Chess in Norway's Arctic region
When I received the invitation for the Power Solutions Arctic Chess NGP 2024 in March last year, I wondered how many words a chess tournament name could handle. The abbreviation NGP stands for the Norwegian tournament series Norges Grand Prix, which itself consists of three words. The tournament was certainly worth all those words, and "Arctic" hintsat the fact that it takes place in the polar region. This was also the reason for the invitation to be sent out so early. There are only a few direct flights from Oslo to Alta, and flight prices are – unlike my Elo rating – on the rise. Despite the limited selection of flights, there was still room for error. More on that later.
This course will enhance your understanding of the King’s Indian Defence. Perfect for anyone looking to improve their opening strategy, reduce mistakes, and develop a winning game plan.
The tournament was held in the facilities of the Arctic University in Alta from 29 November to 1 December. It featured five rounds with a time control of 90 minutes plus 30 seconds per move. Those who arrived on Thursday were treated to a pre-tournament programme. There was a "King" and a "Queen" evening: free training sessions with GM Frode Urkedal or WIM Sheila Barth Stanford.

Queen’s evening: training with Norway's number one female player, WIM Sheila Barth Stanford | Photo: Torill M. Wiggen
We flew to Alta on Thursday in a plane full of chess players. To my surprise, we were picked up at the airport and driven to the hotel. The organisers truly went out of their way to take care of the players. Those who didn't wish to stay at the hotel could also lodge with local chess players' families. On Friday morning, participants were taken to the Gargia Huskies dog farm. There, they had the chance to try dog sledding and snowmobiles.

Tournament favourite GM Frode Urkedal with his favourite husky | Photo: Torill M. Wiggen

Focused on the sled - Urte Karaliute with her brakeman Emthe Solskinnsbakk | Photo: Torill M. Wiggen
The farm is run by Roger Fossøy, who has extensive experience in dog sledding. This year, he placed fourth in the Finnmarksløpet, the northernmost sled dog race in the world. The race begins in Alta and covers a distance of 1,200 kilometres with a team of 14 dogs. Known for its harsh climatic conditions, the weather provided a fitting example on this Friday morning in Alta. With temperatures around freezing, there were storms with gusts reaching 150 km/h.

Iben Sofia Heggelund had a great connection with the huskies | Photo: Torill M. Wiggen

Warming up at the Gargia Huskies farm | Photo: Torill M. Wiggen
This video course includes GM Anish Giri's deep insights and IM Sagar Shah's pertinent questions to the super GM. In Vol.1 all the openings after 1.e4 are covered.
The storm, combined with heavy snowfall, made travel to Alta on Friday practically impossible. Mountain passes to Hammerfest and Tromsø were closed. The plane from Oslo had to abort its landing attempts and returned to the capital. Despite these challenges, 14 female players and 50 male players participated in the Power Solutions Arctic Chess NGP 2024.

Symbolic first move by the main sponsor – GM Frode Urkedal didn't need too much power to defeat the author of this article. | Photo: Anna Blauhut

Excellent conditions at the university, shown here in the A-group | Photo: Holger Blauhut
The tournament featured three groups (<1600, <1800, and >1800 rating categories) and provided excellent playing conditions at the university, along with a kiosk offering very reasonable prices. In the A-group, Ben Samuel Groth Skaar (Elo 2015) had a strong showing.

GM Torbjørn Ringdal Hansen v. Ben Samuel Groth Skaar - the grandmaster looked sceptical early in the opening. | Photo: Holger Blauhut
Starting as the 13th seed, he led before the final round with 3 points from 4 games and the best tiebreak score. In the last round, he survived an attack by GM Torbjørn Ringdal Hansen with the black pieces, reaching a winning position he unfortunately could not convert.

The tournament winner versus the runner-up - IM Mads Vestby-Ellingsen v. GM Frode Urkedal | Photo: Holger Blauhut
The winners
- Group A: 1. IM Mads Vestby Ellingsen, 2. GM Frode Urkedal, 3. GM Torbjørn Ringdal Hansen
- Group B: 1. Miron Paranichev, 2. Øivind Jakobsen, 3. Emthe Solskinnsbakk
- Group C: 1. Andreas Pettersen, 2. Johannes Bakkevoll, 3. Øystein Rostad
The game notation could be recorded either on a standard scoresheet or on a tablet. The tablets used the Clono programme, developed by Ole Kristian Valvåg and recognised by FIDE. With Clono, moves are entered by tapping on the screen, much like playing a game on a computer, eliminating the need for DGT boards for online broadcasting.

