Polish chess players Gumularz and Malek near the lead after six rounds at the European Championship in Petrovac, Montenegro.
After six rounds at the European Chess Championship in Petrovac, Montenegro, Szymon Gumularz and Jan Malek are just behind the leaders with 4.5 points each, ranked 17th and 36th, respectively. Gumularz, a 22-year-old ranked sixth in Poland, secured a swift draw against Rauf Mamedov, Azerbaijan’s third-best player, while Malek, a promising 16-year-old, scored a surprising win over France’s Laurent Fressinet.
The tournament, held at Hotel Palas, features 388 players from 42 countries, including 24 from Poland. Competitors vie for both medals and World Cup spots, awarded to the top 20. With 100,000 euros in prizes, the stakes are high as participants move toward the tournament’s conclusion next Tuesday.
Polish players have a strong record in this competition, with Bartłomiej Macieja, Radosław Wojtaszek, and others previously reaching the podium. Both Gumularz and Malek aim to follow in these footsteps in Petrovac.