Ernst, Muhren lead in Dutch Championship 2008

Dutch Championship 2008

The Dutch Championship is taking place from April 2nd to 13th, 2008, in the TV Studio 2, Media Park, Hilversum. The event is a twelve-player round robin with an average rating of 2536 (= Category XII). First prize is € 10,000. The rate of play is 40 moves in 120 minutes. After that the players get 55 minutes for the rest of the game, with a five-second increment per move starting from move 41.

In the men's section three young GMs are in the lead, with 4.0/6 points. Yge Visser, who was leading alone after five games, lost his round six game against Sipke Ernst and dropped into the next slot. Sergey Tiviakov, who has won the Dutch Championship on several occasions, is a disappointing eighth with a 2524 performance so far.

Standings after six rounds

• Download all games so far in PGN

In the women's section there are ten players (and identical time controls). Bianca Muhren has won all her games so far and is in the sole lead. Top seed Peng Zhaoqin, who has a full grandmaster title, is in second. She has won the Dutch Championship many times and is a force to be watched.

• Download all games from the women's section
• Official web site (with live games and downloads)

Picture Gallery

The men's and women's championships under way in Hilversum

GM Yasser Seirawan annotating the games for spectators

Seirawan comments in the background, IM Hans Böhm does a simul in the "chess pub"

Beat Visser and took the lead: GM Sipke Ernst, 2559

In the lead: GM Jan Smeets, 2578

Leading in the women's section: WIM Bianca Muhren, 2297

Many-times Dutch women's champion GM Peng Zhaoqin, 2465

WGM Tea Lanchava, originally from Georgia, 2365

WIM Marlies Bensdorp, rated 2268

Twin sister Laura Bensdorp, rated 2085

Anne Haast, 14, rated 2020

19-year-old Martine Middelveld, rated 2040

All photos and information by courtesy of ChessVista – Frits Agterdenbos. Many more pictures are available on this web site.