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Author: Andrii Nikitonok

Ukraine Matches Its Best Youth European Chess Championship Result in 29 Years: What It Means

Ukraine Matches Its Best Youth European Chess Championship Result in 29 Years: What It Means
Myron Netrebka. Photo: Dnipro City Council Department of Humanitarian Policy

The national team finished second in the medal table.

Team Ukraine's chess squad matched its best result in 29 years at the Youth European Championship — winning two gold medals at once following competition in Budva.

The tournament in Montenegro ran October 28 through November 8 across six age categories for boys and girls. At the previous European championship, Ukraine won one gold — among girls under 10, where Svitlana Russieva won.

How the Ukrainians Performed at the 2025 Youth European Chess Championship

  • The team's unique gold came from Myron Netrebka. The Dnipro native was the only chess player in the entire tournament to win 9 of 9 games, in the under-8 category.Earlier this year, in April, seven-year-old Myron became the world blitz champion, and in August, a two-time European champion in blitz and rapid.
  • Ukraine's second medal at the 2025 Youth European Chess Championship was won by Daria Kravchuk. The athlete lost her sixth game with the black pieces, but won the rest, finishing 0.5 points ahead of her closest pursuer from Azerbaijan.Earlier, the chess player from Bucha won silver at the World Rapid Championship in Rhodes, Greece.

As a result, Ukraine finished second overall, behind only Team France. 'Les Bleus' finished with two golds and one silver. Neither Russia nor Belarus competed in any capacity at the tournament.

2025 Youth European Chess Championship Standings

  1. France (2 gold + 1 silver + 0 bronze)
  2. Ukraine (2+0+0)
  3. Poland (1+2+2)

When Ukraine Last Won More Than Two Golds at the Youth European Chess Championship

Ukraine last won more than two golds at a single Youth European Championship back in 1996. That year, three boys and one girl won their age categories.

So at this year's European championship, the national team matched its best result in the past 29 years for the number of gold medals. Ukraine has only achieved this same result four times in that period.

  • 4 golds — 1996
  • 2 golds — 2025, 2022, 2002, 2001, 1998
  • 1 gold — 2024, 2015, 2014, 2013, 2012, 2011, 2010, 2008, 2007, 2003, 2000, 1999, 1997

Watch an interview with Team Ukraine chess player Yelyzaveta Hrebenshchykova on DeTalks' YouTube channel.

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