The Café Batavia is close to central station of Amsterdam, right in the middle of the city. And the Batavia café is the venue for an attractive chess tournament the first edition of which was played in 2009. Chief organizer of the tournament is IM Merijn van Delft who is supported by Peter Tames, the owner of the Cafe Batavia. In the eighth edition of the tournament, which took place from 18th to 28th February 2016, ten players - a good mix of talent and experience - took part to play a nine-game round robin.
Among the more experienced players were GM Sabino Brunello from Italy, GM Friso Nijbour from the Netherlands and Danish GM Lars Schandorff. Anne Haast and Lucas van Foreest were two representatives of the young Dutch talents. However, the three grandmasters more than hold their own against the younger generation and took the first three places.

Café Batavia

The tournament started

Tournament winner Lars Schandorff
Lars Schandorff won four games and drew five to share first place with Friso Nijbour.
Here is Schandorff's win against Thomas Willemze. After Black had equalized he became a bit careless and gradually lost the thread.
Schandorff-Willemze
Replay and check the LiveBook here |
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1.d4 Nf6 2.Nf3 e6 3.g3 b5 4.Bg2 Bb7 5.0-0 Be7 6.Bg5 a6 6...0-0 7.Qd3 a6 7.c3 d6 8.Bxf6 Bxf6 9.a4 Nd7 10.Na3 Rb8 11.axb5 axb5 12.Qd3 12.Nxb5? Bxf3 12...b4 12...c6!?= 13.Nc2 bxc3 14.bxc3 0-0 15.Nd2 Bxg2 16.Kxg2 c5 17.Ra7 Qb6 18.Rfa1 Qc6+?! 18...Rb7= 19.Nf3 Rfc8 20.Ne3 cxd4 21.cxd4 Nb6 22.R1a6 g6? 22...Qc1 23.g4!? 22...h5!? 23.h4 23.d5! exd5 24.Nf5 gxf5 25.Qxf5 Kg7 26.Ng5+- 23...Ra8? 23...Bg7= 24.d5 exd5 25.Nxd5 Bd8 25...Qxd5 26.Qxd5 Nxd5 27.Rxa8 26.Rxa8 Rxa8 27.Rxb6 27.Rxb6 Bxb6 28.Ne7++- 1–0 - Start an analysis engine:
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Schandorff,L | 2500 | Willemze,T | 2418 | 1–0 | 2016 | A46 | 8th Batavia Chess Tournament | 5.4 |
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For Anne Haast, the only woman in the field, things did not go too well.
(The picture in the background shows Alina l'Ami)

All games
Replay and check the LiveBook here |
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1.f4 b6 2.Nf3 Bb7 3.e3 f5 4.b3 Nf6 5.Bb2 e6 6.c4 c5 7.Nc3 Nc6 8.a3 d5 9.d4 Bd6 10.Ne5 0-0 11.Be2 cxd4 12.exd4 Ne4 13.Nxe4 fxe4 14.0-0 Qe7 15.b4 Bxe5 16.fxe5 Rxf1+ 17.Bxf1 Qg5 18.Bc1 e3 19.cxd5 Ne7 20.dxe6 Rf8 21.Ra2 Bd5 22.Re2 Bf3 23.Bxe3 Qxe3+ 24.Rxe3 Bxd1 25.d5 Ba4 26.d6 Nd5 27.Re1 Bb3 28.Bb5 Nc3 29.e7 1–0
- Start an analysis engine:
- Try maximizing the board:
- Use the four cursor keys to replay the game. Make moves to analyse yourself.
- Press Ctrl-B to rotate the board.
- Drag the split bars between window panes.
- Download&Clip PGN/GIF/FEN/QR Codes. Share the game.
- Games viewed here will automatically be stored in your cloud clipboard (if you are logged in). Use the cloud clipboard also in ChessBase.
- Create an account to access the games cloud.
