One player, three titles

by Johannes Fischer
6/10/2015 – Players who are good in blitz and rapid chess are also often good in classical chess. The best example is Magnus Carlsen, who is World Champion in classical, rapid, and blitz chess. At the Icelandic Championship GM Hedinn Steingrimsson followed Carlsen's example. He won the tournament to become reigning Icelandic champion in all three disciplines.
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GM Steingrimsson wins Icelandic Championship

The strongest Icelandic Chess Championship in history took place from 14th to 24th May in Reykjavik. The eleven round round-robin tournament featured six Grandmasters, three International Masters, two FIDE Masters and one Woman Grandmaster. For the first time for many years all top players competed in the Championship, among them former World Championship Quarterfinalist GM Johann Hjartarson. The venue was the concert hall and conference centre Harpa.

Harpa, the tournament venue

Magnificent view from the tournament hall

GM Hedinn Steingrimsson, who currently lives in New York, won the tournament with a 1.5 point margin. In the last seven rounds he did a „Caruana“ by winning seven games in a row (as Caruana did in the Sinquefield Cup 2014) to finish with an Elo-performance of 2763.

Hedinn Steingrimsson, the new Icelandic Champion

Previously Steingrimsson had also won the Icelandic Championships in rapid and blitz and he is now the reigning Icelandic Champion in all three time controls - a feat which no player in Iceland has managed before (though Magnus Carlsen is World Champion in all three disciplines).

After two rounds Grandmasters Hedinn Steingrímsson and Hjorvar Steinn Gretarsson led the tournament with two wins. Till the last round they both stayed in front but then Steingrimsson, who had half a point more than his rival, beat Gretarsson with black and clinched the title. Here's the crucial encounter with notes by the winner.

 
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1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 d5 4.Nc3 c5 5.e3 Nc6 6.cxd5 exd5 7.Be2 cxd4 8.Nxd4 Bd6 9.0-0 0-0 10.h3 Re8 11.Nf3 a6 12.b3 Bf5 13.Bb2 Bc7 14.Qd2 Qd6 15.Rfd1 Rad8 16.Rac1 h5 Diagram
black is already better here. This opening is well known with colors reversed. Usually in that case black plays g3 and avoids weaking the king's position with the move h3. 17.Bd3? Diagram
A mistake in a difficult position. Black to play and win 17...Bg4! an unusal theme. Black places his bishop en prise. 18.hxg4 hxg4 19.g3?! it was better to play the computer move 19.Ba3 gxf3 20.Bf1 Bb6 21.Re1 Ng4 22.Bh3 Bxe3 22...Rxe3 was even better 23.Rxe3 Nxe3 0–1
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WhiteEloWBlackEloBResYearECOEventRnd
Gretarsson,H2561Steingrimsson,H25320–12015D32Islandsmot 2015 - Landslidsflokkur11.2

 

