Noam Sasson Crowned European Under-14 Chess Champion in Crete
Israeli youth chess players dominated the European Youth Championship in Greece, as Noam Sasson won the U14 title and Eliran Shilon Rahav took second place amid strong overall performances.
Israeli chess prodigies delivered an exceptional performance at the European Youth Chess Championship held in Crete, Greece. Noam Sasson was crowned the European Under-14 champion, while Eliran Shilon Rahav claimed the second-place silver medal.
Both Israeli competitors finished with 7.5 points out of nine rounds, tying for the top spots in the tournament. Sasson, representing the Chess for All club, secured the prestigious European title, while Shilon Rahav, from Chess Excellence, rounded out a phenomenal double for Israel. Strong results followed in older age categories. Roi Vegman of the Rishon LeZion Chess Club finished fourth in the Under-18 division, with clubmate Felix Tolchtsinsky placing seventh in a tie for 4th to 7th places.
In the Under-16 section, Uri Shaffer of the Etis Ramat Gan club surged from a 40th initial ranking to seventh place, while Ulay Zakin of Rishon LeZion finished ninth, both scoring 6.5 points. In the girls' Under-12 competition, Yahli Makiah Shahar of the Kiryat Ono Chess Club vaulted from 70th seed to eighth place with 6.5 points.
Looking ahead, these rising stars will compete in the upcoming Jerusalem Open Rapid Chess Championship, scheduled for November 17-18 at the Ramada Hotel. The major international festival will feature over 450 players from 42 countries, culminating in a Masters tournament boasting a record 250,000 USD prize fund.
