The EU Individual Open Championship was first contested in Cork

Cork (city)

Cork is the second largest city in the Republic of Ireland and the island of Ireland's third most populous city. It is the principal city and administrative centre of County Cork and the largest city in the province of Munster. Cork has a population of 119,418, while the addition of the suburban...

, Ireland in 2005, under the auspices of organising body, the European Chess Union

European Chess Union

The European Chess Union is an independent association for the interests of European chess. It is based in Lausanne Switzerland.-Member Federations:* Albania - Federates Shgiptare te Shahul* Andorra - Federació d'Escacs Valls d'Andorra...

 (ECU). The event is open to members of chess federations within the European Union

European Union

The European Union is an economic and political union of 27 independent member states which are located primarily in Europe. The EU traces its origins from the European Coal and Steel Community and the European Economic Community , formed by six countries in 1958...

. Exceptionally, at the discretion of the organisers, guest players have also been allowed to compete; for example, when the host nation has non-EU neighbours.

Background

Since the inaugural event, the contest has been held on an annual basis, sometimes in conjunction with the celebrations of cities awarded European Capital of Culture

European Capital of Culture

The European Capital of Culture is a city designated by theEuropean Union for a period of one calendar year during which it organises a series of cultural events with a strong European dimension....

 status. Financial backing has not been consistently high, but in the case of Liverpool

Liverpool

Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough of Merseyside, England, along the eastern side of the Mersey Estuary. It was founded as a borough in 1207 and was granted city status in 1880...

 2008, the prize fund totalled £30,000, which was large enough to attract many of the EU's strongest players.

The events are run on an inclusive format, open to a range of players of varying standard, typically from Elo 1600 to 2700 or more, but unrated players are also eligible to play. Substantial prize money is awarded not just to the overall top finishers, but also to the highest finishing women and junior players. Additional prizes go to those showing the best rating improvement over the course of the tournament.

The time limits for play tend not to follow the FIDE format, but more closely resemble classical time limits, to give some assistance to players in the endgame phase.

1st EU Individual Open, Cork 2005

The first European Union Individual Open Championship formed part of the programme of events celebrating Cork City's status as European Capital of Culture for 2005. Played over ten rounds, the event took place 21 March - 3 April 2005 in the Ballroom Suite of the Gresham Metropole Hotel, MacCurtain Street, Cork, Ireland. There were one hundred and fifteen participants and Hungarian grandmaster Zoltan Gyimesi

Zoltan Gyimesi

Zoltán Gyimesi is a Hungarian chess player. He has participated in 4 Chess Olympiads 1998, 2002-2006 with a record of +11=18-4. In 2002 at the 35th Chess Olympiad, the Hungarian team won the silver medal with Gyimesi on the fourth board...

 won the event on tie-break from Mateusz Bartel

Mateusz Bartel

Mateusz Bartel is a Polish chess player who holds the title of International Grandmaster . He won the under-18 European championship in 2003....

 of Poland, who drew level on points in the final round. The highest placed woman player was IM Viktorija Čmilytė

Viktorija Cmilyte

Viktorija Čmilytė is a Lithuanian chess player with the titles of Woman Grandmaster and Grandmaster . She won the gold medal at the Women's European Individual Chess Championship in 2011...

 of Lithuania with 6½ points.

Place	Player	Title	Rating	Nationality	Result
1-2	Zoltan Gyimesi Zoltan Gyimesi Zoltán Gyimesi is a Hungarian chess player. He has participated in 4 Chess Olympiads 1998, 2002-2006 with a record of +11=18-4. In 2002 at the 35th Chess Olympiad, the Hungarian team won the silver medal with Gyimesi on the fourth board...	GM	2602		8½/10
	Mateusz Bartel Mateusz Bartel Mateusz Bartel is a Polish chess player who holds the title of International Grandmaster . He won the under-18 European championship in 2003....	GM	2487		8½/10
3-5	Bartosz Soćko Bartosz Socko Bartosz Soćko is a Polish chess Grandmaster. In 2008 Soćko became Polish champion. He played for Poland at six Chess Olympiads and at six European Team Chess Championships...	GM	2591		7½/10
	Roland Berzinsh	IM	2454		7½/10
	Mark Hebden Mark Hebden Mark Hebden is an English chess player who holds the title Grandmaster.Hebden was British Rapidplay Chess Champion in 1990, 1994, 2001, 2005 and 2009....	GM	2521		7½/10
6-9	Slavko Cicak Slavko Cicak Slavko Cicak is a Swedish chess Grandmaster .He played for Sweden in the Chess Olympiads of 2006 and 2008. In 2005 he tied for 6th-9th with Normunds Miezis, Joel Benjamin and Alexander Baburin in the European Union Championship...	GM	2552		7/10
	Joel Benjamin Joel Benjamin Joel Benjamin is an American chess Grandmaster. In 1998, he was voted "Grandmaster of the Year" by the U.S. Chess Federation. , his Elo rating was 2576, making him the No. 12 player in the U.S. and the 214th-highest rated player in the world.-Life and career:Benjamin is a native of Brooklyn, New...	GM	2554		7/10
	Normunds Miezis Normunds Miezis Normunds Miezis is a Latvian chess Grandmaster .-Chess career:He won the Latvian Chess Championship in 1991 and 2006. Played for Latvia in the Chess Olympiads of 1998, 2000, 2002, 2004, 2006 and 2008...	GM	2547		7/10
	Alexander Baburin Alexander Baburin Alexander Baburin is a Russian-Irish International Grandmaster of chess...	GM	2523		7/10

