Gausdal Bygger’n Masters 2005
THE LAHLUM ROUND REPORT (PART EIGHT)
Marvellous Magnus definitely confirmed his first place in Gausdal Bygger'n Masters 2005 today: Although the position against solid FM Geir Sune Tallaksen still seemed balanced and rather slow after 25 moves, Magnus demonstrated a winning attack well before 40. As Burmakin-Kulaots was a short draw while GM Vladimir Dobrov came back to raise a decisive attack after playing three pawns down against GM Arnaud Hauchard, Dobrov now is unshared second half a point ahead of Burmakin and Kulaots. Dobrov following this can still share the first place if he can defeat Burmakin as white in round nine while Magnus is losing as black to GM Ralf Åkesson. First however it is considered unlikely that Dobrov will try to defeat Burmakin, second it is considered even less likely that Dobrov will succeed to defeat Burmakin if trying, third Magnus following their play so far is considered unlikely losing to Åkesson - and fourth in case of equal points Magnus will still finish ahead of Dobrov due to his higher average of opponents!
FM Geir Sune Tallaksen despite his loss today can still make his first IM-norm if able to defeat FM Simon Silseth as white tomorrow. FM Øystein Hole following a hard fought but fair enough draw against GM Stellan Brynell also is still in the norm run, but will have a hard task to win as black tomorrow against IM Jean-Luc Seret - who today ended FM Felix Nordström's norm hopes after a marathon 107 move endgame. One round before the end the result list has normalized very well, but even another Bentsen surprise could be noted as Håkon today efficiently used his tactical chances against too loose-playing FM Jon Ludvig Hammer.
GM Magnus CARLSEN 2570 - FM Geir Sune TALLAKSEN 2350 1 - 0
Everything works out for Magnus this Gausdal week, and he appeared more magic than ever during this still mysterious Ruy Lopez duel. Although white had a space advantage in the centre and on the queenside from the opening, black got all his pieces into play and seemingly had no problems. When white at move 21 exchanged at e5 to reach a symmetric king's pawn centre, he apparently still had no advantage. Then Magnus accelerated his pieces, and without making any obvious mistakes black suddenly found himself under heavy pressure on the kingside. 30.--- Kh7? (if anything) probably was the decisive mistake by black, allowing 31.Ba5! Qxa5 32.Rxd7 with a white intervention on the seventh rank. Having got a finger Magnus of course immediately hit in with his fists, sacrificing his knight at h5 and then his rook at g7 to force black's resignation after 37 moves. The win would have been even more convincing if Magnus after the game had been able to explain what went wrong for black, but his performance anyway reached an amazing 2825 following this seventh win in eight rounds - and although the money might still be shared his troll following this is granted. While Tallaksen feeling more surprised about the game than about the result, still has the chance to make his first IM-norm if winning as white against Silseth in the ninth round.
GM Vladmir BURMAKIN 2508 - GM Kaido KULAOTS 2558 1/2 - 1/2
11 moves, Queen's Indian. It did not come too much as a surprise, as Kulaots one point short of Magnus after round seven officially had given up all his hopes for the first prize. Both players following this draw are practically granted a money prize, but none of them are safe at top three.
GM Arnaud HAUCHARD 2483 - GM Vladimir DOBROV 2515 0 - 1
This for both players extremely important game started as a slow Reti opening, in which white playing with a pair of bishops established a promising pressure against black's advanced d4-pawn. Picking up the pawn by playing Rc4 and Rxd4 white went on to win two more pawns on the queenside, and in short appeared totally winning after 27 moves. Short of time white however became all the more passive, allowing black all the more counterchances on the kingside. Having to defend against all the more concrete threats on g2 with less than a minute left for six moves, white was anyway lost when he at move 36 trapped his own rook at g5. Dobrov rewarded for playing tough rather than playing good today, suddenly finds himself unshared second before last round, while Hauchard needs to defeat GM Brynell in the last round to reach a symbolic money prize.