All games

 
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1.Nf3 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 d5 4.d4 Be7 5.Bg5 0-0 6.Qc2 b6 7.cxd5 exd5 8.e3 Bb7 9.Bd3 h6 10.Bxf6 Bxf6 11.0-0 Re8 12.Rfd1 Nd7 13.b4 c5 14.bxc5 bxc5 15.Rab1 cxd4 16.Rxb7 Nc5 17.Bh7+ Kh8 18.Rb5 Rc8 19.exd4 Ne4 20.Bxe4 dxe4 21.Ne5 Bxe5 22.Rxe5 Rxe5 23.dxe5 Qc7 24.Rc1 Qxe5 25.Qd2 f5 26.g3 Qa5 27.h4 Rc4 28.Kf1 Qb4 29.Qe3 f4 30.gxf4 Qe7 31.Nd5 1–0
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WhiteEloWBlackEloBResYearECOEventRnd
Hjartarson,J2566Ptacnikova,L22841–02015A05Islandsmot 2015 - Landslidsflokkur1.1
Sigfusson,S2319Stefansson,H2590½–½2015B43Islandsmot 2015 - Landslidsflokkur1.2
Arnason,J2499Thorfinnsson,B2407½–½2015C60Islandsmot 2015 - Landslidsflokkur1.3
Steingrimsson,H2532Thorfinnsson,B24161–02015A50Islandsmot 2015 - Landslidsflokkur1.4
Jensson,E2359Gretarsson,H25610–12015A88Islandsmot 2015 - Landslidsflokkur1.5
Danielsen,H2520Kjartansson,G2474½–½2015D02Islandsmot 2015 - Landslidsflokkur1.6
Kjartansson,G2474Ptacnikova,L2284½–½2015E32Islandsmot 2015 - Landslidsflokkur2.1
Gretarsson,H2561Hjartarson,J25661–02015E15Islandsmot 2015 - Landslidsflokkur2.2
Thorfinnsson,B2416Jensson,E23590–12015A06Islandsmot 2015 - Landslidsflokkur2.3
Thorfinnsson,B2407Steingrimsson,H25320–12015A37Islandsmot 2015 - Landslidsflokkur2.4
Stefansson,H2590Arnason,J24991–02015E15Islandsmot 2015 - Landslidsflokkur2.5
Danielsen,H2520Sigfusson,S23191–02015A16Islandsmot 2015 - Landslidsflokkur2.6
Sigfusson,S2319Kjartansson,G2474½–½2015C47Islandsmot 2015 - Landslidsflokkur3.1
Arnason,J2499Danielsen,H2520½–½2015B09Islandsmot 2015 - Landslidsflokkur3.2
Steingrimsson,H2532Stefansson,H25900–12015E32Islandsmot 2015 - Landslidsflokkur3.3
Jensson,E2359Thorfinnsson,B24070–12015C70Islandsmot 2015 - Landslidsflokkur3.4
Hjartarson,J2566Thorfinnsson,B24160–12015B12Islandsmot 2015 - Landslidsflokkur3.5
Ptacnikova,L2284Gretarsson,H25611–02015C50Islandsmot 2015 - Landslidsflokkur3.6
Kjartansson,G2474Gretarsson,H2561½–½2015D31Islandsmot 2015 - Landslidsflokkur4.1
Thorfinnsson,B2416Ptacnikova,L22841–02015E11Islandsmot 2015 - Landslidsflokkur4.2
Thorfinnsson,B2407Hjartarson,J25660–12015E67Islandsmot 2015 - Landslidsflokkur4.3
Stefansson,H2590Jensson,E23591–02015C42Islandsmot 2015 - Landslidsflokkur4.4
Danielsen,H2520Steingrimsson,H2532½–½2015D30Islandsmot 2015 - Landslidsflokkur4.5
Sigfusson,S2319Arnason,J24990–12015B94Islandsmot 2015 - Landslidsflokkur4.6
Arnason,J2499Kjartansson,G2474½–½2015B13Islandsmot 2015 - Landslidsflokkur5.1
Steingrimsson,H2532Sigfusson,S23191–02015A16Islandsmot 2015 - Landslidsflokkur5.2
Jensson,E2359Danielsen,H25201–02015B00Islandsmot 2015 - Landslidsflokkur5.3
Hjartarson,J2566Stefansson,H25901–02015C65Islandsmot 2015 - Landslidsflokkur5.4
Ptacnikova,L2284Thorfinnsson,B24070–12015C57Islandsmot 2015 - Landslidsflokkur5.5
Gretarsson,H2561Thorfinnsson,B24161–02015D31Islandsmot 2015 - Landslidsflokkur5.6