2nd EU Individual Open, Liverpool 2006

The second edition of the Championship took place at the World Museum, William Brown Street, Liverpool, England. Held between 6–15 September 2006, the tournament entry totalled eighty-four. Going into the final round, host nation grandmaster Nigel Short

Nigel Short

Nigel David Short MBE is an English chess grandmaster earning the title at the age of 19. Short is often regarded as the strongest English player of the 20th century as he was ranked third in the world, from January 1988 – July 1989 and in 1993, he challenged Garry Kasparov for the World Chess...

 was the only leading player to win, defeating Mark Hebden

Mark Hebden

Mark Hebden is an English chess player who holds the title Grandmaster.Hebden was British Rapidplay Chess Champion in 1990, 1994, 2001, 2005 and 2009....

 to capture clear first place with 7½/10. The highest placed woman player was IM Dagne Ciuksyte of Lithuania on 6½ points, repeating the achievement of compatriot Cmilyte, in the previous year's event.

Place	Player	Title	Rating	Nationality	Result
1	Nigel Short Nigel Short Nigel David Short MBE is an English chess grandmaster earning the title at the age of 19. Short is often regarded as the strongest English player of the 20th century as he was ranked third in the world, from January 1988 – July 1989 and in 1993, he challenged Garry Kasparov for the World Chess...	GM	2676		7½/10
2-9	Sarunas Sulskis Šarūnas Šulskis Šarūnas Šulskis is a Lithuanian chess Grandmaster .-Chess career:He won the Lithuanian Chess Championship on five occasions: in 1991, 1994, 1998 , 2007 and 2009...	GM	2514		7/10
	Luke McShane Luke McShane Luke James McShane is an English chess player. A former World Youth Champion and prodigious talent in chess, he has become one of England's leading players and a member of the Olympiad team. He has also been a trader in London's financial sector.- Early career :McShane won the World Under-10...	GM	2614		7/10
	Stephen Gordon Stephen J. Gordon Stephen J. Gordon is a grandmaster of chess from Oldham, Greater Manchester, England. In September 2004, he took a break from his A-level studies at The Blue Coat School, Oldham to compete in the thirteenth Monarch Assurance Isle of Man International.In 2005, while still a FIDE Master, he finished...	IM	2443		7/10
	Gawain Jones Gawain Jones Gawain Christopher B. Jones is an English chess Grandmaster.-Career:Jones was born in Keighley, West Yorkshire and began playing chess at the age of four, competing in his first tournaments at six...	IM	2416		7/10
	Luis Galego Luís Galego Luís Galego is a Portuguese chess grandmaster. He represented Portugal in ten Chess Olympiads , and achieved a top Elo rating of 2543.In 2006, he tied for 2nd-9th with Luke McShane, Stephen J...	GM	2528		7/10
	Danny Gormally Danny Gormally Danny Gormally , is a British chess Grandmaster. On the July 2011 FIDE rating list his Elo rating was 2519. His peak rating was 2573 on the January 2006 rating list. Nationally he is ranked 15th, and is the 14th strongest of England's 26 grandmasters...	GM	2513		7/10
	Klaus Bischoff Klaus Bischoff Klaus Bischoff is a German chess player. He was awarded the Grandmaster title by FIDE in 1990.In international tournaments, he has taken a share of first place on a number of occasions, including Kecskemét 1988, Arosa 1996, Recklinghausen 1999, Essen 2000, Bad Zwesten 2003 and Bad Zwesten again in...	GM	2533		7/10
	Karel van der Weide	GM	2446		7/10

3rd EU Individual Open, Arvier 2007

The third European Union Individual Open Championship took place June 15-24th 2007, in Arvier

Arvier

Arvier is a town and comune in the Aosta Valley region of north-western Italy.- Geography :-Wine:The local wine, Enfer d'Arvier, had its own DOC designation before being subsumed into the Valle d'Aosta DOC...