FM Øystein HOLE 2336 - GM Stellan BRYNELL 2496 1/2 - 1/2
Needing at the very least 1,5/2 for an IM-norm Hole played patiently but stubbornly for a win as white in an English fianchetto even against a GM of the rock solid class. Play in the middle game soon came to circle around white's passed but isolated pawn at d5. As black got two active bishops white's decision to give up two minor pieces for one rook and two pawns seemed risky at best, but sacrificing an exchange more he defintely gave Brynell for once short of time practical problems to solve about how to hide his king and save his remaining pawns. Draw was agreed via a repetition of checks after 42 moves, as black's king was too open to allow winning tries with queen, bishop and two pawns against queen and five pawns. Meaning Hole having got exactly what help needed from the pairings can still make his third IM-norm this tournament - but then he will have to defeat IM Seret as black. While Brynell still having lost only to Magnus needs a win in round nine to save his ELO and reach anything but a pocketmoney prize.
GM Ralf ÅKESSON 2486 - Rune MYHRVOLD 2164 1 - 0
Today's stranger on the live boards soon was identified to be 2100-player Rune Myhrvold. Not too sensationally this became the shortest game on the window line today, but keeping aside some problems to start the electronic clock black actually did fine for a start with his Accepted Queen's Gambit. Following an unambitious exchange at c5 from white, black reached a symmetric and balanced king's pawn centre after 15 moves. Black however made a simple tactical overlook when moving into his outpost at d4 move 16, and having lost two minor pieces for one rook after 18.Rc1xBc8 Rxc8 19.Qxg4, black playing material down with unpleasant threats coming up against his king resigned at move 20. Myhrvold following this loss left the live boards as quickly as he entered them, while Åkesson following this win "won" the chance to become the last opponent of Magnus in this tournament.
GM Heikki WESTERINEN 2410 - GM Dejan ANTIC 2519 0 - 1
This GM-meeting made a slow start in a Kan Sicilian, as white played a modest and closed fianchetto setup. The acceleration however soon came as white pseudo-sacrificed a knight at d5 move 9, after tactical complications leading to a complex middlegame without queens. Whether white's knight stranded without any emergency exit at g7 was more disturbing for black than exposed for white, was the critical question of the position. By playing f4-f5 white succeeded to get out his knight from g7 and reach another dynamically balanced middlegame. A tense battle continued until Westerinen short of time for 40 moves much too carelessly placed his rooks on f3 and h1, allowing an observant Antic to win an exchange in the diagonal with a powerful d4-advance. The fighting Finn fought on well into the sixth hour, but playing with an extra exchange as well as 1-2 extra pawns Antic never allowed the game to become exciting again. Meaning Heikki is without any prize chances and a performance well below 2300 before last round, very disappointing following his strong result in Gausdal Classics 2005 and later tournaments. While Antic about to defend his ELO still can reach top three if everything works out in the last round, but then he for a start needs to defeat Kulaots as black - and that is true chess mountain climbing.
GM Lars KARLSSON 2501 - FM Torbjørn RINGDAL HANSEN 2323 1/2 - 1/2
Starting as a slow English double fianchetto, this became a short but intense duel. White probably did wrong to start a sequence of exchanges by taking at d4 move 16, as black's Nd4 and chances for a kingside attack gave him a pleasant plus after three sets of minor pieces were exchanged. Instead of taking back the pawn at e5 with a pleasant advantage black sacrificed a second pawn at e6 to create threats against white's weakened kingside. It all dried up as white had to return both pawns to exchange all pieces except the queens. Draw agreed on white's suggestion after 27 moves, as black if anyone was slightly better in a very drawish queen endgame. Following a promising start Karlsson's Gausdal comeback has been disappointing at least from a result point of view, while Ringdal Hansen although repairing somewhat against his first higher rated opponent today will end up with a minus result.