Nijboer,F | 2545 | Van Foreest,L | 2350 | 1–0 | 2016 | | 8th Batavia Chess Tournament | 1.1 |
Willemze,T | 2418 | Soors,S | 2390 | 0–1 | 2016 | | 8th Batavia Chess Tournament | 1.2 |
Ly,M | 2480 | Haast,A | 2381 | 1–0 | 2016 | | 8th Batavia Chess Tournament | 1.3 |
Schandorff,L | 2500 | De Ruiter,D | 2312 | ½–½ | 2016 | | 8th Batavia Chess Tournament | 1.4 |
Brunello,S | 2562 | Pijpers,A | 2476 | ½–½ | 2016 | | 8th Batavia Chess Tournament | 1.5 |
Nijboer,F | 2545 | Willemze,T | 2418 | 1–0 | 2016 | | 8th Batavia Chess Tournament | 2.1 |
Haast,A | 2381 | Schandorff,L | 2500 | 0–1 | 2016 | | 8th Batavia Chess Tournament | 2.2 |
Soors,S | 2390 | Ly,M | 2480 | ½–½ | 2016 | | 8th Batavia Chess Tournament | 2.3 |
De Ruiter,D | 2312 | Brunello,S | 2562 | 0–1 | 2016 | | 8th Batavia Chess Tournament | 2.4 |
Van Foreest,L | 2350 | Pijpers,A | 2476 | ½–½ | 2016 | | 8th Batavia Chess Tournament | 2.5 |
Ly,M | 2480 | Nijboer,F | 2545 | ½–½ | 2016 | | 8th Batavia Chess Tournament | 3.1 |
Schandorff,L | 2500 | Soors,S | 2390 | ½–½ | 2016 | | 8th Batavia Chess Tournament | 3.2 |
Pijpers,A | 2476 | De Ruiter,D | 2312 | ½–½ | 2016 | | 8th Batavia Chess Tournament | 3.3 |
Brunello,S | 2562 | Haast,A | 2381 | 1–0 | 2016 | | 8th Batavia Chess Tournament | 3.4 |
Willemze,T | 2418 | Van Foreest,L | 2350 | 1–0 | 2016 | | 8th Batavia Chess Tournament | 3.5 |
Haast,A | 2381 | Pijpers,A | 2476 | 0–1 | 2016 | | 8th Batavia Chess Tournament | 4.1 |
Van Foreest,L | 2350 | De Ruiter,D | 2312 | ½–½ | 2016 | | 8th Batavia Chess Tournament | 4.2 |
Nijboer,F | 2545 | Schandorff,L | 2500 | ½–½ | 2016 | | 8th Batavia Chess Tournament | 4.3 |
Soors,S | 2390 | Brunello,S | 2562 | ½–½ | 2016 | | 8th Batavia Chess Tournament | 4.4 |
Willemze,T | 2418 | Ly,M | 2480 | ½–½ | 2016 | | 8th Batavia Chess Tournament | 4.5 |
Pijpers,A | 2476 | Soors,S | 2390 | 0–1 | 2016 | | 8th Batavia Chess Tournament | 5.1 |
Brunello,S | 2562 | Nijboer,F | 2545 | 1–0 | 2016 | | 8th Batavia Chess Tournament | 5.2 |
Ly,M | 2480 | Van Foreest,L | 2350 | 1–0 | 2016 | | 8th Batavia Chess Tournament | 5.3 |
Schandorff,L | 2500 | Willemze,T | 2418 | 1–0 | 2016 | | 8th Batavia Chess Tournament | 5.4 |
De Ruiter,D | 2312 | Haast,A | 2381 | 0–1 | 2016 | | 8th Batavia Chess Tournament | 5.5 |
Soors,S | 2390 | De Ruiter,D | 2312 | 1–0 | 2016 | | 8th Batavia Chess Tournament | 6.1 |
Willemze,T | 2418 | Brunello,S | 2562 | 0–1 | 2016 | | 8th Batavia Chess Tournament | 6.2 |