Kjartansson,G2474Thorfinnsson,B24160–12015A52Islandsmot 2015 - Landslidsflokkur6.1
Thorfinnsson,B2407Gretarsson,H25610–12015E12Islandsmot 2015 - Landslidsflokkur6.2
Stefansson,H2590Ptacnikova,L2284½–½2015E21Islandsmot 2015 - Landslidsflokkur6.3
Danielsen,H2520Hjartarson,J25661–02015A05Islandsmot 2015 - Landslidsflokkur6.4
Sigfusson,S2319Jensson,E23590–12015B15Islandsmot 2015 - Landslidsflokkur6.5
Arnason,J2499Steingrimsson,H25320–12015C78Islandsmot 2015 - Landslidsflokkur6.6
Steingrimsson,H2532Kjartansson,G24741–02015A41Islandsmot 2015 - Landslidsflokkur7.1
Jensson,E2359Arnason,J2499½–½2015B52Islandsmot 2015 - Landslidsflokkur7.2
Hjartarson,J2566Sigfusson,S23190–12015E97Islandsmot 2015 - Landslidsflokkur7.3
Ptacnikova,L2284Danielsen,H25201–02015C41Islandsmot 2015 - Landslidsflokkur7.4
Gretarsson,H2561Stefansson,H25901–02015D43Islandsmot 2015 - Landslidsflokkur7.5
Thorfinnsson,B2416Thorfinnsson,B2407½–½2015C95Islandsmot 2015 - Landslidsflokkur7.6
Kjartansson,G2474Thorfinnsson,B2407½–½2015C60Islandsmot 2015 - Landslidsflokkur8.1
Stefansson,H2590Thorfinnsson,B2416½–½2015A40Islandsmot 2015 - Landslidsflokkur8.2
Danielsen,H2520Gretarsson,H25610–12015A05Islandsmot 2015 - Landslidsflokkur8.3
Sigfusson,S2319Ptacnikova,L22840–12015B07Islandsmot 2015 - Landslidsflokkur8.4
Arnason,J2499Hjartarson,J25661–02015C97Islandsmot 2015 - Landslidsflokkur8.5
Steingrimsson,H2532Jensson,E23591–02015A08Islandsmot 2015 - Landslidsflokkur8.6
Jensson,E2359Kjartansson,G24741–02015C54Islandsmot 2015 - Landslidsflokkur9.1
Hjartarson,J2566Steingrimsson,H25320–12015B90Islandsmot 2015 - Landslidsflokkur9.2
Ptacnikova,L2284Arnason,J24990–12015B23Islandsmot 2015 - Landslidsflokkur9.3
Gretarsson,H2561Sigfusson,S23191–02015A45Islandsmot 2015 - Landslidsflokkur9.4
Thorfinnsson,B2416Danielsen,H25200–12015A04Islandsmot 2015 - Landslidsflokkur9.5
Thorfinnsson,B2407Stefansson,H2590½–½2015D85Islandsmot 2015 - Landslidsflokkur9.6
Kjartansson,G2474Stefansson,H2590½–½2015A06Islandsmot 2015 - Landslidsflokkur10.1
Danielsen,H2520Thorfinnsson,B24070–12015C44Islandsmot 2015 - Landslidsflokkur10.2
Sigfusson,S2319Thorfinnsson,B24161–02015Islandsmot 2015 - Landslidsflokkur10.3
Arnason,J2499Gretarsson,H2561½–½2015B94Islandsmot 2015 - Landslidsflokkur10.4
Steingrimsson,H2532Ptacnikova,L22841–02015A34Islandsmot 2015 - Landslidsflokkur10.5
Jensson,E2359Hjartarson,J25660–12015B06Islandsmot 2015 - Landslidsflokkur10.6
Hjartarson,J2566Kjartansson,G24740–12015C43Islandsmot 2015 - Landslidsflokkur11.1
Gretarsson,H2561Steingrimsson,H25320–12015D40Islandsmot 2015 - Landslidsflokkur11.2
Ptacnikova,L2284Jensson,E23590–12015A46Islandsmot 2015 - Landslidsflokkur11.3
Thorfinnsson,B2416Arnason,J24990–12015Islandsmot 2015 - Landslidsflokkur11.4
Thorfinnsson,B2407Sigfusson,S23190–12015A15Islandsmot 2015 - Landslidsflokkur11.5
Stefansson,H2590Danielsen,H25201–02015C41Islandsmot 2015 - Landslidsflokkur11.6