FM Felix NORDSTRÖM 2184 - IM Jean-Luc SERET 2391 0 - 1
Via a Pirc with 3.f3 this transposed into a positional Sämisch King's Indian line, in which both players castled short. Black did fine in the following isolani position, as black's strong knight on d5 did not leave too much room for white's pair of bishops. The last stage middlegame with one queen and three minor pieces on each side after 40 moves still appeared drawish. Black intensifying his pressure by intervening on the seventh rank, still succeeded to pick up the d4-isolani and at the same time exchange queens just after 50 moves. White playing with a pair of bishops with only two white and three black pawns still had reasonable drawing chances early in the sixth hour. Nordström aged 61 however once more lost his way against a higher rated opponent in the second half of the sixth hour, allowing black to intervene with his king and force a knight versus bishop endgame in which black's passed c-pawn decided after 107 moves. Nordström still having a solid plus result lost his last theoretical IM norm chances today, while Seret still needs 1,57 points against Hole in his last game to save his ELO....
FM Simon SILSETH 2328 - Lars BREIVIK 2236 1 - 0
As if English is not boring enough anyway, this one started up with a number of exchanges... Leaving after 20 moves a balanced rooks and minor piece endgame, in which white's double isolani in the c-file was compensated by his strong bishop on the d5-outpost. Silseth gave it a long thought when he was offered a draw at move 21, but still played on for a win with a kingside pawnstorm. Black still seemed well in control until he at move 35 allowed a powerful f6-break. White definitely went winning as black's vulnerable e5-pawn went lost just after 40 moves, and white crashed through on the kingside before 50 moves by realizing h5 followed by a tactical hxg6. Silseth following this stubborn win still can make a plus result out of this if defeating norm hunting Tallaksen in the last round, while Breivik needs a win then to almost save his ELO.
Håkon BENTSEN 2158 - FM Jon Ludvig HAMMER 2278 1 - 0
Black appeared fine if of course a bit boring from this Russian opening, leading to a symmetric Queen's pawn centre. Black's decision to give up a testimony pawn at b7 after exchanging all the knights probably was dubious, but following unambitious play by white still proved sufficent to reach a balanced position with queen, two rooks, two bishops and four pawns on each side. What black actually had in mind when giving up his important f7-pawn at move 23 is still unkown, but all the better known are the consequences: Bentsen of course took the pawn, and having pushed his passed pawn to d7 he was anyway totally winning when he at move 30 pulled the trigger with an elegant but elementary queen sacrifice at g8. The outcome was not that much a surprise following the player's earlier results in this tournament, but I will always be shocked to see such a talented player as Jon Ludvig losing this way...
Frode URKEDAL 2141 - Stein Arild AARLAND 2278 0 - 1
White having exchanged his dark squared bishop at f4 and one knight at e5 got a centre advantage and the better bishop from this Dutch Stonewall. Aarland demonstrating a fine understanding of the position still succeeded to prove he had sufficient chances for counterplay against white's weakened kingside, and by instructive means opened the g-file to triple his heavy pieces before 25 moves. White felt forced to give up his e3-pawn to avoid direct mating threats, and without too many protests later slipped down into a lame duck rook and bishop endgame. Urkedal well back on earth after all still has much to learn about positional chess, and hopefully learned some of it from Aarland today. Aarland still belonging to the losing team needs another win against Øyvind Bentsen in the last round to make a plus out of this tournament, while Urkedal still on the winning team can do with a draw against Getz then.
Odin BLIKRA VEA 2090 - WIM Heather RICHARDS 2239 1 - 0
Black first seemed fine from this French Tarrasch with 3.--- Be7, but then cramped, allowing white to establish a kingside space advantage with e5 and g5, and to open the h-file for his heavy pieces. White had nothing direct against the black king at f7, but switching to the diagonal a3-f8 he increased the pressure until he after 32 moves could exchange down to a won endgame with two minor pieces for a rook. Although the game lasted 40 moves more it was never really exciting, as black lost first both her exposed queenside pawns and then all remaining pawns without achieving any real counterplay. Things have changed during the second half of the tournament as Odin now heads for a clear plus result, while Richards cannot save her ELO whatever the result of last round.
