Almost 400 players, including more than 100 grandmasters, travelled to the European Individual Championships last month in Eforie Nord, a small Romanian town on the coast of the Black Sea. Dozens of players have a realistic shot at winning this fiercely competitive event, which in recent years was won by players seeded 33rd, 11th, 20th and 33rd. So it was remarkable that the German grandmaster Matthias Blübaum managed to win it for the second time in his career (after 2022, in Slovenia). He shared first place with two other players on 8.5/11, and won the title on tiebreak. Third placed Maxim Rodshtein from Israel won a thrilling game against the veteran elite grandmaster Vasyl Ivanchuk from Ukraine.
Maxim Rodshtein-Vasyl Ivanchuk
European Individual Championship, March 2025
16 axb5 cxb5 16…dxc4! was better, to avoid what follows. 17 Nxd5! 17.cxd5? loses to b4. Rodshtein’s far stronger move sacrifices the knight to gain a powerful central pawn mass. 17…exd5 17…dxc4? 18 Nxe7+ Qxe7 19 Nxc4 leaves White a clear pawn up. 18 cxd5 Bb4 19 d6 Ne6 20 Nf1 Bb7 21 Bxb7 Rxb7 22 Ne3 Nb6 23 Qxb5 Qb8 23…f6! was the last chance to disperse the phalanx of pawns. 24 Nf5 Re8 25 Rac1 Nd7 26 Qe2 Nb6 27 d5 Nc5 28 Qg4 Nxb3 At this point, the attack is so crushing that Ivanchuk chooses to fall on his sword. 29 Qxg7 mate
One of this year’s main contenders was Daniil Yuffa, originally from Russia but now representing Spain. His imaginative attack was coolly rebuffed by Blübaum.
Matthias Blübaum-Daniil Yuffa
European Individual Championship, March 2025
18…Rxc4 This ingenious idea falls short. The immediate 18…Ng5 was safer. 19 Qxc4 Ng5 20 Ne5 20 Nxg5 Qxg5 21 g3 Ne3 looks dangerous, but 22 Qc1! wins by pinning the knight. 20…Bxg2! This clever shot is clearly what Yuffa was angling for when he sacrificed rook for bishop. 21 Kxg2 Qa8+ 22 Nc6 Forced, as 22 Kg1 Nh3 mate or 22 f3 Ne3+ must be avoided. dxc6 23 Rd3! A strong defensive move under pressure. 23…c5+ 24 f3 cxb4 25 Bc1 An important intermezzo to inconvenience the knight on g5. 25…Rc8 26 Qxb4 Rc2+ 27 Bd2 h6 28 Kh1 Preparing an exchange of pieces which defuses the attack. 28…Qe8 29 Bxg5 hxg5 30 Rd2 Rxd2 Yuffa would prefer to keep the rooks on the board, but probably feared 30…Rc6 31 Qg4 Qe7 32 Rg1, piling up on the g-pawn. 31 Qxd2 Qh5 32 Qe1 Kf7 33 Qe5 Qh3 Switching to defence with 33…Qh4 34 Re1 Qc4 would allow Black to put up considerable resistance. 34 Kg1 g4 35 Re1 g6 36 Qxe6+ Kg7 37 Qe5+ Kf7 38 Qc7+ Kf6 39 Qc3+ Kg5 40 f4+ Kxf4 41 Qd2+ Black resigns
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