The Clono scoresheet for the Blauhut family pairing in the third round | Photo: Holger Blauhut

Another family pairing in the third round: WIM Sheila Barth Stanford v. IM Maxim Barth Stanford | Photo: Holger Blauhut
In this video course, GM Surya Ganguly joins IM Sagar Shah and drawing from his colossal experience, shares some uncommon endgame wisdom. The material mostly features positions with rook against rook and a pawn, and starts by covering the fundamentals.

Different perception of cold in the North: Anders Lervik, Alta | Photo: Holger Blauhut
Alta was granted city status in 2000, but even before that, it had earned the unofficial title of Norway's ugliest town. Much has changed since then. On our way back to the hotel from the venue, we walked through the new pedestrian zone with the striking Northern Lights Cathedral in sight - a church that also serves as a concert hall and, above all, a tourist magnet.

The Northern Lights Cathedral: church, concert hall and tourist attraction | Photo: Holger Blauhut
With its bowling alley, swimming pool and shopping centres, Alta is also appealing to residents of the Finnmark province. Many come to spend a "big city" weekend in this small town.
After the tournament, there was an opportunity for a group dinner accompanied by a reindeer sleigh ride. Once again, many helpers were on hand to drive us to the Sami Siida restaurant and farm.

Sami Siida restaurant | Photo: Holger Blauhut
We were served Bidus, a traditional Sami reindeer stew. Bidus is a customary dish of the Sami people, often served during confirmations, weddings and other festive occasions. The main ingredients are reindeer meat, carrots and potatoes, slow-cooked to perfection and often accompanied by sweet raisin bread.

