Open: Ukraine sole leaders, Netherlands close behind
Ukraine maintained their lead in the open section with a narrow 2½–1½ victory over France, extending their unbeaten run and reaching 11 match points.
Once again, Igor Kovalenko was the key figure for the Ukrainian squad, providing the sole decisive result in a match otherwise filled with hard-fought draws. Playing with the white pieces, Kovalenko defeated Pierre Laurent-Paoli in a Ragozin Defence arising from the Queen’s Gambit Declined. The 36-year-old grandmaster, who has been in outstanding form throughout the championship, now stands on 4½/5 with a remarkable 2906 TPR.
The other three games of the match finished drawn, though former FIDE world champion Ruslan Ponomariov came close to adding a second win for Ukraine. Playing white on the top board against Marc’Andria Maurizzi, Ponomariov reached a favourable endgame but failed to find the precise winning plan.
Instead of the decisive 35.Kd4, which would have activated his king at once, he played 35.f4, allowing 35…gxf4 36.gxf4 c5, after which Black fixed his pawns effectively and blocked the king’s access squares, holding the draw.
Ukraine v. France
The Netherlands stand in sole second place, one match point behind Ukraine, after defeating Serbia convincingly by a 3–1 score.
Anish Giri and Jorden van Foreest both scored wins on the top boards, giving the Dutch team a strong boost before the rest day. Giri’s excellent performance in Batumi continues his fine run of form following his Grand Swiss triumph in Samarkand. The Dutch leader’s current rating places him sixth in the live world list.
The Dutch team defeated Serbia in round six
Azerbaijan, meanwhile, occupy clear third place with 9 match points, two behind Ukraine. The team led by Shakhriyar Mamedyarov claimed an important victory over Armenia in round six. Mamedyarov himself delivered the crucial win on board one, outplaying Shant Sargsyan in a queenless position.
The Azerbaijani star skilfully steered the position into one featuring a dominant knight against a passive bishop, gradually converting the structural advantage into a full point.
Following Saturday’s rest day, the top matches in round seven will see Ukraine facing the Netherlands in a battle for the lead, while Azerbaijan will meet Hungary on the second board.
Standings after round 6
| 1 | Ukraine | 6 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 11 | 95 | |
| 2 | Netherlands | 6 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 10 | 104 | |
| 3 | Azerbaijan | 6 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 9 | 80,5 | |
| 4 | Romania | 6 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 8 | 82 | |
| 5 | England | 6 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 8 | 79 | |
| 6 | Greece | 6 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 8 | 79 | |
| 7 | Turkiye | 6 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 8 | 77 | |
| 8 | Serbia | 6 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 8 | 76 | |
| 9 | France | 6 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 8 | 73,5 | |
| 10 | Hungary | 6 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 8 | 70 | |
| 11 | Spain | 6 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 7 | 80 | |
| 12 | Germany | 6 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 7 | 72,5 | |
| 13 | Armenia | 6 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 7 | 70,5 | |
| 14 | Croatia | 6 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 7 | 65 | |
| 15 | Bulgaria | 6 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 7 | 52,5 |
All games
Women’s: Unstoppable Poland on 12 out of 12
In the women’s championship, Poland have emerged as the clear favourites after an emphatic 3–1 win over rating favourites Georgia. The Polish team, seeded second, have been the most consistent performers in Batumi, and Friday’s result gave them a commanding three-point lead with three rounds to play (each match win is worth two points in the team event).
Against Georgia, Alina Kashlinskaya and Aleksandra Maltsevskaya both secured full points on the top two boards, showcasing the depth and balance that have defined Poland’s campaign. Kashlinskaya and Maltsevskaya, together with Oliwia Kiolbasa, have been remarkably steady throughout the event – all three currently have 4½/6 individual scores. Their reliable form across the top boards has provided the foundation for Poland’s dominance.
The playing hall
Sharing second place on 9/12 are Germany, Ukraine and Romania. The Romanians, seeded only 17th in the 36-team field, have been the revelation of the tournament so far, having defeated both Israel and defending champions Bulgaria in their two most recent matches.
Round seven will feature two key pairings at the top of the table: Poland will meet Ukraine in a clash between two of the most consistent teams in recent years, while Germany face the in-form Romanian squad.
Arabidze ½-½ Socko
Analysis by GM Karsten Müller
Standings after round 6
| 1 | Poland | 6 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 12 | 103 | |
| 2 | Germany | 6 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 9 | 93,5 | |
| 3 | Ukraine | 6 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 9 | 81,5 | |
| 4 | Romania | 6 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 9 | 69 | |
| 5 | Georgia 1 | 6 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 8 | 101,5 | |
| 6 | Azerbaijan | 6 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 8 | 84,5 | |
| 7 | France | 6 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 8 | 73,5 | |
| 8 | Hungary | 6 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 8 | 70 | |
| 9 | Armenia | 6 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 7 | 75 | |
| 10 | Greece | 6 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 7 | 73,5 | |
| 11 | England | 6 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 7 | 73 | |
| 12 | Switzerland | 6 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 7 | 65 | |
| 13 | Turkiye | 6 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 7 | 63,5 | |
| 14 | Spain | 6 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 7 | 62,5 | |
| 15 | Georgia 2 | 6 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 7 | 57 |
