Erik Blomqvist: Swedish Champion 2016

by Ari Ziegler
7/28/2016 – The Swedish Championships, which took place from 15th to 24th July in Uppsala, were a big chess festival with tournaments for players of all levels and all ages. The "Mästarklassen", the Master Class, a ten player round-robin event, was dominated by Erik Blomqvist. After starting with three draws he decided it was time for action and went on to win all of his six remaining games to become Swedish Champion 2016.

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Erik Blomqvist is new Swedish Champion!

Text: IM Ari Ziegler
Photos: Lars O A Hedlund

An crucial encounter for this year's championship came in round five when Hans Tikkanen, three-times Swedish Champion, played Erik Blomqvist. We saw a modern game of chess. After an opening that looked innocent enough Tikkanen, who had White, threw in the gauntlet by sacrificing a pawn for the initiative. But Black was mentally prepared to defend and he defended well! White lost track and Black took over. Erik Blomqvist at his best!!

 
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1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 e6 This simple developing move which served Gelfand quite well against Anand in their World Champion match is getting more and more popular. What is White's strongest move now? Well if you want to prove something you should inflict structural damages on Black by knocking the knight out of the board. 4.0-0 Nge7 5.c3 5.Re1 Carlsen style (Even though Carlsen don't want to be labelled any styles...) 5...a6 6.Ba4 b5 7.Bc2 Bb7
White is at another crossroad. However none of the moves White has played here are very committal. 8.Re1 The most popular choice. Carlsen choose 8.Qe2 against Radjabov in 2009. 8.a4 8.d4 8...Rc8 9.a4 That's how we do it today. The position on the Queen's side has some similarities with the topic slow rollers in Ruy Lopez and there White wants Black to play b5 which almost automatically releases the a4-push. b4 10.d4 Tikkanen has obviously prepared something. 10.d3= is a cautious alternative. 10...bxc3 11.d5
This is a position you don't want to solve at the board. Both guys had their knives sharpened. 11...cxb2 11...Nb4 Has been played by Ivanchuk and Shirov, but Blomqvist trusts the computer more. 12.Bxb2 Nb4
Four grandmasters have had this position before, but none of them played Tikkanen's move. (Komodo10s first choice) 13.Bc3
Now it is time for Black to make a decision. To take or not to take on c2? 13...Ng6 OK, White enjoys a certain compensation due to Black's poor development on th King's side. And the question is if Black can castle at all? Most probably not, so, shall Black give the pawn on g7 back in order to develop the Bishop and when White grabs it put the rook on g8 so that he him self can threat something? 13...Nxc2 14.Qxc2 Ng6 15.Qd2 with the idea Ba5, was a motive that Hans liked, and perhaps this motive was the cause of later Qd2?! 14.Na3 Sensible, as the c4-square looks attractive. Tikkanen did not like this. Perhaps an inch better was: 14.Nbd2 In some variations the knight might come handier in the centre even though it is not clear when and how. But the centre will probably change very soon, and then this will be solved by itself. Be7 15.Bxg7 Rg8 16.Bc3 exd5 17.exd5 Nxc2 18.Qxc2 Bxd5 19.Ng5 White still has some pressure against Black, and we can see that the knight on d2 looks little bit more natural than on a3. 14...Be7 15.Qd2?! Some kind of preparation, but it alows castling. Why not the simple 15.Bxg7 Rg8 16.Bc3 If Black wants to challenge White with: exd5 17.exd5 Bxd5 18.Bxg6 18.Bxb4 Bxf3 19.Qxf3 cxb4 20.Bb3 Rg7 21.Nc4 He ends up in a middle game misery. Where only tactics can save him i.e. Nh4 22.Qe4 Rxc4 23.Qxc4 Nxg2 24.Qd4 24.Rxe7+ Qxe7 25.Kh1 Qe5 26.Rg1 and Black keeps the things together. 24...Kf8 25.Re4 d5 26.Rg4 Bf6 27.Qxb4+ Be7 28.Qd4 Bf6= 18...Rxg6 19.Nh4 Re6 20.Nf5 Rxe1+ 21.Qxe1 Rc6 22.Rd1 With some kind of pressure. 22.Qe5 d6 23.Qh8+ Kd7 24.Qxh7 Bf6 15...exd5 Why not 15...0-0 16.Bxg7 Rg8 17.exd5 White is gambling 17.Qh6 Nxc2 18.Nxc2 dxe4 19.Ne3!= was mandatory. 17...Rxg7 18.d6 Bxf3! 19.Qc3! Kf8 20.dxe7+ Nxe7 21.Qxf3 Nec6! Erik is a true materialist and here he excells! 22.Qh3 White must try something... Nd4 23.Bxh7 Qh4 This one did hurt. 24.Qxh4 Nf3+ 25.Kf1 Nxh4 26.Be4 d5 27.Rac1 Rc6 28.Nb1 f5 29.Bxd5 Nxd5 White could have resigned but in this tournament we have seen mysterious errors, so everything can happen. 30.Re5 Nf4 31.Rc4 Nfxg2 32.Nd2 Kf7 33.Rcxc5 Rxc5 34.Rxc5 Nf4 35.Nf3 Ne6 36.Ra5 Nxf3 37.Rxf5+ Ke7 38.Rxf3 Rg4 39.Ra3 a5 40.Ke2 Rh4 41.h3 Nf4+ 42.Kd2 Here Blomqvist calculated to move 58. Rxh3 43.Rxh3 Nxh3 44.Ke3 Kd6 45.f4 Kc5 46.f5 Ng5 47.f6 Kb4 48.Ke2 Kxa4 49.Kd1 Kb3 50.Kc1 a4 51.Kb1 a3 52.Ka1 Nf3 53.f7 Nd4 54.f8Q Nc2+ 55.Kb1 a2+ 56.Kc1 a1Q+ 57.Kd2 Qe1+ 58.Kd3 Qe3# We saw a modern game of chess. First we have a innocent looking opening, then White took up the gauntlet by playing. Black was mentally prepared to defend and he defended well! White lost track and Black took over. Erik Blomqvist at his best! 0–1
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WhiteEloWBlackEloBResYearECOEventRnd
Tikkanen,H-Blomqvist,E-0–12016B30Schack-SM 2016: Svergiemästarklassen5.1

