The well-known Gausdal chess tradition, lasting from 1970 until 2008, like
all good things unfortunately ended. But its successful organizer and arbiter,
Hans Olav Lahlum (37), decided to re-establish this legendary Norwegian chess
tradition – on new grounds in Oslo! Now cooperating with Akademisk SK
(the chess club from the University in Oslo), and with the former Gausdal hotel
manager Lars Petter Mathisen (now manager of the new conference hotel Thon Ullevaal
Stadion in Oslo), Lahlum organized a grandmaster qualifying title tournament
called Oslo Chess International 2011. This new international tournament has
been designed to bring back the combination of a serious title tournament and
the friendly atmosphere which was the hallmark of Gausdal.
Hans Olav Lahlum (born 1973) is a well known Norwegian chess player and chess
organizer, having the titles of International Organizer (IO) and International
Arbiter (IA) from FIDE. Apart from Gausdal 1999-2008, Hans Olav has organized
numberous international events and has been chief arbiter in many other large
tournaments including the Norwegian championships 2006-2010. Lahlum is also
a famous historian and bookwriter in Norway, with works on all the US presidents
from George Washington to Barack Obama, and a best-selling historical biography
about the legendary Norwegian politician Haakon Lie. In 2010 Lahlum released
a new historical book about the Norwegian Labour Party, with the title "Noen
av oss har snakket sammen..." ("Some of us have spoken together...").
In the past months he has also had success with his first criminal novel "Menneskefluene"
("The Human Flies").
Back in 2004 Hans Olav interviewed a young chess talent, and in fact...
...played some blitz against him. The
report is definitely worth rereading.
The Oslo Chess International has eleven GMs in a field that includes 37 titled
players. Top seed is GM Sergei Tiviakov, who has found time to send us a large
number of pictures from the tournament and from Oslo (see below). But the hero
is the second seed, who is leading by a full point.
Standings after seven rounds
British GM Matthew Sadler is staging an astonishing comeback. Born in 1974,
Sadler won the British Championship at the age of 21 and 23. He represented
England in the 1996 Chess Olympiad, scoring 10½/13 and winning a gold
medal for the best score on board four (England finished fourth). He also played
in 1998 scoring 7½/12, and was widely tipped to reach the heights scaled
by such leading players as Michael Adams and Nigel Short. But Matthew stopped
playing competitive chess and opted for an IT career in Holland, moving to Amersfoort
in the Netherlands. He has a French mother, speaks French perfectly and is also
qualified to play in closed French events.
Comeback kid: GM Matthew Sadler leading in Oslo
Sadler returned to chess in 2010 in a rapid-play tournament held in nearby
Wageningen, which he duly won. After that he broke back into the international
chess scene with a vengeance, winning the the Sants Open at Barcelona in August.
Now he is on track to win the Oslo Chess International.
Oslo International – pictorial impressions by GM Sergei Tiviakov
The Thon Ullevaal center where the tournament is being held
The playing hall just before the start of a round
Round five is under way, with Matthew Sadler vs Sipke Ernst
[Event "Oslo GM Open"] [Site "Oslo NOR"] [Date "2011.10.05"] [Round "5.1"] [White
"Sadler, Matthew D"] [Black "Ernst, Sipke"] [Result "1-0"] [ECO "D10"] [WhiteElo
"2625"] [BlackElo "2581"] [PlyCount "61"] [EventDate "2011.10.02"] 1. d4 d5
2. c4 c6 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. e3 Bf5 5. cxd5 cxd5 6. Qb3 Bc8 7. Nf3 Nc6 8. Ne5 e6 9.
f4 Be7 10. Bd3 O-O 11. O-O Nd7 12. Bd2 Ndxe5 13. fxe5 Bd7 14. Rf3 Nb4 15. Be2
a5 16. a3 a4 17. Qd1 Nc6 18. Bd3 g6 19. Qe2 f6 20. exf6 Rxf6 21. Raf1 Kg7 22.
Be1 Rxf3 23. Qxf3 Bf6 24. Bg3 Na5 25. Bc7 Qe7 ({Naturally not} 25... Qxc7 26.
Qxf6+ {and mate to follow.}) 26. Bd6 Qd8 27. Bc7 Qe7 28. Bd6 Qd8 29. h4 {Of
course he is not content with a draw.} Nc6 30. h5 Be8 31. h6+ (31. h6+ Kxh6
32. Bf8+ {mates.}) 1-0
Nick de Firmian, 2516, vs Sergey Volkov, 2614 ended in a draw after 45 moves
Second: GM Sergey Volkov 2614, with 4.5/7 points
IM Frode Elsness, 2491, also 4.5/7, with his daughter
Seventh: Norwegian talent GM Jon Ludvig Hammer, 2601, 4.0/7
Ninth: GM Eduardas Rozentalis, 2575, 4.0/7
WGM Nazi Paikidze, rated 2412, with 3.5/7 points
WGM Olga Dolzhikova, 2275, with her son
The famous Ullevaal Stadion, home ground of the Norway national football team
With a capacity of 25,572, Ullevaal is the largest football stadium in Norway
A typical house in this part of Oslo
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