The 2024/2025 Chess Bundesliga has started in Linz and is already offering exciting results after the first encounters.
In the open class, after the first three rounds, defending champions ASV Linz, Pinggau-Friedberg and Maria Saal are still at the top without losing any points. ASV Linz, considered the big favorite, celebrated three wins, but surprisingly had to accept three individual defeats. Maxim Rodshtein and Aleksandr Shimanov are the pillars of ÖSB President Michael Stöttinger’s team on boards four and five with three points each from three games.
Pinggau-Friedberg and Maria Saal also presented themselves strongly at the start. Both teams have not lost a single game so far and have also achieved three wins. The Styrians are at the top of the table due to their better second ranking. Behind the top trio, Mistelbach and Feffernitz follow, two points behind. The Lower Austrians gave Linz a big fight today and only narrowly lost 2.5:3.5. Feffernitz also defeated Ottakring with 2.5:3.5. On the Ottakringer top board, Valentin Dragnev achieved his second win against Nijak Azad Abasov. Already in the starting round, Austria’s “Olympic cyclist” celebrated a success against a player from the elite 2700 group, Alexey Sarana.
St. Veit got off to a bad start, only managing a draw against Fürstenfeld-Hartberg. The Carinthian duel against Maria Saal and the match against Mistelbach were lost.
In the women’s Bundesliga, the season also started in Linz with the first round. SK Pamhagen, the clear favorite with an impressive Elo average of 2413 on the top boards, only narrowly prevailed in the Burgenland derby against Wulkaprodersdorf with 2.5:1.5. Elina Danielian won the decisive win against Veronika Exler.
The start of the new season shows that high-class games and exciting chess battles can be expected in both the open class and the women’s Bundesliga. The next rounds promise more exciting duels before the teams complete the first block of games in Linz on Sunday. (wk, photo: Peter Kranzl)
Further game dates:
– Round 4: October 12, 2024, 2:00 p.m
– Round 5: October 13, 2024, 10:00 a.m
Results at Chess-Results:
1. Bundesliga, Women’s Bundesliga
Live broadcast of the 1st Bundesliga (15 minute delay):
ChessBase, Chess.com, Lichess
Live broadcast of the Women’s Bundesliga (15 minute delay):
ChessBase, Chess.com, Lichess
