora Injac transformed the advantage into a pawn up, activated her pieces, locked Mkrtchian into defensive mode and forced her on resignation.

IM Irina Bulmaga (ROU, 2362) was victorious with whites against WFM Anastasia Kirtadze (GEO, 2180) who suffered her second loss in a row after a fantastic start at the European Women’s Chess Championship 2025. As in most of her games in the event, Bulmaga had some issues in the opening and slightly worse position, but then took the initiative and used her opponent’s mistakes to gain the advantage in the late middlegame. A few moves before the time control were inaccurate by both sides, but Irina Bulmaga played it better for a decisive advantage which was further improved and converted into a win after Kirtadze’s piece blunder.

Scoring 7.5 points, Irina Bulmaga closely follows the leader, and there is a full point gap between her and a group of seven players who tie for the third place with the score of 6.5 points (each).

The 10th penultimate round of the European Women’s Chess Championship 2025 brings interesting pairings, and a direct encounter for the top between IM Irina Bulmaga and IM Teodora Injac.

The 10th round starts tomorrow at 14:00 CET (15:00 local time) and live games with commentaries by GM Alojzije Jankovic and Dragana Nikolovska can be followed through the ECU TV platform or ECU YouTube channel. Photos by Mark Livshitz, Jim Laga and ECU TV

EIWCC 2025 round 9 results

EIWCC 2025: European Women’s Chess Championship 2025 / EIWCC preview / Live games with computer analysis / List of European Women Chess Champions Reports: Round 1 / Round 2 / Round 3 / Round 4 / Round 5 / Round 6 / Round 7

IM Teodora Injac (SRB, 2454) today scored against GM Bella Khotenashvili (GEO, 2418). Playing with black pieces, Injac equalized from the early stage in the opening, but then made a few inaccuracies that caused engine showing a slight edge for Khotenashvili. Teodora Injac then found a brilliant tactical motive and Khotenashvili miscalculated and accepted the sacrifice which brought her king into inescapable mating net. Injac chased white’s king all way to h5 square, forcing Bella Khotenashvili to resign.

New record: Stockfish crosses the 3700 elo mark

Playing on the second board, IM Lilit Mkrtchian (ARM, 2388) defeated WFM Anastasia Kirtadze (GEO, 2180) and the latter suffered the first loss in the tournament. Mkrtchian had a better position from the opening, and gradually improved the advantage to eventually win the game and join the race for the top.

IM Irina Bulmaga (ROU, 2362) defeated IM Sophie Milliet (FRA, 2371) with Black pieces after a very complex game. Bulmaga had a troublesome position after the opening, but Sophie Milliet misplayed it, allowing her opponent to take the edge. Irina Bulmaga found a nice motive of exchange sacrifice, getting two connected passed pawns in the center – that happened to be the match winners.

Scoring 6.5 points each, IM Irina Bulmaga and IM Lilit Mkrtchian follow the leader, trailing by half a point.

The 9th round starts tomorrow at 14:00 CET (15:00 local time) and live games with commentaries by GM Alojzije Jankovic and Dragana Nikolovska can be followed through the ECU TV platform or the ECU YouTube channel. Photos by Jim Laga and ECU TV

European Women Individual Chess Championship round 8 results

In 2016, Zhu Jiner won the World Youth Chess Championship in the G14 age category. In 2017, she was third in the Asian Zone 3.5 after Zhai Mo and Ni Shiqun, and qualified for the Women’s World Chess Championship 2018. That same year, she was awarded the FIDE Woman International Master (WIM) title. In 2018, Zhu Jiner won the bronze medal at the Women’s China Rapid Chess Championship.

Rated 2545, Grandmaster Lei Tingjie qualified for the Women’s Candidates Tournament by clinching the 2021 FIDE Gran Swiss in Riga with one round to spare.

Winner of the 2015 Moscow Open and silver medallist in the 2016 Women’s World Rapid Championship, she has represented China on several occasions with outstanding performances: among others, a gold medal at the 2016 Asian Nations Cup in Dubai and the 2018 Batumi Olympiad.

Currently ranked fourth and ninth on the Chinese and World rating lists respectively, Lei Tingjie recently secured her spot in the final by convincingly winning the 2022 Monaco Pool A Women’s Candidates tournament, defeating Mariya Muzychuk in the quarter-final and her sister Anna Muzychuk in the semi-final.

Former Women’s World Chess Champion in 2018, Grandmaster Tan Zhongyi was a child prodigy, winning the World Youth U-10 Girls Chess Championship in 2000 and 2001 followed by the World Youth U12 Girls Chess Championship in 2002.

Currently rated 2526, she stands in fifth place in the Chinese rankings and number twelve overall in the world. Winner of the Women’s World University Chess Championship in 2012 and the 2014 Asian Women’s Blitz Championship, she broke through in 2015 becoming the Chinese Women’s Champion amongst several other phenomenal results.

Having qualified for the Candidates thanks to her brilliant third place in the 2021 Sochi Women’s World Cup, she won her place at the final with a compelling result in the 2022 Khiva Pool B Women’s Candidates tournament: she defeated consecutively none other than Kateryna Lagno and Aleksandra Goryachkina.

The event gathers more than 140 players from 34 European federations and the top-seeds are: GM Bella Khotenashvili (GEO, 2491), GM Valentina Gunina (FIDE, 2478), IM Gunay Mammadzada (AZE, 2472), IM Marsel Efroimski (ISR, 2451), IM Yuliia Osmak (UKR, 2445), IM Lela Javakhishvili (GEO, 2443), IM Irina Bulmaga (ROU, 2438), GM Antoaneta Stefanova (BUL, 2433), IM Meri Arabidze (GEO, 2433), and GM Monika Socko (POL, 2432).

“We inspire to support female chess players to actively take part in the solely women’s tournaments in Europe, especially in the closed (norm) ones and this way to support and promote tournaments’ organizers as well. We would like to do so by lunching “European Women’s Chess Trophy”, an initiative that will financially reward women and girls in the categories mentioned below”, writes the announcement.

CRITERIA

• Only female tournaments will be considered: women’s closed tournaments (at least WIM level and with three different federations participating), European Girls Youth Championship (U16-U18), European Women Individual championships, etc. Team championships are excluded, except European Club Cup.
• Criteria for calculation to be based on points and a performance system:
• Minimum played tournaments required per year (for all four categories): 3
• Launching point of calculation: rating as of March 1, 2023 till December 31, 2023
• TOP 3 Best female players in all four categories to be calculated
• Best of 3 tournaments will be considered for these criteria
• Each female player can win only one prize. If two or more players end up with the same number of points, number of games played per year will decide. The next

criteria will be overall (better) performance.

• European Club Cup – minimum of 5 games must be played to be included in the calculation

Points System for all four categories

TOURNAMENT’S CALENDAR (considered for the calculation)

We will regularly publish a preliminary list with an overview of current points and players after tournaments (that are included in our calendar) have been finished. There is no need to register for this initiative, we will automatically include all female players who participate at above mentioned tournaments.

It is in our interest to include as many closed female tournaments as possible. If you would like to be a part of this initiative, as an organizer, and support female players this way, and promote your female event, please drop us a message and we will gladly include you. The tournament’s list will expand throughout the year, as we will also regularly announce an “Open call of interest” for all organizers of women’s tournaments.