The Indian grandmasters made a good impression at the European Chess Club Cup 2026 in Montenegro, where Nihal Sarin and Koneru Humpy won gold medals in the men’s and women’s sections, respectively. Sarin played for Novy Bor Chess Club and collected five points out of six, while Humpy was a member of the team of Cercle d’Echecs de Monte-Carlo that won the title of the team champion among the women. Pentala Harikrishna and Karthikeyan Murali were also individual medallists.
Individual Gold Medal of Nihal Sarin in the Men’s Section
Grandmaster Nihal Sarin of India, who played for Novy Bor Chess Club, won the individual gold medal at Board 2 in the men’s section. He got five points from six games, with four wins and two draws.
His wins were over Jorden van Foreest, Karthikeyan Murali and Maxim Rodshtein. Thanks to his play, Novy Bor finished second in the team classification, losing to Bayegan Pendik Sports Club.
Medalists of Indian origin in Open Competition
| Player | Club | Board | Medal | Points |
| Nihal Sarin | Novy Bor Chess Club | 2 | Gold | 5/6 |
| Pentala Harikrishna | Novy Bor Chess Club | 3 | Silver | 5/6 |
| Karthikeyan Murali | Team Electroprivreda | 2 | Bronze | 4.5/6 |
| Arjun Erigaisi | Club team not specified in the report | 1 | Fourth place | Not specified |
The second silver medalist was Harikrishna, who won 5 out of 6 games and obtained silver in individual competition on Board 3. Murali won bronze on Board 2 in the games played for Montenegro club Team Electroprivreda, which ranked 11th in the team classification.
Koneru Humpy Plays Important Role in Monte-Carlo Winning Women’s Team Trophy
Indian grandmaster Koneru Humpy played he crucial part in to helping Cercle d’Echecs de Monte-Carlo claim the European Chess Club Cup for Women 2026.
She won the gold medal in the individual category on Board 2, achieving 4.5 points in six games.
Her win against the Woman FIDE Master Nia Donghvani was one of the reasons for her success as a team. Her team won the trophy in the women’s team championship.
Humpy also emphasized her long association with the club that started back in 2007. She also pointed out that the victory was a team achievement.
What Is the European Chess Club Cup?
The European Chess Club Cup is an important team chess tournament conducted under the European Chess Union. Teams from the clubs comprising grandmasters and other titled players participate in the tournament in different boards.
It consists of both open and women’s tournaments. There are individual awards on each board depending on the performance of the player in the board.
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