Hans Tikkanen is the Swedish Champion

by Ari Ziegler
7/17/2017 – This weekend the Swedish Championship wrapped up in Stockholm, where over a thousand players took part in the many rating groups, as the Swedish Chess Federation celebrated its 100th anniversary. GM Hans Tikkanen won the title.

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Tikkanen triumphs

The Swedish Chess Federation celebrated its 100th birthday with a championship in Stockholm attended by 1052 players and hundreds of spectators. The top group was extremely competitive this year, and was won by Hans Tikkanen, who had won the Championships in 2011, 2012 and 2013.

Hans Tikkanen | Photo: Lars O A Hedlund

Axel Smith had the best start, and led after four rounds, but then faltered against Nils Grandelius, who took over the lead. After back-to-back victories in rounds five and six, Tikanen tied Grandelius at the top and then toppled his rival in their direct encounter in round 8. In the 9th round, a draw against IM Jonathan Westerberg was enough to secure tournament victory.

Nils Grandelius

Nils Grandelius | Photo: Pascal Simon 

Tiger bites

The Brilliancy prize went to Tiger Hillarp Persson after the following firecracker:

 
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1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.f3 Nc6 6.c4 Steamrolling the Sicilian? I don't think so... Qb6! A timely move which expoits the drawbacks of White's early concessions. 7.Nc2 7.Nxc6 bxc6 7...e6 7...g6 Is another way to go. Then the position might resemble the Accelerated Dragon a bit, where the knight sometimes goes to c2, but in those variations White's f-pawn is on f2 and the Bishop goes to e2. 8.Nc3 Be7 Objectively speaking it is hard to determine which move White should play here. But in case you do not wish to solve the ins and outs after ...Qxb2, then Rb1 is your move! 9.Bd3 Jonathan choses a third way. He protects the knight on c2 in order to prepare Be3. 9.Be3 Qxb2 10.Qd2 Nb4 11.Rc1 Nd7 12.Nb5 9...0-0 10.Be3 Qc7
What has happened? Black has wasted one move with the queen. White in turn now has a knight which is not ideally placed on c2. The pawn on f3 is also something white is not too happy about. 10...Qxb2 11.Qd2 11.0-0 Ne5 Another logical move, putting pressure on c4. 12.Nb5 A radical solution. 12.b3 looks like a normal move, but in that case the c3-knight is hanging and White has to watch out for ...d6-d5. 12...Qb8 13.Be2 a6 14.Nc3 Qc7 White is back to square one. 15.Na4
At this point Tiger was happy. He has got a position with dynamic qualities at no cost! Or else 15.Qd4 which is recommended by Sergey Kasparov is not to everyone's liking. 15...Ned7 The thematic 15...b5 seems to work right away. As always a move like that against a competent opponent requires long calculations and exact judgements. 16.cxb5 axb5 17.Nb6 17.Bxb5 d5 18.exd5 Nxd5 19.Qe2 Bd7! 20.Bxd7 Nxd7 21.b3 Rfc8= 17...Rb8 18.Nxc8 Rfxc8 19.Nd4 Nc4= 20.Rc1 Nxe3 21.Rxc7 Rxc7!? 22.Qd2 Nxf1 23.Kxf1 b4 16.Rc1 b6 It is time for White to chose how to expand with his Queen side pawns. The ideal plan is to play b2-b4 and a2-a4-a5, or b2-b4 followed by c4-c5. None of these plans seems to work right now. So hi has to bide his time. Kasparov used his Queen on f2 in a similar position against Kramnik. This seems sensible right now: 17.Qd2 17.Qe1 Bb7 18.Qf2 Nc5 19.Nc3 followed by above mentioned plans. 17...Re8 A standard move. When Black is playing ...d5 the e-file used to open up, and then the e3-bishop hangs, in the best of Black's worlds. 18.Rfd1 Bb7 19.Bf1 Rac8 20.Nd4 20.b4! To b4 or not to b4, that is the question. Ba8 20...Qb8 21.Nxb6 Nxb6 22.Bxb6 Bxe4 23.Bf2 Bb7 24.Nd4 is slightly better fro White. 21.Qf2 Rb8 22.Na1! followed by Nb3 gives White a solid plus. Tiger indicated 20.Qf2 Qb8 21.Nxb6 Nxb6 22.Bxb6 Bxe4! 23.Ba7 Qa8 24.fxe4 Ng4 25.Qb6 Rc6 wins for Black. 20...Qb8 21.b4 Bf8
Tiger describes his position like a feather. The power will be released! 22.Nc3 Tiger did not like this. h5 In order to prepare fiendish complications. 23.a3 This was also slitghly odd according to Tiger. Ba8 The feather gets more and more "cramped". 24.Nb3 Ne5 25.Na4 b5!? Tiger was not 100% sure here, but decided to go for it anyway! 26.cxb5 Rxc1 27.Rxc1 Tiger thought 27.Qxc1 was slightly more correct, because after Bxb5 the rook has to go to d8 where it keeps an eye on the d-file. 27...axb5 28.Nb6 d5 A dream has came true... 29.Bxb5 Rd8 30.exd5 Bxd5 31.Qc3
How to continue? 31.Qc2 Nfg4 32.fxg4 Nxg4 33.Qc7 Qxc7 34.Rxc7 Bxb3 31.Nxd5 Nxd5 32.Bf1 Nxb4 31...Bxf3! Easy peasy for a computer, a walk in death valley for a human... 32.gxf3 32.Bd4 Bd5 32...Nxf3+ 33.Kg2 Qxh2+ 34.Kxf3
And now? 34...e5 35.Bf2 Ng4 36.Qc2?? It was easy to get confused. Obligatory was: 36.Qe1 e4+ 37.Ke2 e3 38.Qg1 Qe5 39.Nc4 Qxb5 40.Bxe3 Nxe3 41.Kxe3 g6 36...e4+ 37.Kxe4 Qg2+ 38.Kf4 Bd6+ 39.Kf5 Qf3+ 39...Nh6# 40.Kg5 Be7+ 41.Kxh5 And White resigned before Tiger had the opportunity to choose the best square for the knight. 0–1
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WhiteEloWBlackEloBResYearECOEventRnd
Westerberg,J-Hillarp Persson,T-0–12017B54Sverigemästarklassen 20173.2