 (Aosta Valley), Italy. There were one hundred and ten competitors and the tournament was open to the players of the twenty-seven countries of the European Union, plus four additional countries close to the host nation, these being Croatia, Montenegro, Serbia and Turkey. Croatian Nikola Sedlak took the contest on tie-break from local favourite Michele Godena

Michele Godena

Michele Godena is an Italian chess player and many times the national champion.A resident of Finale Ligure, he achieved the title of International Grandmaster in 1996, following a plus score on board one for Italy at the Yerevan Olympiad...

, after both finished on 8/10. Godena was however awarded the Champion's title, due to Sedlak being a non-EU citizen. IM Cristina Foisor (ROM) was the top finishing woman player with 6½ points.

Place	Player	Title	Rating	Nationality	Result
1-2	Nikola Sedlak	GM	2575		8/10
	Michele Godena Michele Godena Michele Godena is an Italian chess player and many times the national champion.A resident of Finale Ligure, he achieved the title of International Grandmaster in 1996, following a plus score on board one for Italy at the Yerevan Olympiad...	GM	2558		8/10
3-6	Thomas Luther Thomas Luther Thomas Luther is a German chess player and International Grandmaster of Chess. In 2000 he was a member of the German team that won the silver medal in the 34th Chess Olympiad in Istanbul....	GM	2586		7½/10
	Fabiano Caruana Fabiano Caruana Fabiano Luigi Caruana is Grandmaster and chess prodigy with dual citizenship of Italy and the United States.On 15 July 2007 Caruana became a Grandmaster at the age of 14 years, 11 months, 20 days – the youngest Grandmaster in the history of both Italy and the United States.In the November 2011...	IM	2513		7½/10
	Alexander Baburin Alexander Baburin Alexander Baburin is a Russian-Irish International Grandmaster of chess...	GM	2545		7½/10
	Mišo Cebalo Mišo Cebalo Mišo Cebalo is a Croatian chess Grandmaster. He won the 19th World Senior Chess Championship at Condino 2009....	GM	2491		7½/10
7-9	Sarunas Sulskis Šarūnas Šulskis Šarūnas Šulskis is a Lithuanian chess Grandmaster .-Chess career:He won the Lithuanian Chess Championship on five occasions: in 1991, 1994, 1998 , 2007 and 2009...	GM	2533		7/10
	Nenad Sulava	GM	2549		7/10
	Marcos Llaneza Vega	IM	2455		7/10

4th EU Individual Open, Liverpool 2008

The fourth edition of the Championship saw a return to the venue of 2006—Liverpool's World Museum. Held September 9-18th 2008, during the city's reign as European Capital of Culture, there were one hundred and forty participants, from twenty member states, competing for a record prize fund. The event was won by Jan Werle

Jan Werle

Jan Werle is a Dutch chess player with the title Grandmaster.-Junior success:He learned the moves at the age of five, after watching his father play with a friend. Rapid progress brought him much junior success across the various age groups of both national and regional championships...

 of the Netherlands, the best tournament success of his chess career to date. He drew with Maxime Vachier-Lagrave

Maxime Vachier-Lagrave

Maxime Vachier-Lagrave is a French chess Grandmaster and the 2009 World Junior Chess Champion.-Grandmaster norms:He completed his final grandmaster norm at age 14 years, 4 months, in 2005....

 in the final round, while Michael Adams, a half point behind, settled for an early draw with Emanuel Berg

Emanuel Berg

Emanuel Berg is a Swedish chess player with the title Grandmaster.-First moves and playing style:As a youngster, he made solid progress and was consequently selected to represent his country in the various age categories of the European Youth and World Youth Championships...

, thereby securing a share of second place. The women's top spot was shared between Jovanka Houska

Jovanka Houska

Jovanka Houska is an English chess player with the titles International Master and Woman Grandmaster .-Formative years:...

