Armenia's Elina Danielyan becomes European champion

Chess grandmaster Elina Danielyan won the European Individual Women’s Chess Championship, becoming the first female chess player to win a championship in the history of Armenian chess.

In the last round of the championship held in Romania, the Armenia women’s chess team’s leading player competed with Estonia’s Mai Narva with white figures and won in the 40^th step, scoring 9 out of 11 possible points (7 victories, 4 tied matches).

Ukrainian Iulija Osmak was behind Danielyan by half a point, and a short while ago, she tied the match with Georgian Bela Khotenashvili.

In 2001, Elina Danielyan, 43, became Europe’s individual champion in blitz chess, in 2003 — Europe’s team champion as part of the Armenia chess team, and in 2011 — bronze medalist of the European Individual Chess Championship.

Out of the other representatives of Armenia, Anna Sargsyan is in 5^th place (7.5), Mariam Mkrtchyan — in 21^st place (6.5), Lilit Mkrtchyan — in 34^th place (6.5), Susanna Gaboyan — in 60^th place (5), Maria Gevorgyan — in 62^nd place (5) and Siranush Ghukasyan — in 88^th place (4).

The main referee for the European championship was chairperson of the referee committee of the Chess Federation of Armenia, international referee Ashot Vardapetyan. Among the participants were 117 female athletes from 29 countries, including 5 chess grandmasters, 22 women’s chess grandmasters, 22 international masters and 17 international women’s masters.