Tiger Hillarp Persson | Photo: Lars O A Hedlund

Stockholm charmed us with wonderful weather throughout the event. I have visited Stockholm a lot due to chess since 1985, and I am still stunned by its beauty. Nice buildings, clean streets, green areas whererever possible and water, water, water. Stockholm must be one of the most beautiful cities in the world. And the people are friendly too.

The Guardian wrote about a survey around the world (by Hostelworld 2017, based on 12,188 travellers' responses) which established that Stockholm has the second most sociable people in the world, behind only Gothenburg.

Stockholm is the largest archipelago in Sweden, unusual for a major metropolis | Photo: Lars O A Hedlund

All games from round 1 to 9:

 
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1.c4 e6 2.Nc3 d5 3.d4 a6 4.cxd5 exd5 5.Qb3 Nc6 6.Nf3 Bb4 7.Bf4 Nge7 8.e3 0-0 9.Be2 Kh8 10.0-0 Bd6 11.Bxd6 Qxd6 12.Rac1 Bg4 13.Rfd1 Rab8 14.Na4 Nd8 15.Nc5 c6 16.Qb4 Nc8 17.Qd2 Ne6 18.e4 dxe4 19.Nxe4 Qf4 20.Nc5 Qxd2 21.Rxd2 Nf4 22.Bd1 Nd6 23.h3 Bf5 24.Bb3 Rbe8 25.Kh2 Ne4 26.Nxe4 Bxe4 27.Ne5 Bd5 28.Nd7 Rg8 29.Nb6 Bxb3 30.axb3 Rd8 31.Re1 Rge8 32.Re3 Kg8 33.Kg3 Ne6 34.d5 cxd5 35.Rxd5 Rxd5 36.Nxd5 Rd8 37.Nb6 Kf8 38.f4 Rd6 39.Nc4 Rd5 40.Kf3 g6 41.g3 b5 ½–½
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WhiteEloWBlackEloBResYearECOEventRnd
Grandelius,N2655Westerberg,J2468½–½2017Swedish Championship1.1
Tikkanen,H2503Hillarp Persson,T2496½–½2017Swedish Championship1.2
Hector,J2503Blomqvist,E25541–02017Swedish Championship1.3
Berg,E2573Jogstad,M22911–02017Swedish Championship1.4
Smith,A2505Sagit,R2406½–½2017Swedish Championship1.5
Sagit,R2406Westerberg,J2468½–½2017Swedish Championship2.1
Smith,A2505Berg,E25731–02017Swedish Championship2.2
Hillarp Persson,T2496Grandelius,N2655½–½2017Swedish Championship2.3
Jogstad,M2291Hector,J2503½–½2017Swedish Championship2.4
Blomqvist,E2554Tikkanen,H2503½–½2017Swedish Championship2.5
Berg,E2573Sagit,R24061–02017Swedish Championship3.1
Westerberg,J2468Hillarp Persson,T24960–12017Swedish Championship3.2
Hector,J2503Smith,A25050–12017Swedish Championship3.3
Grandelius,N2655Blomqvist,E2554½–½2017Swedish Championship3.4
Tikkanen,H2503Jogstad,M22911–02017Swedish Championship3.5
Sagit,R2406Hillarp Persson,T2496½–½2017Swedish Championship4.1
Berg,E2573Hector,J2503½–½2017Swedish Championship4.2
Blomqvist,E2554Westerberg,J2468½–½2017Swedish Championship4.3
Smith,A2505Tikkanen,H2503½–½2017Swedish Championship4.4
