Novy Bor and SuperChess Romania Lead European Club Cup

In the European Club Cup held in Budva, Novy Bor Chess Club and SuperChess Romania are the only teams with perfect scores after five rounds, each accumulating 10 match points in the open section.

Novy Bor achieved a significant 4–2 victory over Alkaloid, marking the latter's first loss of the tournament. Key wins for Novy Bor included David Anton's defeat of Aravindh Chithambaram and Pentala Harikrishna's victory over Yu Yangyi after a lengthy match. Meanwhile, SuperChess Romania triumphed with a 5½–½ win against SK K CERO INVEST Nitra, with all players except Vasyl Ivanchuk securing victories.

Three teams trail closely behind with 9 match points, including Bayegan Pendik, Tuxera Aquaprofit, and Elektroprivreda. The upcoming sixth round will feature a direct clash between Novy Bor and SuperChess Romania, which is expected to be pivotal in the title race.