Enjoying a meal after the tournament | Photo: Torill M. Wiggen
The only thing missing that weekend was the Northern Lights, as the sky was too cloudy. At least it's a good reason to return to Alta.
As the friendly assistants drove us to the airport, organiser Rune Hammari was already planning the next tournament. He dreams of hosting a nine-round event, which would allow for a fantastic side programme. However, finding a date for such a tournament in the busy chess calendar is challenging. Additionally, flight prices are significantly higher during holidays and festive periods.
Given the flawless organisation of this tournament, I have no doubt he will succeed.
Next year, there will first be another weekend tournament. Anyone looking to combine chess with a chance to see the Northern Lights should mark the Power Solutions Arctic Chess NGP on their calendar.
Final Standings - Group A
In this video course, experts (Pelletier, Marin, Müller and Reeh) examine the games of Judit Polgar. Let them show you which openings Polgar chose to play, where her strength in middlegames were, or how she outplayed her opponents in the endgame.
Pl |
Name |
i-Elo |
Club |
Pts |
Buchholz-1 |
Buchholz |
1 |
IM Mads Vestby-Ellingsen |
2368 |
Porsgrunn |
4.0 |
14.0 |
16.0 |
2 |
GM Frode Olav Olsen Urkedal |
2536 |
Offerspill |
4.0 |
13.5 |
16.0 |
3 |
GM Torbjørn Ringdal Hansen |
2402 |
Slemmestad |
4.0 |
12.5 |
15.0 |
4 |
Eirik Strøm Austad |
2081 |
Porsgrunn |
3.5 |
12.0 |
13.5 |
5 |
IM Dmitry Sklyarov |
2441 |
Alta |
3.0 |
14.0 |
16.5 |
6 |
FM Eivind Grunt Kreken |
2288 |
Nordstrand |
3.0 |
13.5 |
15.0 |
7 |
Ben Samuel Groth Skaar |
2015 |
Alta |
3.0 |
13.0 |
15.0 |
8 |
WIM Sheila Barth Stanford |
2198 |
Stjernen |
3.0 |
12.5 |
14.5 |
9 |
IM Maxim Barth Stanford |
2257 |
Stjernen |
3.0 |
12.0 |
13.0 |
10 |
Vinjar Hammari |
2053 |
Alta |
3.0 |
10.0 |
11.0 |
11 |
Ask Amundsen |
2012 |
Strømmen |
2.5 |
12.5 |
14.0 |
12 |
CM Holger Blauhut |
2033 |
Fredriksstad |
2.5 |
11.5 |
13.0 |
13 |
CM Pål Nikolai Røyset |
2107 |
Tromsø |
2.5 |
10.5 |
12.0 |
14 |
WIM Ellen Hagesæther |
2139 |
Akademisk |
2.5 |
10.0 |
11.0 |
15 |
Aksel Elias Gjersvik |
1793 |
Søråshøgda |
2.5 |
9.5 |
10.5 |
16 |
Kjell Aanes |
1834 |
Alta |
2.5 |
8.5 |
9.5 |
17 |
Birk Sæther Rostad |
1970 |
Tromsø |
2.0 |
12.5 |
14.5 |
18 |
Aksel Brasøy |
1931 |
Alta |
2.0 |
8.0 |
9.0 |
19 |
Anna Blauhut |
1823 |
Fredriksstad |
1.5 |
11.5 |
13.0 |
20 |
Mikkel Damtoft Solbakken |
1901 |
Alta |
1.5 |
9.5 |
10.5 |
21 |
Benjamin Halvorsen |
1945 |
Tromsø |
1.5 |
9.0 |
10.5 |
22 |
Bernhard Normann Lund |
1773 |
Hammerfest |
1.5 |
7.5 |
9.0 |
23 |
Alena Sklyarova |
1933 |
Alta |
1.0 |
10.5 |
12.5 |
24 |
Thorir Hrafnkelsson |
1805 |
Skjervøy |
0.5 |
6.5 |
7.0 |
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All available games
1.e4 | 1,186,706 | 54% | 2421 | --- |
1.d4 | 960,560 | 55% | 2434 | --- |
1.Nf3 | 286,913 | 56% | 2440 | --- |
1.c4 | 185,115 | 56% | 2442 | --- |
1.g3 | 19,902 | 56% | 2427 | --- |
1.b3 | 14,609 | 54% | 2428 | --- |
1.f4 | 5,959 | 48% | 2376 | --- |
1.Nc3 | 3,919 | 50% | 2383 | --- |
1.b4 | 1,791 | 48% | 2379 | --- |
1.a3 | 1,252 | 54% | 2406 | --- |