Ly,M | 2480 | Schandorff,L | 2500 | ½–½ | 2016 | | 8th Batavia Chess Tournament | 6.3 |
Nijboer,F | 2545 | Pijpers,A | 2476 | 1–0 | 2016 | | 8th Batavia Chess Tournament | 6.4 |
Van Foreest,L | 2350 | Haast,A | 2381 | 1–0 | 2016 | | 8th Batavia Chess Tournament | 6.5 |
Haast,A | 2381 | Soors,S | 2390 | ½–½ | 2016 | | 8th Batavia Chess Tournament | 7.1 |
Brunello,S | 2562 | Ly,M | 2480 | ½–½ | 2016 | | 8th Batavia Chess Tournament | 7.2 |
Pijpers,A | 2476 | Willemze,T | 2418 | 1–0 | 2016 | | 8th Batavia Chess Tournament | 7.3 |
De Ruiter,D | 2312 | Nijboer,F | 2545 | ½–½ | 2016 | | 8th Batavia Chess Tournament | 7.4 |
Schandorff,L | 2500 | Van Foreest,L | 2350 | 1–0 | 2016 | | 8th Batavia Chess Tournament | 7.5 |
Schandorff,L | 2500 | Brunello,S | 2562 | 1–0 | 2016 | | 8th Batavia Chess Tournament | 8.1 |
Van Foreest,L | 2350 | Soors,S | 2390 | 0–1 | 2016 | | 8th Batavia Chess Tournament | 8.2 |
Ly,M | 2480 | Pijpers,A | 2476 | 0–1 | 2016 | | 8th Batavia Chess Tournament | 8.3 |
Willemze,T | 2418 | De Ruiter,D | 2312 | ½–½ | 2016 | | 8th Batavia Chess Tournament | 8.4 |
Nijboer,F | 2545 | Haast,A | 2381 | 1–0 | 2016 | | 8th Batavia Chess Tournament | 8.5 |
Pijpers,A | 2476 | Schandorff,L | 2500 | ½–½ | 2016 | | 8th Batavia Chess Tournament | 9.1 |
Soors,S | 2390 | Nijboer,F | 2545 | 0–1 | 2016 | | 8th Batavia Chess Tournament | 9.2 |
Brunello,S | 2562 | Van Foreest,L | 2350 | ½–½ | 2016 | | 8th Batavia Chess Tournament | 9.3 |
Haast,A | 2381 | Willemze,T | 2418 | 0–1 | 2016 | | 8th Batavia Chess Tournament | 9.4 |
De Ruiter,D | 2312 | Ly,M | 2480 | 0–1 | 2016 | | 8th Batavia Chess Tournament | 9.5 |
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Having fun with beer, blitz, banter, and analysis

Dutch coffeehouse culture
Blitz tournament

Sabino Brunello dominated the blitz tournament and won with a two-point margin

Games of the blitz tournament
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1.Nf3 d5 2.g3 g6 3.Bg2 Bg7 4.d4 Nf6 5.0-0 0-0 6.b3 Bf5 7.Bb2 Qc8 8.Re1 c6 9.c4 h5 10.Nc3 Na6 11.Rc1 dxc4 12.bxc4 Rd8 13.Qb3 Ne4 14.e3 Nxc3 15.Bxc3 Be4 16.h4 Rb8 17.a4 Qf5 18.Ng5 Bxg2 19.Kxg2 Bh6 20.e4 Qc8 21.Qb2 Bxg5 22.hxg5 Qg4 23.Bd2 e5 24.f3 Qd7 25.d5 Re8 26.Bc3 Nc5 27.Qc2 Rbc8 28.Rcd1 cxd5 29.cxd5 Nxa4 30.Rd3 b5 31.Qd2 Nxc3 32.Rxc3 Qd6 33.Rec1 Rxc3 34.Qxc3 b4 35.Qb3 a5 36.Rc6 Qb8 37.d6 Qb5 38.Rc7 Qe2+ 39.Kh3 Qf1+ 40.Kh2 Qf2+ 41.Kh3 Qg1 42.Qxf7+ 1–0
- Start an analysis engine:
- Try maximizing the board:
- Use the four cursor keys to replay the game. Make moves to analyse yourself.
