Short history of the Championship

European Individual Women’s Championship was held for the first time in 2000, in Batumi, Georgia, city famous for many important chess events, as a 32-player knockout event. That year Natalia Zhukova defeated Ekatarina Kovalevskaya in the final with the result 2.5-1.5. Since 2001 the Tournament has had a Swiss system format, and apart from a short switch to a 12-round schedule in 2004-2005, was played with 11-round schedule. Three players won 2 crowns: Pia Cramling (2003 and 2010), Katerina Lahno (2005 and 2008) and Tatiana Kosintseva (2007 and 2009), and all three confirmed arrival in Belgrade.

The list of European Women’s Chess Champions is as follows:

2000: Natalia Zhukova (Ukraine)
2001: Almira Skirpchenko (Moldova)
2002: Antoaneta Stefanova (Bulgaria)
2003: Pia Cramling (Sweden)
2004: Alexandra Kosteniuk (Russia)
2005: Katheryna Lahno (Ukraine)
2006: Ekatarina Atalik (Turkey)
2007: Tatiana Kositnseva (Russia)
2008: Katheryna Lahno (Ukraine)
2009: Tatiana Kositnseva (Russia)
2010: Pia Cramling (Sweden)
2011: Viktorija Cmilyte (Lithuania)
2012: Valentina Gunina (Russia)