 

Three-times Swedish Champion Hans Tikkanen. He currently studies psychology

Pre-tournament favorite Nils Grandelius started with 3.0/4 but then lost his stride, which allowed Erik Blomqvist and IM Jonathan Westerberg to grab the lead.

Jonathan Westerberg is a great talent. The way he wins his games is not always straightforward, but it is amazing to see the resources he has. With a proper chess education he will most certainly become a GM and cross the 2600-barrier. He came third (!) and he will be given further chances to show his skills in September, in the Olympiad 2016 in Baku!

Jonathan Westerberg

But new Swedish Champion is Erik Blomqvist, a hard working chess professional, who throughout the championship had been playing solid and crisp chess. He started with three draws but his finish could not have been better: six out of six!

Erik Blomqvist

The 23-year old Blomqvist has a hard positional style. He likes to keep the games tense and takes good care of his pieces and pawns by always having an eye on material. He gladly grabs material and then very stubbornly holds on to it. He seems to follow the motto of Captain Jack Sparrow from "Pirates of the Caribbean": "Take all you can, give nothing back!"

After eight rounds Erik was certain to win the tournament and to become new champion but the players still showed marvellous fighting spirit in the last round, perhaps the best round of the championship. Pia Cramling won very effectively against Tikkanen's Albin Counter and Daniel Semcecen won a nice strategic game against Hector - don't miss them!