1.e3 | 1,081 | 49% | 2409 | --- |
1.d3 | 969 | 50% | 2378 | --- |
1.g4 | 670 | 46% | 2361 | --- |
1.h4 | 466 | 54% | 2382 | --- |
1.c3 | 439 | 51% | 2425 | --- |
1.h3 | 289 | 56% | 2420 | --- |
1.a4 | 118 | 60% | 2461 | --- |
1.f3 | 100 | 47% | 2427 | --- |
1.Nh3 | 93 | 66% | 2506 | --- |
1.Na3 | 47 | 62% | 2476 | --- |
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1.d4 d5 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 Be7 4.cxd5 exd5 5.Bf4 c6 6.e3 Bf5 7.Nge2 h6 8.Ng3 Bh7 9.Bd3 Bxd3 10.Qxd3 g6 11.e4 Na6 12.0-0 Nf6 13.Rfe1 Nb4 14.Qd2 dxe4 15.Ngxe4 Nxe4 16.Rxe4 Kf8 17.Bxh6+ Kg8 18.Rae1 Bf6 19.h3 Qd7 20.Rg4 Re8 21.Rxe8+ Qxe8 22.Bg5 Bxg5 23.Rxg5 f6 24.Ra5 Na6 25.d5 cxd5 26.Rxd5 Qc6 1–0
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Frode Olav Olsen Urkedal | 2536 | Holger Blauhut | 2033 | 1–0 | 2024 | | Power Solutions Arctic Chess NGP | 1 |
Ben Samuel Groth Skaar | 2015 | Dmitry Sklyarov | 2441 | ½–½ | 2024 | | Power Solutions Arctic Chess NGP | 1 |
Torbjørn Ringdal Hansen | 2402 | Ask Amundsen | 2012 | 1–0 | 2024 | | Power Solutions Arctic Chess NGP | 1 |
Birk Sæther Rostad | 1970 | Mads Vestby-Ellingsen | 2368 | 0–1 | 2024 | | Power Solutions Arctic Chess NGP | 1 |
Eivind Grunt Kreken | 2288 | Benjamin Halvorsen | 1945 | 1–0 | 2024 | | Power Solutions Arctic Chess NGP | 1 |
Alena Sklyarova | 1933 | Maxim Barth Stanford | 2257 | 0–1 | 2024 | | Power Solutions Arctic Chess NGP | 1 |
Sheila Barth Stanford | 2198 | Aksel Brasøy | 1931 | 1–0 | 2024 | | Power Solutions Arctic Chess NGP | 1 |
Mikkel Damtoft Solbakken | 1901 | Ellen Hagesæther | 2139 | 0–1 | 2024 | | Power Solutions Arctic Chess NGP | 1 |
Pål Nikolai Røyset | 2107 | Kjell Aanes | 1834 | 1–0 | 2024 | | Power Solutions Arctic Chess NGP | 1 |
Anna Blauhut | 1823 | Eirik Strøm Austad | 2081 | 0–1 | 2024 | | Power Solutions Arctic Chess NGP | 1 |
Maxim Barth Stanford | 2257 | Frode Olav Olsen Urkedal | 2536 | ½–½ | 2024 | | Power Solutions Arctic Chess NGP | 2 |
Dmitry Sklyarov | 2441 | Pål Nikolai Røyset | 2107 | 1–0 | 2024 | | Power Solutions Arctic Chess NGP | 2 |
Ellen Hagesæther | 2139 | Torbjørn Ringdal Hansen | 2402 | 0–1 | 2024 | | Power Solutions Arctic Chess NGP | 2 |
Mads Vestby-Ellingsen | 2368 | Sheila Barth Stanford | 2198 | 1–0 | 2024 | | Power Solutions Arctic Chess NGP | 2 |
Eirik Strøm Austad | 2081 | Eivind Grunt Kreken | 2288 | ½–½ | 2024 | | Power Solutions Arctic Chess NGP | 2 |
Thorir Hrafnkelsson | 1805 | Vinjar Hammari | 2053 | 0–1 | 2024 | | Power Solutions Arctic Chess NGP | 2 |
Aksel Elias Gjersvik | 1793 | Holger Blauhut | 2033 | 0–1 | 2024 | | Power Solutions Arctic Chess NGP | 2 |
Ask Amundsen | 2012 | Mikkel Damtoft Solbakken | 1901 | 1–0 | 2024 | | Power Solutions Arctic Chess NGP | 2 |
Aksel Brasøy | 1931 | Birk Sæther Rostad | 1970 | 0–1 | 2024 | | Power Solutions Arctic Chess NGP | 2 |
Benjamin Halvorsen | 1945 | Anna Blauhut | 1823 | 0–1 | 2024 | | Power Solutions Arctic Chess NGP | 2 |
Frode Olav Olsen Urkedal | 2536 | Eirik Strøm Austad | 2081 | 1–0 | 2024 | | Power Solutions Arctic Chess NGP | 3 |
Vinjar Hammari | 2053 | Dmitry Sklyarov | 2441 | 0–1 | 2024 | | Power Solutions Arctic Chess NGP | 3 |
