Alkoloid & SuperChess lead, Erigaisi beats Keymer @ Rhodes
Teams Alkoloid and SuperChess led the table in the Open section with 10 match points after the fifth round in the European Chess Club Cup 2025, Rhodes. Led by Indian GMs Erigaisi Arjun and Gukesh Dommaraju the Alkaloid & SuperChess teams scored similar 4-2 victories to on top in the Open section. Top seed Cercle d’échecs de Monte-Carlo with 10 match points, maintained a clear two point lead in the women’s section, winning their fifth match in succession.
In a marquee clash of youth, GM Erigaisi Arjun overcame GM Vincent Keymer. The Queen’s Indian Defense game was quite wild and appeared like a free-for-all for most of the time. It was a battle that was thrilling all the way. For, both Erigaisi and Keymer took risks and made a match of it for the paying public. Early into the game, Erigaisi grabbed the black rook giving up two minor pieces. In the process, Keymer’s King was completely exposed from it’s pawn shelter. Swinging his queen & rook like an expert trapeze artist Erigaisi sewed up the game in 32 moves.
The much anticipated match up between word champion Gukesh Dommaraju and top seed GM Anish Giri ended with a three fold repetition after 36 moves. Safety was the watchword in the Nimzo-Indian Defense game where neither player was worse at anytime. The ensuing rook and minor piece ending offered little for both when draw was agreed.
Top seeds Cercle d’échecs de Monte-Carlo will be difficult to catch in the women’s section, with their top board GMs Goryachkina, Divya, Kosteniuk and IM Kashlinskaya showing great form. A solitary loss from the reserve board GM Paehtz Elisabeth so far, shows the bench strength of the team from Monte-Carlo which already has one hand on the trophy.
The sixth round starts today by 3 PM local time.
Key 6th round team pairings: SuperChess – Alkaloid, Turkish Airlines sports club – Tuxera Aquaprofit Nagykanizsai Sakk Klub, Novy Bor – Beer Sheva, Sv Werder Bremen – Vugar Gashimov, Rishon Le Zion #1 – Schachfreunde Berlin 1903, SG Riehen – Kfar Saba
Round 5 Results (Open): Alkaloid beat Novy Bor 4-2, SuperChess beat Bayegan Pendik chess sports club 4-2, Tuxera Aquaprofit Nagykanizsai Sakk Klub beat CE Nyon 5-1, Limhamns SK lost to Turkish Airlines sports club 1.5-4.5, MTK Budapest lost to Vugar Gashimov 1-5, Rishon Le Zion #1 beat SK K Cero Invest Nitra 4.5-1.5
Round 5 Results (Women): Cercle d’échecs de Monte-Carlo beat Crvena Zvezda 2.5-1.5, Tajfun SK Ljubljana lost to Sirmium Sremska Mitrovica 0.5-3.5, De Stukkenjagers lost to SuperChess 0-4, Turkish Airlines sports club lost to CE Gambit Bonnevoie 1.5-2.5, She plays to win Lioness #1 beat Wasa SK 3.5-0.5, Streatham & Brixton lost to SK Zmaj 1-3.
Erigaisi Arjun (2773) – Keymer Vincent (2755) 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 b6 4. a3 Bb7 5. Nc3 Ne4 6. Nxe4 Bxe4 7. Ng5 Bg6 8. g3 h6 9. Bg2 hxg5 10. Bxa8 c6 11. O-O Be7 12. d5 Qc7 13. Be3 a6 14. Qd4 Qa7 15. Qxg7 Rf8 16. Bxc6 dxc6 17. dxe6 Qb7 18. Rfd1 c5 19. Rd5 Be4 20. exf7+ Rxf7 21. Qh8+ Rf8 22. Qh5+ Rf7 23. Re5 Nd7 24. Rxe7+ Kxe7 25. Bxg5+ Ke8 26. Rd1 Bh7 27. Qh6 Bf5 28. Rd5 Rh7 29. Qd6 Bh3 30. Qg6+ Rf7 31. Qg8+ Rf8
32. Qg7 1-0
Photos courtesy: Dr. Mark Livshitz / European Chess Union