 
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1.d4 d5 2.c4 e5 Tikkanen had prepared the Albin Counter to this tournament. Pia was well prepared. 3.dxe5 d4 4.Nf3 Nc6 5.a3 This move is recommended everywhere today. Nge7 The main line. 5...Bg4 5...a5 6.b4 Ng6 7.Bb2 Now the question is: to insert ...a5 or not. a5 8.b5 Ncxe5 9.Nxe5 Nxe5 10.e3 Be6 11.Bxd4 Nxc4 12.Qc2 Nd6 13.Bd3 Qg5 One can expect the players to have had this position on the board before the game. 14.f4 Qh4+ 15.g3 Qh5 16.Nc3 Rd8 Perhaps a new move to Pia, but White is better. 17.0-0 Nf5 18.Bxf5 Simple and strong chess by Pia. Qxf5 19.e4 Qh5 20.Nd5! curtains Bxd5 21.exd5 Qxd5 22.Rfe1+ Kd7 22...Be7 23.Bxg7 Rg8 24.Bf6 23.Rad1 Bd6 24.Bc5 Qh5 25.b6 Rhe8 26.Bxd6 Rxe1+ 27.Rxe1 cxd6 28.Qc7# Perhaps this was Tikkanen's last game with the Albin Counter? 1–0
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WhiteEloWBlackEloBResYearECOEventRnd
Cramling,P-Tikkanen,H-1–02016D08Schack-SM 2016: Svergiemästarklassen9.1

 

 
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1.d4 d5 2.c4 c6 3.Nf3 Nf6 4.Qc2 dxc4 5.e4 b5 6.b3 cxb3 7.axb3 This is a brilliant concept. White is trusting his centre, some lines and diagonals. Black is allowed to try out a wide range of defences. e6 8.Bd2 8.Bd3 Bb4+ 9.Bd2 Bxd2+ 10.Qxd2 in order to attack the Black squares later on is also possible. But Bd2 on the other hand keeps all pieces on the board which in some moves will mean that the Black pieces will get irritated in each others. 8...a5 8...Bb7 9.Ba5 is not the end of the world, but little bit annoying. 9.Bd3 Be7 10.0-0 Bb7 11.Rd1 11.Rc1 With a restraied strategy has been played, but Rd1 seems more to the point. 11...Qb6 12.h3 A waiting move. White wants Black to go to d7 with the knight before playing Nc3 himself. That's cool, not forcing anything despite being a pawn down. 12.Nc3 Na6 12...Nbd7 13.Nc3 g6?! 13...h6 and then 0-0 in an appropriate moment was mandatory. 14.Bh6! Right in the face. Rc8 15.Qe2 b4?! It looks like Black has lost interest in the game, just pushing woods. This bitter pill should not be delayed further. 15...Bf8 16.Na4 Qc7 17.Rac1 Bf8 18.Qe3 White thanks the pawn on h3! Ng8 Black was hopeless anyway. 19.Bxf8 Kxf8 20.d5 A classic. exd5 21.exd5 c5 22.Bb5 Daniel is merciless. Ngf6 23.d6 Qd8 24.Nxc5 Rxc5 25.Rxc5 Bxf3 26.gxf3 Nxc5 27.Qxc5 Kg7 28.Qe5 Rf8 29.d7 Kg8 30.Rd6 Nh5 31.Rc6 Qa8 32.Qc5 Nf4 33.Rc8 A strategic masterpice by Semsecen, the Champion from 2014! 1–0
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WhiteEloWBlackEloBResYearECOEventRnd
Semcesen,D-Hector,J-1–02016D11Schack-SM 2016: Svergiemästarklassen9.2

 

GM Ferdinand Hellers

In round five the Championship was attended by the great Ferdinand Hellers, a former European Junior Champion who chose to become a lawyer instead of a world class chess player. He attended the live broadcast and he was not overly impressed by the moves, but we could see that he was a bit rusty.

Analysis room with a view

Before the kids arrive...

The kids are in town, formidable noise...

Veteran Thomas Carnstam has played in 48 consecutive championships!

Nina Blazekovic

The happy people behind the live-broadcast

 

