European Club Cup: Giri, Erdogmus and Abdusattorov all fall in round four in Budva

Three of the strongest players at the European Chess Club Cup in Budva, Montenegro, were beaten on the same day. Anish Giri, 15-year-old Turkish prodigy Yagiz Kaan Erdogmus and Uzbekistan's Nodirbek Abdusattorov all lost their games in Tuesday's fourth round, leaving the Open section wide open with three rounds left.

Indian duo stop the top seeds

The biggest shock came on the top boards of Bayegan Pendik, the Turkish club that started as top seed with the highest average rating in the field. Indian grandmaster Pranav Venkatesh beat Giri, who ended up two pawns down with nothing to show for it, while compatriot Karthikeyan Murali defeated Erdogmus after the teenager's Giuoco Piano went wrong.

Bayegan Pendik still salvaged a 3-3 draw against sixth seed Elektroprivreda, but the dropped point cost them a share of first place.

Erdogmus's rapid rise

The defeat came a day after one of the best moments of Erdogmus's young career. Making his debut in the event in round three, he beat Czech grandmaster Zbynek Hracek after a scramble in which he reached move 32 with only seconds on his clock. Chess.com described him as the highest-rated 15-year-old in history and reported that the win lifted him to world No.15 on the live rating list, past Liem Le and Leinier Dominguez.

Tuesday's loss to Karthikeyan is a reminder of how unforgiving club chess can be at this level, but Erdogmus has three more rounds to rebuild.

Abdusattorov rescued by team-mates

Abdusattorov, playing for SuperChess Romania, lost to Azerbaijan's Aydin Suleymanli, a result Chess.com said dropped him to sixth on the live list. His team-mates still won the match 4-2, keeping SuperChess Romania in the leading group.

Elsewhere, Hungary's Richard Rapport moved to a perfect 4/4 by beating Roman Shogdzhiev, an 11-year-old tipped as a possible record-breaking young grandmaster. China's Wei Yi won his fourth game in a row to help Alkaloid squeeze past Ashdod 3.5-2.5, and veteran Vasyl Ivanchuk won on top board as SK K CERO INVEST Nitra beat Beer Sheva.

Four teams share the Open lead

After four of seven rounds, Alkaloid, SuperChess Romania, Novy Bor and Nitra share first place on eight match points, a point ahead of a pack that includes Bayegan Pendik. Round five on Wednesday 21 October features Alkaloid against Novy Bor in the top clash, starting at 14:00 CEST, which is 8pm in Malaysia.

In the Women's section, CE Gambit Bonnevoie are the only perfect team after a 2.5-1.5 win over top seeds Cercle d'Echecs de Monte-Carlo. Elina Danielian won her fourth straight game, while India's Koneru Humpy let a winning position slip against Klaudia Kulon. Eleven-year-old Bodhana Sivanandan also pressed grandmaster Nino Batsiashvili for most of their game before the experienced Georgian found a way to hold.

Format and schedule

The event is a seven-round team Swiss running from 17 to 23 October, with a classical time control of 90 minutes for 40 moves plus 30 minutes, and a 30-second increment from move one. Games are broadcast on the European Chess Union's channels and major chess sites.

Key takeaways

• Giri, Erdogmus and Abdusattorov all lost in round four on 20 October.
• Pranav Venkatesh and Karthikeyan Murali beat Giri and Erdogmus respectively.
• Alkaloid, SuperChess Romania, Novy Bor and Nitra lead the Open on eight points.
• Gambit Bonnevoie are the only perfect team in the Women's event.
• Round five starts at 8pm Malaysia time on Wednesday.

FAQ Q: Where is the 2026 European Chess Club Cup being held? A: In Budva, Montenegro, from 17 to 23 October, with Open and Women's sections.

Q: Who is Yagiz Kaan Erdogmus? A: A 15-year-old Turkish grandmaster who plays for Bayegan Pendik and briefly climbed to world No.15 on the live rating list this week.

Q: What time do European Club Cup rounds start in Malaysia? A: Rounds begin at 14:00 CEST, which is 8pm Malaysia time.

Sources: Chess.com, ChessBase, European Chess Union