Sjur FERKINGSTAD 2239 - Johannes KVISLA 2123 1 - 0
White established a queenside space advantage in this Caro Kann Panno duel, but having a pair of bishops and the e-file black was no way worse after 25 moves. Black however underestimated an instructive Bd4-Ba1-Qd4 maneouver creating unpleasant threats in the diagonal a1-h8. Black felt forced to give up a pawn to exchange queens. The following endgame with different coloured bishops and an extra pawn for white might have been drawn, but black still had a hard time to keep white's king out of both the queenside and the kingside. White went on to intervene with his king to b6, and trick in a passed c-pawn with a thematic b5-break. Both players are still below expected score, but fighting Ferkingstad seems close to saving it now.
Bertil SVENDSEN 2205 - Joachim THOMASSEN 1963 1 - 0
Bertil according to Bertil "played a real gambit for the first time in my life today". If so it should not be the last time, as his f3-sacrifice in this Trompvsky line gave a crushing win in just 21 moves. Whether the gambit gave compensation from the start still is somewhat unclear. But all the more obvious it gave way too much compensation, as black first gave up his pair of bishops to open the f-.file for white and then did not dare to take the second pawn at d4. Later getting a powerful attack for free, white demonstrated he might be a gifted attacker too by sacrificing his bishop at h6 to make a decisive rook intervention at f7 move 17. Despite this puncture Thomassen junior still is well above expected even before last round, while Svendsen is guaranteed only not to lose ELO.
Øyvind BENTSEN 2146 - Espen HAUGSTAD (1607) 1 - 0
Bentsen needed a much higher rated opponet to keep his chances for an IM-norm alive, and was expected to let his frustrations hit the available opponent. Allowed to place a nice knight at c4 black still seemed fine from this slow variation of a Sicilian Dragon, in which both players castled short. Black's decision to return to c4 with the knight although white had played b3 was brave and creative, but still losing... As white instead of entering black's main line to return the piece with an inferior position, could return the piece to hit hard in at f7, and then sacrifice a knight himself at f5 to complete the attack in a violent way before 30 moves. Getting nine rated opponents young Haugstad still will get an ELO from this tournament, while Big Bentsen having a day of rest regarding his FIDE-ELO used efficiently his chance to win some more national rating.
Thomas THOMASSEN 2077 - Kevin WHITE 2069 1 - 0
Having got the pair of bishop and playing with a symmetric King's pawn centre, black looked healthy despite white's queenside advantage in this positional Classical King's Indian line. White's piece sacrifice at b5 was creative more than convincing, as white obviously enjoying to sacrifice back material got a pleasent initiative playing with queen, rook, two bishops and five pawns versus queen, rook, bishop, knight and the same five pawns. Black however was tricky but nothing more when entering a tactical exchange carousel, as it some jumpy rotations later turned out to stop in a more or less lost bishop versus knight endgame. Thomassen obviously enjoying to play for a win despite reduced material did the rest convincingly, to park in a won pawn endgame before 60 moves. Daddy Thomassen despite his short castling in the first two rounds now heads for a plus result, while White one round before the end still has not really got into this tournament.
Øystein BØYUM FOSSUM 2247 - Nicolai GETZ 1913 1/2 - 1/2
White held a pleasant space advantage from this Queen's Indian, but allergic against winning chances Bøyum Boy found nothing better than exchanging three sets of minor pieces, after which his d4-pawn was left more a target than an asset. Correctly concluding white had even longer than black to create winning chances Bøyum boy offered and got a draw at move 28 - true enough after a misunderstood flank move allowing black to play e5 with an advantage. Never strong walking uphill, Bøyum Fossum out of order will run a large ELO decifit whatever his result in the last round, while 13 year old Getz in his first international title tournament has proved his ELO much too low. Rumours that the players are about to exchange their ELOs still were a bit exaggarated.
