Bayegan Pendik and Monte-Carlo Crowned Champions at 2026 European Club Cup
Bayegan Pendik Chess Sports Club triumphed at the European Club Cup held in Budva, Montenegro, defeating SuperChess Romania 3½–2½ in the final round. The Turkish team concluded the tournament with 13 out of 14 match points, tying with Novy Bor Chess Club, who achieved a 4½–1½ victory over Elektroprivreda.
The final round saw Bayegan Pendik and SuperChess, both tied for first, face off. Anish Giri and Amin Tabatabaei secured wins for Bayegan Pendik, while SuperChess's only point came from Jorden van Foreest's victory over Yagiz Kaan Erdogmus. Giri's win was notable as he had previously struggled in the tournament.
In the women's section, Cercle d'Echecs de Monte-Carlo defended their title by defeating Davit Jojua's Chess Club 4–0, finishing with 12 out of 14 match points. They were tied with CE Gambit Bonnevoie, who also performed well, but Monte-Carlo's superior tiebreak score secured their victory. Notably, 11-year-old Bodhana Sivanandan achieved her third international master norm during the event, becoming the youngest female player to do so.