- Press Ctrl-B to rotate the board.
- Drag the split bars between window panes.
- Download&Clip PGN/GIF/FEN/QR Codes. Share the game.
- Games viewed here will automatically be stored in your cloud clipboard (if you are logged in). Use the cloud clipboard also in ChessBase.
- Create an account to access the games cloud.
Soors,S | 2390 | Haast,A | 2381 | 1–0 | 2016 | A06 | Batavia Blitz 2016 | 1.1 |
Brunello,S | 2562 | van Foreest,L | 2350 | ½–½ | 2016 | A46 | Batavia Blitz 2016 | 1.2 |
Willemze,T | 2418 | Nijboer,F | 2545 | 1–0 | 2016 | B07 | Batavia Blitz 2016 | 1.3 |
Pijpers,A | 2476 | de Ruiter,D | 2312 | 0–1 | 2016 | B20 | Batavia Blitz 2016 | 1.4 |
Ly,M | 2480 | Schandorff,L | 2500 | 0–1 | 2016 | D00 | Batavia Blitz 2016 | 1.5 |
Haast,A | 2381 | Schandorff,L | 2500 | 0–1 | 2016 | B13 | Batavia Blitz 2016 | 2.1 |
de Ruiter,D | 2312 | Ly,M | 2480 | 1–0 | 2016 | A61 | Batavia Blitz 2016 | 2.2 |
Nijboer,F | 2545 | Pijpers,A | 2476 | 1–0 | 2016 | A03 | Batavia Blitz 2016 | 2.3 |
van Foreest,L | 2350 | Willemze,T | 2418 | 1–0 | 2016 | B30 | Batavia Blitz 2016 | 2.4 |
Soors,S | 2390 | Brunello,S | 2562 | ½–½ | 2016 | A06 | Batavia Blitz 2016 | 2.5 |
Brunello,S | 2562 | Haast,A | 2381 | 1–0 | 2016 | A48 | Batavia Blitz 2016 | 3.1 |
Willemze,T | 2418 | Soors,S | 2390 | 1–0 | 2016 | B10 | Batavia Blitz 2016 | 3.2 |
Pijpers,A | 2476 | van Foreest,L | 2350 | 1–0 | 2016 | C57 | Batavia Blitz 2016 | 3.3 |
Ly,M | 2480 | Nijboer,F | 2545 | 1–0 | 2016 | A04 | Batavia Blitz 2016 | 3.4 |
Schandorff,L | 2500 | de Ruiter,D | 2312 | 1–0 | 2016 | A05 | Batavia Blitz 2016 | 3.5 |
Haast,A | 2381 | de Ruiter,D | 2312 | 1–0 | 2016 | B21 | Batavia Blitz 2016 | 4.1 |
Nijboer,F | 2545 | Schandorff,L | 2500 | ½–½ | 2016 | B11 | Batavia Blitz 2016 | 4.2 |
van Foreest,L | 2350 | Ly,M | 2480 | 0–1 | 2016 | B30 | Batavia Blitz 2016 | 4.3 |
Soors,S | 2390 | Pijpers,A | 2476 | 0–1 | 2016 | A06 | Batavia Blitz 2016 | 4.4 |
Brunello,S | 2562 | Willemze,T | 2418 | 1–0 | 2016 | A43 | Batavia Blitz 2016 | 4.5 |
Willemze,T | 2418 | Haast,A | 2381 | 1–0 | 2016 | B40 | Batavia Blitz 2016 | 5.1 |
Pijpers,A | 2476 | Brunello,S | 2562 | 0–1 | 2016 | C50 | Batavia Blitz 2016 | 5.2 |
Ly,M | 2480 | Soors,S | 2390 | 1–0 | 2016 | A05 | Batavia Blitz 2016 | 5.3 |