Jogstad,M2291Grandelius,N26550–12017Swedish Championship4.5
Hector,J2503Sagit,R24060–12017Swedish Championship5.1
Hillarp Persson,T2496Blomqvist,E2554½–½2017Swedish Championship5.2
Tikkanen,H2503Berg,E2573½–½2017Swedish Championship5.3
Westerberg,J2468Jogstad,M22911–02017Swedish Championship5.4
Grandelius,N2655Smith,A25051–02017Swedish Championship5.5
Sagit,R2406Blomqvist,E25540–12017Swedish Championship6.1
Hector,J2503Tikkanen,H25030–12017Swedish Championship6.2
Jogstad,M2291Hillarp Persson,T24960–12017Swedish Championship6.3
Berg,E2573Grandelius,N2655½–½2017Swedish Championship6.4
Smith,A2505Westerberg,J2468½–½2017Swedish Championship6.5
Tikkanen,H2503Sagit,R24061–02017Swedish Championship7.1
Blomqvist,E2554Jogstad,M22911–02017Swedish Championship7.2
Grandelius,N2655Hector,J25031–02017Swedish Championship7.3
Hillarp Persson,T2496Smith,A2505½–½2017Swedish Championship7.4
Westerberg,J2468Berg,E2573½–½2017Swedish Championship7.5
Sagit,R2406Jogstad,M22911–02017Swedish Championship8.1
Tikkanen,H2503Grandelius,N26551–02017Swedish Championship8.2
Smith,A2505Blomqvist,E2554½–½2017Swedish Championship8.3
Hector,J2503Westerberg,J24681–02017Swedish Championship8.4
Berg,E2573Hillarp Persson,T2496½–½2017Swedish Championship8.5
Grandelius,N2655Sagit,R24061–02017Swedish Championship9.1
Jogstad,M2291Smith,A25050–12017Swedish Championship9.2
Westerberg,J2468Tikkanen,H2503½–½2017Swedish Championship9.3
Blomqvist,E2554Berg,E25730–12017Swedish Championship9.4
Hillarp Persson,T2496Hector,J25031–02017Swedish Championship9.5

Final standings:

Rk.   Name   Rtg. Nt. Pts. n
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
 TB Perf.
1
GM
Tikkanen,H
 
2503
6.5
9
 
½
1
½
½
½
½
1
1
1
25.75
2658
2
GM
Hillarp Persson,T
 
2509
6.0
9
½
 
½
½
½
½
1
½
1
1
23.25
2616
3
GM
Grandelius,N
 
2642
6.0
9
0
½
 
½
1
½
½
1
1
1
22.50
2602
4
GM
Berg,E
 
2557
5.5
9
½
½
½
 
0
1
½
1
½
1
21.25
2566
4
GM
Smith,A
 
2505
5.5
9
½
½
0
1
 
½
½
½
1
1
21.25
2572
6
GM
Blomqvist,E
 
2552
4.5
9
½
½
½
0
½
 
½
1
0
1
18.00
2487
7
IM
Westerberg,J
 
2469
4.0
9
½
0
½
½
½
½
 
½
0
1
16.25
2453
8
IM
Sagit,R
 
2406
3.5
9
0
½
0
0
½
0
½
 
1
1
11.25
2423
9
GM
Hector,J
 
2497
3.0
9
0
0
0
½
0
1
1
0
 
½
11.50
2368
10
FM
Jogstad,M
 
2291
0.5
9
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
½
 
1.50
2072

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Ari Ziegler is an International Master and former President of the Swedish Chess Federation.

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