WFM Jessie GILBERT 2148 - Kristian AANDAL 1941 1 - 0
Aandal following the success against Lie gave his utterly suspect Snake Benoni with 3.--- Ne4?! another try. Again not allowed to sacrificed his queen at a2 (as intended with 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 c5 3.d5 Ne4?! 4.Qc2 Qa5+ 5.Nc3 Nxc3 6.Bd2 Qxa2?!), he was rewarded with an awkward position as white had a space advantage the size of an airport while black's king at e8 had nowhere to fly. Having played e5 to open the e-file with exd6 and placed an octopus knight at the e6 outpost white probably had a winning advantage, but later playing on a misunderstood plan she following a queen exchange was not much better in the rook and minor pieces endgame after 30 moves. Despite being ahead on the clock during mutual time trouble Aandal however was the one to lose the thread in the struggle around white's passed d-pawn, first letting white's rook in at d6 and then fatally withdrawing his king to the seventh rank. Meaning black eventually won the passed d-pawn at move 41, but then had to resign a hopeless pawn endgame two moves later on. Gilbert won well deserved today and is about to save herself from an ELO bankrupcy, while Aandal was better in the game than he deserved until suddenly collapsing in the endgame.
Tarjei SVENSEN 2112 - Sigmund REPPEN 1916 0 - 1
The setup with Bf4-h3-g4-000 in a Queen's Gambit exchange has a reputation of being overambitious. Eager for a win and demonstrating by far the better understanding about how to attack, Tarjei obviously having had something harsh for lunch had a winning attack at latest as he at move 21 hit in with a powerful f6 - while black's attack had still only reached a4. Preferring to open the h-file instead of pronouncing an elegant mate in three in the diagonal e5-g8 at move 28, white still had an elegant queen sacrifice and various other wins at move 32. As Svensen instead missed a very disturbing countercheck at d3, Reppen looking as untouched and laid-back as ever (I suspect he would do so even after a nuclear explosion in the NTG school yard) went on to fulfill efficiently a countermate at a1 before 40 moves. This really was the chess robbery of the tournament, but fulfilling winning positions still is the most important part of the chessplayer education... And as white missed first a mate in three and then a mate in six while black immediately saw his mate in eight, the outcome still feels fair in some bizarre way. Svensen anyway having deserved better is about average before last round, while Reppen as unpredictable on the board as he is predictable outside of it has made the tournament of his life - so far.
Terje LIE (1178) - Jan Arne BJØRGVIK 2119 1 - 0
Having succeeded with his Queen Gambit exchange line against Håkon Bentsen, Lie gave it another try against Bjørgvik. It worked out much less convincing today, as black established a promising pressure against white's hanging pawns on d4 and e4, and eventually won the d4-pawn after 21 moves. A sound pawn up black however blundered it all away by trapping his own knight at e3 move 22. Efficiently having cashed in that piece, white remained safely in control while exchanging down to a won queen and bishop versus queen endgame. Bjørgvik never resigning too early, finally took the hint when he at move 75 played in a bishop endgame without a bishop. Lie playing the tournament of his life so far is guaranteed a FIDE-ELO-norm of at least 1900 before last round, while Bjørgvik whatever the last round result will trim away some FIDE-ELO in this tournament.
Christian HARSTAD 2078 - Per JOHANSSON 2005 1/2 - 1/2
Following a successful e5-break, black came pleasantly better with the better pawn structure and a centre advantage from this Colle. Black's decision to castle long proved qualified as he and his running h-pawn came ahead in the following attacking race. White's position looked crucial as he short of time had to give up a pawn to exchange queens. White reached 40 moves with a few seconds margin, and although he would win back one pawn within a few moves still faced a difficult rook and bishop endgame a pawn down. Although the different coloured bishops with two white and three black pawns left on the board offered drawing chances, black playing a pawn up with a queenside majority still was clearly better when he offered a draw after 47 moves. Fairly typical for his tournament Johansson played well against a higher rated opponents today, but still failed to get the full pay for a demanding five hour game. While Harstad using much too much time to play shaky chess, despite escaping today will lose further ground compared to his ELO.
