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In the ELO-group, the so far so good duo at 6.0/7 got a hard round eight.
FM Daniel Jakobsen Kovachev (2289) playing white against Sonia Sirletti (1843) true enough had a promising position with an extra pawn at d5
in the middle game. Black however succeeded getting active counterplay, and after Kovachev missed some promising continuations during mutual
time trouble, black could have won a piece and made a game sensation with 36.--- Rxe2! > 37.Qf3xe2 Qa5xRc3. As Sirletti instead prefer to win
back the pawn at d5, the players reached a materially balanced rooks and minor piece endgame. Kovachev was thinking more than 40 minutes on his
move 41, but still failing to find any advantage he within a few moves exchanged down to a dead drawn rook endgame.
Meanwhile co-leader Eivind Risting (2032) first had a space advantage from the opening as white against third rated Tarjei Svensen (2082) on
second board. Black however got thematic counterplay by placing his knight on e4, and white probably underestimated the counterplay when he
exchanged the knight to win a pawn at e4. White blundered into a pin a few moves later on, after which Svensen within a few moves forced a
won endgame with queen versus rook and knight.
Third board, with an average age of 16, was a rather solid 30 moves draw between Andreas Garberg Tryggestad (2019) and Fredrik Beer-Jacobsen (2046).
Fourth board, with an average age of 45, on the other hand was a short but intense battle between Mats Wahlstedt (1980) and Johannes Kvisla (2096).
Creative Kvisla at move 22-26 instructively activated his pieces and opened the queenside with decisive effect – accelerated by a white desperation
blunder.
Another entertaining game was played on board five: This one from a changing middle game became a double edged endgame, in which young Lucas Ranaldi (1831)
won a passed pawn race against Finn Egeland (1995).
Odd number substitute and organizing club chairman Pål Hermunn Johansen (1919) in between his work with the live boards is still playing well, and today
finished off a Slav a la King’s Indian game against Geir Moseng (1983) by mating white’s king at h1 after 35 moves. Moseng true enough missed a
brilliant opportunity to take over the initiative with 28.Tf3!, as 28.--- exf3 29.Nxf3 would trap the black queen at h4. Strategically Johansen
still demonstrated the much better understanding and won a very convincing game.
Virtually blind Kai-Roger Johansen (1995) today hit back with another win as white against Olav Erikstad (1832) in a one way driven Semi-Slav game.
Svensen with his sixth won game immediately hit back after his loss to Kovachev yesterday,
and these two players now share the lead at 6.5/8 – ahead of seven players at 6.0.
We can look forward to an exciting final round also in this group, with the top boards pairing
Beer Jacobsen – Kovachev, Svensen – Ranaldi, Risting – Tryggestad, Sirletti – Pål Johansen and Kvisla – Kai-Roger Johansen.
The organizers are wondering whether Pål Hermunn Johansen will accept to be the odd number substitute in the GM-group next year.
That is of course – if he sensationally finishes on top three this year, and IF there is a tournament next year...
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