 

Two games with notes by the new Icelandic Champion

The first moves of a long game: Jon Arnason against Hedinn Steingrimsson

 
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1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 Nf6 5.0-0 b5 6.Bb3 Be7 7.d3 d6 8.a4 Bd7 9.c3 0-0 10.h3 Na5 11.Bc2 c5 12.Nbd2 Re8 13.Re1 Bf8 14.Nf1 h6 15.Ng3 g6 16.d4 Bg7 17.b3 exd4 18.cxd4 cxd4 19.axb5 d3 20.Bxd3 axb5 21.Bb2 Qb6 22.Bd4 Qb7 23.Qc2 Nc6 24.Bc3 Rxa1 25.Rxa1 Ne5 26.Nxe5 dxe5 27.Ra5 h5 28.h4 Ng4 29.Qe2 Bf6 30.Bxb5 Bxh4 31.Nh1 Bd8 32.Bxd7 Qxd7 33.Rd5 Qe6 34.Qd1 Bb6 35.Rd6 Qc8 36.Rxb6 Qxc3 37.Rd6 Kg7 38.Rd3 Qc5 39.Rd2 Ra8 40.Ng3 Ra3 Black is obviously better, then is it really possible to win this position? White's plan is to play g3, Kg2 and then perhaps f3 followed by activation of the knight optimally Ne3-d5. 41.Nf1 Diagram
41...Nf6! the right plan is to go back 42.Re2 Qb6 43.Nd2 Qd4 44.Qc2 Ra1+ 45.Nf1 h4 46.Re3 Nh5 47.Qd3 Nf4 48.Qb5 Rb1 49.Kh2 Qa1 50.Kg1 Rd1 51.Rf3 after almost six hours of play black does not immediately see the winning combination Qd4 52.Re3 Qa1 53.Rf3 Diagram
53...Rxf1+ and Grandmaster Arnason resigned 0–1
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WhiteEloWBlackEloBResYearECOEventRnd
Arnason,J2499Steingrimsson,H25320–12015C84Islandsmot 2015 - Landslidsflokkur6.6

Grandmaster Arnason played well and made few mistakes. He lost only two games and in the end shared third place with Stefansson.

Jon Arnason (left) and Hedinn Steingrimsson have a friendly chat.

 
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1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 a6 6.Be3 e5 7.Nb3 Be7 8.h3 Be6 9.f4 exf4 10.Bxf4 Nc6 11.Qe2 Ne5 12.0-0-0 Nfd7 13.Kb1 0-0 14.g4 Re8 15.Qe3 Bf8 16.g5 b5 17.h4 b4 18.Nd5 a5 19.Qg3 a4 20.Nd4 b3 21.cxb3 axb3 22.Nxb3 Qb8 23.Bh3 Qa7 24.Nc1 Nc5 25.Bxe5 Bxd5 26.exd5 dxe5 27.Qe3 Qb6 28.Rh2 Rab8 29.h5 e4 30.Rc2 Qd6 31.Rd4 g6 32.hxg6 hxg6 33.Rdc4 Rb5 Diagram
A hard fought Sicilian Najdorf game where black has sacrificed a pawn in order to open lines towards the white king. 34.Bf1 Ra5 35.b4? white was concerned that the black bishop would soon appear on the long diagonal and decides to take action. Rb8 36.a3 Qxd5! white has a difficult position 37.Rh2? Qe5! decides the game 38.Qh3 Bg7 39.Nb3 Rxa3 40.Rxc5 Rxb3+ 41.Qxb3 Qxh2 and Hjartarson resigned 0–1
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WhiteEloWBlackEloBResYearECOEventRnd
Hjartarson,J2566Steingrimsson,H25320–12015B90Islandsmot 2015 - Landslidsflokkur9.2

 

Steingrimsson is now the reigning Icelandic Chess Champion in all three disciplines: classical, rapid and blitz. The rapid event took place on 13. December 2014 and Steingrimsson won with 8.5/9.Ten days after winning the rapid event Steingrimsson also became Icelandic blitz champion. Six grandmasters took part in the blitz event and Steingrimsson won with 9.0/ 11.

Photos: Skakblog, fréttablaðið

Johannes Fischer was born in 1963 in Hamburg and studied English and German literature in Frankfurt. He now lives as a writer and translator in Nürnberg. He is a FIDE-Master and regularly writes for KARL, a German chess magazine focusing on the links between culture and chess. On his own blog he regularly publishes notes on "Film, Literature and Chess".

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