Chess Shock in Budva as Top Stars Fall
European Club Cup 2026: Upsets Shake Up the Standings
The 2026 European Club Cup delivered a dramatic fourth round in Budva, Montenegro, as several leading grandmasters suffered unexpected defeats and the race for the title became more intense. With four rounds completed, Alkaloid, SuperChess Romania, Novy Bor Chess Club and SK K CERO INVEST Nitra remain the only teams with perfect records in the open section, each holding eight match points.
The biggest talking point was the defeat of some of the tournament’s leading players. World number-five Nodirbek Abdusattorov, Dutch grandmaster Anish Giri and Turkish teenage star Yagiz Kaan Erdogmus all lost their individual games. Their results demonstrated how quickly the balance can shift in elite team chess, where a single mistake can influence an entire match.
The women’s competition also produced a major upset, with CE Gambit Bonnevoie defeating defending champions Cercle d’Echecs de Monte-Carlo to take sole possession of first place.
SuperChess Romania, the defending champions, also produced a strong performance by defeating Vugar Gashimov 4-2. Despite Abdusattorov losing to Azerbaijan’s Aydin Suleymanli, SuperChess recovered through victories from Jorden van Foreest, Alexey Sarana and Daniel Dardha.
Czech club Novy Bor Chess Club registered a convincing 4.5-1.5 win over Rishon LeZion A. Nihal Sarin, Pentala Harikrishna and Nils Grandelius contributed full points as Novy Bor strengthened its position among the leaders.
The fourth team in the leading group, SK K CERO INVEST Nitra, continued its impressive campaign by defeating Beer Sheva Chess Club. Led by experienced grandmaster Vasyl Ivanchuk, the 12th-seeded side has emerged as one of the tournament’s surprise packages.
Abdusattorov, Giri and Erdogmus Suffer Defeats
The fourth round proved particularly challenging for three of the competition’s prominent players.
Abdusattorov lost to Suleymanli in a demanding encounter, but his SuperChess Romania teammates ensured that the defeat did not affect the team’s winning run. The Romanian side secured a 4-2 victory and remained level with Alkaloid and Novy Bor on eight match points.
Giri and Erdogmus also suffered defeats while representing top-seeded Bayegan Pendik Chess Sports Club. Indian grandmasters Pranav Venkatesh and Karthikeyan Murali defeated the Turkish club’s leading players, respectively, in an impressive performance by the Indian duo.
Despite those losses, Bayegan Pendik managed to draw its match 3-3 against Elektroprivreda. Ediz Gurel and Richard Rapport contributed victories to help the Turkish team avoid a defeat, leaving it on seven match points.
The results underline the unpredictable nature of the European Club Cup, where the strength of the entire six-board lineup matters as much as individual star power.
European Women’s Club Cup: Gambit Bonnevoie Beat Monte-Carlo
The women’s competition produced one of the most significant results of the tournament so far. CE Gambit Bonnevoie defeated defending champions Cercle d’Echecs de Monte-Carlo 2.5-1.5 to become the only team with a perfect record after four rounds.
Armenian grandmaster Elina Danielian proved decisive once again, defeating Greece’s Stavroula Tsolakidou to register her fourth consecutive victory. Her performance helped Gambit Bonnevoie overcome a team that has traditionally dominated the women’s competition.
Monte-Carlo had entered the match as the defending champions and top seeds, but the Luxembourg club delivered a composed performance under pressure. Although Anna Ushenina and Aleksandra Goryachkina drew their game, Danielian’s victory proved crucial.
Another key moment came on the board featuring India’s Humpy Koneru against Klaudia Kulon. Koneru let a winning position slip, further complicating Monte-Carlo’s efforts to save the match. The final result handed Gambit Bonnevoie sole leadership with eight match points, while Monte-Carlo remained on six.
Bodhana Sivanandan Continues to Impress
England’s 11-year-old chess talent Bodhana Sivanandan also attracted attention during the tournament. Playing for her club, she produced another determined performance against grandmaster Nino Batsiashvili.
Sivanandan won an exchange and applied pressure for much of the game, but Batsiashvili found a defensive resource to escape with a draw. Although the individual result did not prevent her team from losing, the performance further highlighted the youngster’s growing confidence against experienced opposition.
The women’s standings remain competitive behind Gambit Bonnevoie, with Monte-Carlo, Crvena Zvezda, Sirmium Sremska Mitrovica, Velikova Chess Club and Odlar Yurdu among the chasing teams.
European Club Cup 2026: What Comes Next?
The tournament continues with Round 5 on Wednesday, October 21, as the leading teams look to strengthen their positions before the final stages. One of the most anticipated encounters is the clash between Alkaloid and Novy Bor, two teams that have won all four of their matches.
The open competition features 108 clubs, while 22 teams are competing in the women’s event. Both tournaments follow a seven-round Swiss system, meaning every round can significantly influence the standings.
With four teams still unbeaten in the open section and Gambit Bonnevoie leading the women’s competition, the battle for the European Club Cup titles remains wide open. The next round could provide another major test for the favourites and offer further opportunities for emerging players to make their mark.
