Serbia has won the 2023 European Team Chess Championship after finishing a single tiebreak point ahead of Germany, who took silver despite remaining unbeaten and winning a head-to-head clash.
On the penultimate day of the competition, Germany beat France thanks to a win by Rasmus Svane, while Serbia defeated England thanks to a win by Velimir Ivic.
Bulgaria, who needed a wildcard to play, took gold in the Women’s section, ahead of Azerbaijan (silver) and France (bronze).
The Serbian team’s historic achievement was the result of a collective effort. Players Alexandr Predke, Aleksey Sarana, Aleksandar Indjic, Robert Markus and Velimir Ivic all played crucial roles in this remarkable victory.
A few months earlier, the 23-year-old Grandmaster (GM) Alexey Sarana, one of the most prolific Russian grandmasters, confirmed that he was switching national teams and would play under the Serbian flag.
Sarana was joined in Serbia by GM Alexandr Predke, who confirmed his transfer to the Serbian team in March. The Russian duo are Serbia’s highest-ranked players.
(Arena Sport TV, 20.11.2023)