Ellen CARLSEN 1866 - Emil AGDESTEIN 2057 0 - 1
White got a space advantage and a pair of bishops from this Scandinavian opening, but black having active knights and a dominating fianchetto bishop at g7 probably still did fine. When black played the e6-break at move 13 white still looked better if simply exchanging at e6, but instead for some mysterious reason played d6 followed by Bxb7, and then much too carelessly retreated the bishop to e4 - running straight into a powerful d5-break. As white realizing the failure reacted by collapsing, black a few natural moves later found himself two pawns up in a totally winning rooks and minor piece endgame. A clean black game from an Emil point of view, but Ellen definitely can do better as white. Still she is the one to be satisified with this tournament so far.
Joar G. PETTERSEN 2050 - Jarle NILSEN (1632) 1 - 0
White played aggressively with an Austrian attack in this Pirc duel, and having exchanged two sets of minor pieces he came clearly better with a centre advantage and a pair of bishops. The tide however turned in a blow as white overlooked a tactical Nxd4 winning a pawn for black. Forcing himself to give up an exchange white suddenly found himself lost, but short of time black for some reason refused to take a bishop at d3 to play a clearly won endgame with an extra bishop. Black still had a winning attack, but losing communication with his pieces completely due to time trouble delirium, black found himself with the more exposed king after 40 moves. Understandably feeling frustrated black later failed to find a defence, while white and his active bishops accelerated to win back a whole rook and after 60 moves completed his attack. Nilsen once more having wasted his chances will get a modest ELO norm of 1804, while Pettersen losing some of his new ELO still heads for an acceptable result in his first international on Norwegian ground.
Håkon ASTRUP 1943 - Askild BRYN 2019 1/2 - 1/2
8 moves, Semi-Slav. The moves were not only few, but also boring. Black had no problems whatsoever as white first played e3 followed by Bd2 and Rc1, and then exchanged at d5. The result still was understandable as Astrup scoring a little below expected was happy for a draw against a higher rated opponent, while Bryn has given up the tournament and needed a short draw to recover from his traumatic queen blunder yesterday.
Henrik SJØL (1656) - Håkon STRAND 1986 1 - 0
Via 1.Nf3 f5 this transposed into a Leningrad finachetto line, in which black if he was not already overambitious when playing 12.--- g5, definitely became so when sacrificing an exchange by playing 13.--- f4. Having cashed in the exchange at f8 white was helpful to increase black's compensation by exchanging at f4, but obviously having eaten a lot of icecubes Sjøl later impressed by sacrificing his vital g2-bishop to produce decisive threats against black's king and scattered minor pieces. True enough white instead of just taking back the bishop on e6 with an overwhelming position at move 26, overlooked a tactical 26.--- Qg2+ 27.Kxg2 Nf4+ 28.Kg1 Nxg6 which could have turned the board to give black a won endgame with two bishops for a rook. As black missed that chance, white happily unknowing went on playing with an extra exchange and an attack, hence black was anyway lost when he blundered a mate in one move 32. Sjøl assured himself a nice ELO-norm following his first won game today, while Strand after a promising start has been playing too uneven to defend his new ELO.
Anders HOBBER 1915 - Maria PITZ JACOBSEN (1362) 1/2 - 1/2
This apparently chicken five moves last board draw actually was a short chess drama, in which one of the players chose not to win in a very sporty way. 11 year old Anders had been ill the night before the game, but still was in action from the morning and felt fit for fight - until the chess clocks started. A few minutes later on he and his mother informed the arbiter Anders would probably have to resign the game due to illness. 17 year old Maria Pitz Jacobsen having wasted that many won positions in the earlier rounds, that much wanted a win today - keeping aside that she desperately needed one to hope avoiding the last place. But still she did not want to win "in that way" because of an ill opponent. Hence Anders could return for some very short moments to accept a draw offer some minutes later on! Maria following this will finish 52 out of 52 in this tournament, but she definitely did qualify for the inofficial fair play prize today :-). Have no worries much more will be heard from both players...