Schandorff,L | 2500 | van Foreest,L | 2350 | ½–½ | 2016 | A05 | Batavia Blitz 2016 | 5.4 |
de Ruiter,D | 2312 | Nijboer,F | 2545 | 0–1 | 2016 | A06 | Batavia Blitz 2016 | 5.5 |
Haast,A | 2381 | Nijboer,F | 2545 | 0–1 | 2016 | B09 | Batavia Blitz 2016 | 6.1 |
van Foreest,L | 2350 | de Ruiter,D | 2312 | 1–0 | 2016 | B40 | Batavia Blitz 2016 | 6.2 |
Soors,S | 2390 | Schandorff,L | 2500 | 0–1 | 2016 | A06 | Batavia Blitz 2016 | 6.3 |
Brunello,S | 2562 | Ly,M | 2480 | 1–0 | 2016 | D02 | Batavia Blitz 2016 | 6.4 |
Willemze,T | 2418 | Pijpers,A | 2476 | 0–1 | 2016 | C00 | Batavia Blitz 2016 | 6.5 |
Pijpers,A | 2476 | Haast,A | 2381 | 0–1 | 2016 | B20 | Batavia Blitz 2016 | 7.1 |
Ly,M | 2480 | Willemze,T | 2418 | 1–0 | 2016 | A05 | Batavia Blitz 2016 | 7.2 |
Schandorff,L | 2500 | Brunello,S | 2562 | 0–1 | 2016 | A06 | Batavia Blitz 2016 | 7.3 |
de Ruiter,D | 2312 | Soors,S | 2390 | 1–0 | 2016 | A05 | Batavia Blitz 2016 | 7.4 |
Nijboer,F | 2545 | van Foreest,L | 2350 | 1–0 | 2016 | A02 | Batavia Blitz 2016 | 7.5 |
Haast,A | 2381 | van Foreest,L | 2350 | 0–1 | 2016 | C44 | Batavia Blitz 2016 | 8.1 |
Soors,S | 2390 | Nijboer,F | 2545 | 1–0 | 2016 | A04 | Batavia Blitz 2016 | 8.2 |
Brunello,S | 2562 | de Ruiter,D | 2312 | 1–0 | 2016 | D02 | Batavia Blitz 2016 | 8.3 |
Willemze,T | 2418 | Schandorff,L | 2500 | 1–0 | 2016 | B18 | Batavia Blitz 2016 | 8.4 |
Pijpers,A | 2476 | Ly,M | 2480 | 0–1 | 2016 | B20 | Batavia Blitz 2016 | 8.5 |
Ly,M | 2480 | Haast,A | 2381 | 0–1 | 2016 | A05 | Batavia Blitz 2016 | 9.1 |
Schandorff,L | 2500 | Pijpers,A | 2476 | 1–0 | 2016 | A04 | Batavia Blitz 2016 | 9.2 |
de Ruiter,D | 2312 | Willemze,T | 2418 | 0–1 | 2016 | A43 | Batavia Blitz 2016 | 9.3 |
Nijboer,F | 2545 | Brunello,S | 2562 | 0–1 | 2016 | A03 | Batavia Blitz 2016 | 9.4 |
van Foreest,L | 2350 | Soors,S | 2390 | 0–1 | 2016 | C47 | Batavia Blitz 2016 | 9.5 |
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The participants: Sabino Brunelli, Lars Schandorff, Friso Nijboer, Moulthun Ly, Arthur Pijpers, Stef Soors, Danny de Ruiter, Thomas Willemze, Lucas van Foreest, Anne Haast

Lars Schandorff explores Amsterdam
Photos: Bas Beekhuizen, Harry Gielen, and Lennart Ootes
Tournament page...