, Yelena Dembo

Yelena Dembo

Yelena Dembo is a Greek International Master of chess. On the May 2010 FIDE rating list for women, she is ranked 31st in the world, with a rating of 2470. She became a Woman Grandmaster when she was seventeen years old, and an International Master at age nineteen...

 and Ketevan Arakhamia-Grant

Ketevan Arakhamia-Grant

Ketevan Revazovna Arakhamia-Grant is a Georgian -born Scottish Grandmaster of chess.-Chess career:...

, all on 6 points.

Place	Player	Title	Rating	Nationality	Result
1	Jan Werle Jan Werle Jan Werle is a Dutch chess player with the title Grandmaster.-Junior success:He learned the moves at the age of five, after watching his father play with a friend. Rapid progress brought him much junior success across the various age groups of both national and regional championships...	GM	2591		8/10
2-4	Viktor Laznicka Viktor Láznicka Viktor Láznička is a chess grandmaster from the Czech Republic.-Early moves:After learning the game at age six, he progressed quickly to playing junior tournaments and achieved many prize-winning performances in the national championships across the range of age limits...	GM	2601		7½/10
	Michael Adams	GM	2735		7½/10
	Nigel Short Nigel Short Nigel David Short MBE is an English chess grandmaster earning the title at the age of 19. Short is often regarded as the strongest English player of the 20th century as he was ranked third in the world, from January 1988 – July 1989 and in 1993, he challenged Garry Kasparov for the World Chess...	GM	2655		7½/10
5-15	Alberto David Alberto David Alberto David is a Luxembourgian chess player holding the rank of grandmaster. , he has an Elo rating of 2587, having peaked at a rating of 2603 in January 2009. He has competed for Luxembourg at six Chess Olympiads , playing first board each time...	GM	2568		7/10
	Erwin L'Ami Erwin l'Ami Erwin l'Ami is a chess Grandmaster. He has emerged, along with Jan Smeets, Daniel Stellwagen and Jan Werle, as one of a new generation of talented young players from the Netherlands.-Early years:...	GM	2610		7/10
	Maxime Vachier-Lagrave Maxime Vachier-Lagrave Maxime Vachier-Lagrave is a French chess Grandmaster and the 2009 World Junior Chess Champion.-Grandmaster norms:He completed his final grandmaster norm at age 14 years, 4 months, in 2005....	GM	2681		7/10
	Daniel Fridman Daniel Fridman Daniel Fridman is a German chess master who originates from Latvia. He was Latvian champion in 1996 and German champion in 2008.-Early chess career:...	GM	2637		7/10
	Emanuel Berg Emanuel Berg Emanuel Berg is a Swedish chess player with the title Grandmaster.-First moves and playing style:As a youngster, he made solid progress and was consequently selected to represent his country in the various age categories of the European Youth and World Youth Championships...	GM	2592		7/10
	Étienne Bacrot Étienne Bacrot Étienne Bacrot is a French chess grandmaster and currently ranked number one in France.He started playing at 4; by 10 young Bacrot was already winning junior competitions and in 1996, at 13 years of age, he won against Vasily Smyslov...	GM	2691		7/10
	David Howell David Howell (chess player) David Wei Liang Howell is an English chess player. He is the youngest chess Grandmaster in the United Kingdom, a title he earned when he came second during the 35th Rilton Cup in Stockholm on 5 January 2007 when he was 16...	GM	2561		7/10
	Sergei Tiviakov Sergei Tiviakov Sergei Tiviakov is a naturalised Dutch chess Grandmaster.Tiviakov won the Dutch Chess Championship in 2006 and 2007. In 2008, in Plovdiv, he won the European Individual Chess Championship with 8.5/11....	GM	2645		7/10
	Thomas Luther Thomas Luther Thomas Luther is a German chess player and International Grandmaster of Chess. In 2000 he was a member of the German team that won the silver medal in the 34th Chess Olympiad in Istanbul....	GM	2570		7/10
	Jan Smeets Jan Smeets Jan Smeets is a Dutch chess player with the title Grandmaster. He was the Netherlands' national champion in 2008. In 2009 he did not take part, but in 2010 he successfully reclaimed the championship.-Competitive beginnings:...	GM	2593		7/10
	Alexander Beliavsky Alexander Beliavsky -External links:...	GM	2606		7/10

External links

• http://www.liverpoolchessinternational.co.uk/index.htm Liverpool Chess International website - 2006, 2008 events
• http://www.chessbase.com/newsdetail.asp?newsid=4913 Chessbase article - 2008 event