Euro championship under way in Greece

The European Team Championship, the strongest continental team event anywhere, gets underway Oct. 27-Nov. 7 in Greece’s largest island of Crete.

Thirty-eight countries have registered this year for the 21st edition of the championship, and with five players to a team, there were easily about 195 players (Greece as host is allowed to field two teams) taking part in the nine-round Swiss system tournament.

Defending champion Russia, composed of Grischuk, Nepomniachtchi, Fedoseev, Matlakov and Vitiugov, has been ranked No. 1 based on average ratings of players.

Ranked second was Azerbaijan with Mamedyarov, Radjabov and Naiditsch, bolstering its line-up.

Other big names were Eljanov and Ponomariov for the third-seeded Ukraine, fourth-ranked England, powered by Adams, Howell and Short, No. 5 Israel, with Gelfand at the helm and sixth ranked Armenia, led by candidates qualifier Aronian. The rest of the top 10 read Hungary (seventh), Poland (eighth), Spain (ninth) and Germany (10th).

Conceived of by European organizers in the 50s, the first championship was held in Vienna, Austria in 1957, and won by the team from the Soviet Union. Yugoslavia finished second and Czechoslovakia placed third.

The European team championship is the Olympiad in microcosm. An average 40 teams participate. This is a very prestigious event, and like the Olympiad, this championship is held once every two years. ** * This is a stimulating classical game you hope to play in your lifetime. Imagine the thrill of announcing a forced mate, starring a Queen sacrifice. European Club Cup 2017 W) I. Popov (Russia) B) I. Nepomniachtchi (Russia)