Torbjørn Ringdal Hansen | 2402 | Mads Vestby-Ellingsen | 2368 | ½–½ | 2024 | | Power Solutions Arctic Chess NGP | 3 |
Eivind Grunt Kreken | 2288 | Ben Samuel Groth Skaar | 2015 | ½–½ | 2024 | | Power Solutions Arctic Chess NGP | 3 |
Sheila Barth Stanford | 2198 | Maxim Barth Stanford | 2257 | ½–½ | 2024 | | Power Solutions Arctic Chess NGP | 3 |
Birk Sæther Rostad | 1970 | Ellen Hagesæther | 2139 | 1–0 | 2024 | | Power Solutions Arctic Chess NGP | 3 |
Pål Nikolai Røyset | 2107 | Ask Amundsen | 2012 | 0–1 | 2024 | | Power Solutions Arctic Chess NGP | 3 |
Holger Blauhut | 2033 | Anna Blauhut | 1823 | ½–½ | 2024 | | Power Solutions Arctic Chess NGP | 3 |
Alena Sklyarova | 1933 | Aksel Elias Gjersvik | 1793 | ½–½ | 2024 | | Power Solutions Arctic Chess NGP | 3 |
Bernhard Normann Lund | 1773 | Thorir Hrafnkelsson | 1805 | 1–0 | 2024 | | Power Solutions Arctic Chess NGP | 3 |
Mads Vestby-Ellingsen | 2368 | Frode Olav Olsen Urkedal | 2536 | ½–½ | 2024 | | Power Solutions Arctic Chess NGP | 4 |
Dmitry Sklyarov | 2441 | Torbjørn Ringdal Hansen | 2402 | ½–½ | 2024 | | Power Solutions Arctic Chess NGP | 4 |
Maxim Barth Stanford | 2257 | Eivind Grunt Kreken | 2288 | 0–1 | 2024 | | Power Solutions Arctic Chess NGP | 4 |
Kjell Aanes | 1834 | Sheila Barth Stanford | 2198 | 0–1 | 2024 | | Power Solutions Arctic Chess NGP | 4 |
Ellen Hagesæther | 2139 | Alena Sklyarova | 1933 | 1–0 | 2024 | | Power Solutions Arctic Chess NGP | 4 |
Aksel Elias Gjersvik | 1793 | Pål Nikolai Røyset | 2107 | ½–½ | 2024 | | Power Solutions Arctic Chess NGP | 4 |
Ask Amundsen | 2012 | Eirik Strøm Austad | 2081 | 0–1 | 2024 | | Power Solutions Arctic Chess NGP | 4 |
Anna Blauhut | 1823 | Vinjar Hammari | 2053 | 0–1 | 2024 | | Power Solutions Arctic Chess NGP | 4 |
Holger Blauhut | 2033 | Bernhard Normann Lund | 1773 | 1–0 | 2024 | | Power Solutions Arctic Chess NGP | 4 |
Ben Samuel Groth Skaar | 2015 | Birk Sæther Rostad | 1970 | 1–0 | 2024 | | Power Solutions Arctic Chess NGP | 4 |
Frode Olav Olsen Urkedal | 2536 | Dmitry Sklyarov | 2441 | 1–0 | 2024 | | Power Solutions Arctic Chess NGP | 5 |
Torbjørn Ringdal Hansen | 2402 | Ben Samuel Groth Skaar | 2015 | 1–0 | 2024 | | Power Solutions Arctic Chess NGP | 5 |
Eivind Grunt Kreken | 2288 | Mads Vestby-Ellingsen | 2368 | 0–1 | 2024 | | Power Solutions Arctic Chess NGP | 5 |
Birk Sæther Rostad | 1970 | Maxim Barth Stanford | 2257 | 0–1 | 2024 | | Power Solutions Arctic Chess NGP | 5 |
Sheila Barth Stanford | 2198 | Vinjar Hammari | 2053 | ½–½ | 2024 | | Power Solutions Arctic Chess NGP | 5 |
Ask Amundsen | 2012 | Ellen Hagesæther | 2139 | ½–½ | 2024 | | Power Solutions Arctic Chess NGP | 5 |
Pål Nikolai Røyset | 2107 | Anna Blauhut | 1823 | 1–0 | 2024 | | Power Solutions Arctic Chess NGP | 5 |
Eirik Strøm Austad | 2081 | Holger Blauhut | 2033 | 1–0 | 2024 | | Power Solutions Arctic Chess NGP | 5 |
Mikkel Damtoft Solbakken | 1901 | Aksel Elias Gjersvik | 1793 | 0–1 | 2024 | | Power Solutions Arctic Chess NGP | 5 |
Bernhard Normann Lund | 1773 | Kjell Aanes | 1834 | 0–1 | 2024 | | Power Solutions Arctic Chess NGP | 5 |
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