Mixed field at the German Championship

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This year's German Chess Championship takes place in Saarbrücken, capital of the federal state of the Saarland. 36 participants play a nine-round-Swiss, tournament favorite and number one seed is Grandmaster Daniel Fridman, who has won the title three times already: 2008, 2012 and 2014.

Grandmaster Igor Khenkin is second seed and definitely a favorite to win this year, even though he often plays one draw to many to make it to the very top. With a rating of 2582 up-and-coming young talent Alexander Donchenko is number three on the rating-list.

Other young and aspiring players in Saarbrücken are Rasmus Svane, Dimitrij Kollars, and Vincent Keymer. For the 11-year old Keymer it is his second National Championship and he is still the youngest player who has ever taken part in a German Championship.

Also taking part is Klaus Bischoff who is not only a popular ChessBase commentator and often times German Blitz Champion but also the winner of the German Championship 2013.

However, more impressive than the field of particpants is the field of absentees. For years, most of the German top players have been unwilling to play in the National Championshp - only eight of the 36 participants in Saarbrücken are among Germany's top 100. Maybe the top players shy away from the format, in which amateurs and professionals play in the same tournament. A format that is due to Germany's federal system.

There are sixteen federal states in Germany and each state has a chess federation of its own. Now the winners of each federal Championship qualify for the German Championship which usually leads to a rather mixed field in the National Championships. This year there is an elo-gap of almost 600 points between top seed Daniel Fridman (Elo 2616) and Dieter Riegler (Elo 2075), the number 36 on the list of starters.

Despite (or because of) these huge elo-differences the tournament is interesting and exciting, much more so because the nominally weaker players are often quite strong and more than willing to contribute to a spectacular upset.

One such dramatic upset occurred in round three in the game between Dr. Eric Zude and Igor Khenkin.

Dr. Erik Zude

Bernd Vökler comments the "drama in three acts":

Act I: White is smashed.

Igor gradually seizes the initiative and pushes the white pieces further and further back.

Zude,E-Khenkin,I
Position after 30. f4-f5

Act II: It seems as if Black crowns his powerful play with a devastating queen sacrifice.

Question: Who could resist a queen sacrifice that is spectacular and seems to win immediately?

Answer: The pragmatic player when in time-trouble.

Black just played 32….Qxb3!!!? Three exclamation marks - for the queen sacrifice and because Black found this winning move in time-trouble. The question mark is given because Black sacrificed a queen while in time-trouble. After 33.axb3 Rxa1+ 34. Kh2 Nf1+ 35. Kh3 Nf4+ wins.

However, Erik understood that the black lady might bring trouble and thus cleverly eliminated the knight with 33.Rxd3. Now Black should have insisted on saying goodbye to his queen. After 33…exd3 he is winning. Instead Khenkin played 33…Qb2.

Act III: Phoenix rising from the ashes!

Erik lives and the dragon (Igor Khenkin's king) is dead.

39.Nh6+ gxh6 40.Rg3+ Kf8 41.Bd6+ Ke8 42.Rg8+ curtains!

After four rounds Klaus Bischoff leads with 3.5/4, followed by seven players with 3.0/4 each.

Standings after four rounds

Games

Klaus Bischoff

Rasmus Svane

Vincent Keymer

Herbert Bastian, President of the German Chess Federation

Photos: Bernd Vökler

Tournament page of the German Chess Federation...