Major Chess Battles: Nicosia Grand Prix, American Cup, and European Championship 2025 - Episode 13

GM Priyadharshan Kannappan

Today is going to be an exciting discussion, as we dive into three major chess tournaments taking center stage this year—the Nicosia Grand Prix, the American Cup, and the European Championship. Honestly, it’s a packed lineup, isn’t it?

Young, American, Crisp, Female Voice (Conversational)

Oh, totally. And I think what’s really exciting is just how much variety each of these events brings, you know? Like, each one has its own flavor. But where do we even begin with all that action?

GM Priyadharshan Kannappan

Well, let’s start with the Nicosia Grand Prix. I mean, this tournament is fast becoming a cornerstone of the chess calendar. Players from all over have been flocking to it, and it’s not just because of the prestige but also the fierce level of competition it promises.

Young, American, Crisp, Female Voice (Conversational)

Right. It’s kind of become the ultimate proving ground for so many up-and-coming players. Like, if you wanna see breakout performances, this is the event to watch.

GM Priyadharshan Kannappan

Absolutely. But then we’ve also got the American Cup, which has more of a tradition of showcasing dramatic comebacks. That tournament, more than the others, almost feels like a chess soap opera in all the right ways.

Young, American, Crisp, Female Voice (Conversational)

Wait, hold up. A chess soap opera? That’s—

GM Priyadharshan Kannappan

Well, think about it! You have these high-stakes matches, rivals locking horns across the board, and, of course, spectacular game-turning blunders. It’s all so intense.

Young, American, Crisp, Female Voice (Conversational)

Yeah, okay, I’ll give you that. But then we’ve also got the European Championship, which, honestly, is just... robust. Like, you’re looking at a field that’s consistently strong, and every player is coming in with a game face ready to take the title.

GM Priyadharshan Kannappan

Exactly. And it’s always been considered the ultimate test of endurance, because each match has such high stakes, right from the beginning. The European Championship is where grit and consistency truly shine.

Young, American, Crisp, Female Voice (Conversational)

You’re so right about that. I feel like—not to sound overly dramatic—but that’s where champions are made. It’s just such a powerful event.

GM Priyadharshan Kannappan

Speaking of these amazing tournaments, let’s dive right into the Nicosia Women’s Grand Prix. This year’s event, honestly, just feels monumental. The level of competition seems to have jumped up several notches, wouldn’t you say?

Young, American, Crisp, Female Voice (Conversational)

That’s right! GM Anna Muzychuk emerged as the winner after a series of intense rounds.

GM Priyadharshan Kannappan

The final round was particularly stressful, with all the games ending in draws.

Young, American, Crisp, Female Voice (Conversational)

Exactly! Anna was tied with Zhu Jiner on a score of 6 out of 9, but she claimed the title based on various tiebreakers.

GM Priyadharshan Kannappan

And let’s not forget, they ended up splitting the prize money along with the Grand Prix points.

Young, American, Crisp, Female Voice (Conversational)

There were some missed winning opportunities from both Zhu and Olga Badelka, and Harika Dronavalli, Aleksandra Goryachkina, and Mariya Muzychuk were all close in the final standings.

GM Priyadharshan Kannappan

Moving on to the 2025 American Cup Open, where GM Hikaru Nakamura faced off against GM Fabiano Caruana in a dramatic tiebreaker blitz game.

Young, American, Crisp, Female Voice (Conversational)

Nakamura secured the title after winning the grand final. He won the first classical game, and the second round ended in a draw.

GM Priyadharshan Kannappan

That’s right! He triumphed in the open section, and thanks to his early success, he got an extra rest day.

Young, American, Crisp, Female Voice (Conversational)

Meanwhile, Caruana had to fight his way to the match by playing his way out of the elimination game.

GM Priyadharshan Kannappan

Now, let’s talk about the Women’s section of the 2025 American Cup.

Young, American, Crisp, Female Voice (Conversational)

IM Alice Lee successfully defended her title against Tatev Abrahamyan in a very close match that went to blitz game tiebreaks.

GM Priyadharshan Kannappan

And can you believe Alice is only 15 years old? She showed incredible maturity and resilience, overcoming setbacks to claim the title.

Young, American, Crisp, Female Voice (Conversational)

Finally, we have the ongoing European Championship 2025 taking place in Romania.

GM Priyadharshan Kannappan

That’s right! Over (375) players are competing for a prize pool of over 100,000 euros in this prestigious event.

Young, American, Crisp, Female Voice (Conversational)

GM Matthias Bluebaum won the European Chess Championship and Twenty players also qualified for the FIDE World Cup.

GM Priyadharshan Kannappan

We also see familiar names like Daniel Dardha and Pavel Eljanov following closely behind.

Young, American, Crisp, Female Voice (Conversational)

This tournament features an eleven-round Swiss open format, with 90 minutes for the first 40 moves, followed by 30 minutes until the end of the game, plus 30-second increments for every move starting from the first one.

GM Priyadharshan Kannappan

And the top 20 players will have the chance to enter the FIDE knockout tournament, where three chosen players can win a ticket to the Candidates Tournament!

Young, American, Crisp, Female Voice (Conversational)

Right! And I think that’s why tournaments like the European Championship are so exciting. It’s the perfect mix of experience and ambition.

GM Priyadharshan Kannappan

Honestly, it’s been such a privilege to break down all these events with you. There’s just so much happening in the chess world right now—it’s hard to keep up, but it’s such an exciting time to be a fan.

Young, American, Crisp, Female Voice (Conversational)

Completely agree. And for all our listeners, thank you for joining us today. It’s been great discussing these incredible tournaments with you, and we can’t wait to see what unfolds next.