Games

 
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1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.g3 d5 4.Nf3 Bb4+ 5.Bd2 Bd6 6.Nc3 c6 7.Qc2 Nbd7 8.e4 Nxe4 9.Nxe4 dxe4 10.Qxe4 Nf6 11.Qc2 Qe7 12.Bg2 0-0 13.c5 Bc7 14.0-0 Nd5 15.Ng5 g6 16.Rfe1 Bd7 17.Re2 Rad8 18.Rae1 Rfe8 19.h4 Qf8 20.b4 Bc8 21.a4 Qg7 22.Nf3 f6 23.b5 Qf7 24.Bh3 Re7 25.Qb3 Rde8 26.Re4 Kg7 27.Bf1 h6 28.Qb2 Kh7 29.Bd3 e5 30.h5 Kg8 31.hxg6 Qxg6 32.dxe5 fxe5 33.Nh4 Qf6 34.Qc1 Nf4 35.Bc4+ Kf8 36.Rf1 Bh3 37.Qc3 Kg7 38.Rfe1 Nd5 39.Qd3 Rd8 40.Qe2 Bc8 41.Rg4+ Bxg4 42.Qxg4+ Kf7 43.Nf5 Rh8 44.Qh5+ Ke6 45.Nxe7 Qxe7 46.Bxh6 Qf6 47.Qg4+ Qf5 48.Qxf5+ Kxf5 49.Bd3+ Ke6 50.Bd2 Rd8 51.Kf1 Ne7 52.Bc4+ Kf5 53.Bc3 Nd5 54.Bb2 Nb4 55.b6 axb6 56.cxb6 Bb8 57.Ke2 Rd7 58.Rh1 Nd5 59.a5 Bd6 60.f3 Rg7 61.Rh6 Rxg3 62.Bd3+ e4 63.Bxe4+ Kg5 64.Rg6+ Kh4 65.Rxd6 Rg2+ 66.Kd3 Rxb2 67.Bxd5 cxd5 68.Rxd5 Kg3 69.Rd7 Rb5 70.Rxb7 Rxa5 71.Rf7 Rb5 72.b7 Kh4 73.Kc4 Rb1 74.Kc5 Kg5 75.Kc6 1–0
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WhiteEloWBlackEloBResYearECOEventRnd
Hillarp Persson,T-Cramling,P-1–02016A40Schack-SM 2016: Svergiemästarklassen1.1
Grandelius,N-Semcesen,D-1–02016A20Schack-SM 2016: Svergiemästarklassen1.2
Tikkanen,H-Smith,A-½–½2016C67Schack-SM 2016: Svergiemästarklassen1.3
Hector,J-Blomqvist,E-½–½2016B81Schack-SM 2016: Svergiemästarklassen1.4
Rydström,T-Westerberg,J-0–12016B42Schack-SM 2016: Svergiemästarklassen1.5
Cramling,P-Rydström,T-½–½2016A14Schack-SM 2016: Svergiemästarklassen2.1
Hector,J-Grandelius,N-0–12016C54Schack-SM 2016: Svergiemästarklassen2.2
Blomqvist,E-Westerberg,J-½–½2016E32Schack-SM 2016: Svergiemästarklassen2.3
Semcesen,D-Tikkanen,H-½–½2016D00Schack-SM 2016: Svergiemästarklassen2.4
Smith,A-Hillarp Persson,T-½–½2016D25Schack-SM 2016: Svergiemästarklassen2.5
Grandelius,N-Blomqvist,E-½–½2016A04Schack-SM 2016: Svergiemästarklassen3.1
Westerberg,J-Cramling,P-½–½2016E32Schack-SM 2016: Svergiemästarklassen3.2
Tikkanen,H-Hector,J-0–12016C78Schack-SM 2016: Svergiemästarklassen3.3
Rydström,T-Smith,A-0–12016C48Schack-SM 2016: Svergiemästarklassen3.4
Hillarp Persson,T-Semcesen,D-½–½2016D15Schack-SM 2016: Svergiemästarklassen3.5
Blomqvist,E-Cramling,P-1–02016B30Schack-SM 2016: Svergiemästarklassen4.1
Grandelius,N-Tikkanen,H-½–½2016D08Schack-SM 2016: Svergiemästarklassen4.2
Smith,A-Westerberg,J-0–12016A09Schack-SM 2016: Svergiemästarklassen4.3
Hector,J-Hillarp Persson,T-1–02016C11Schack-SM 2016: Svergiemästarklassen4.4
Semcesen,D-Rydström,T-1–02016E32Schack-SM 2016: Svergiemästarklassen4.5
Tikkanen,H-Blomqvist,E-0–12016B30Schack-SM 2016: Svergiemästarklassen5.1
Cramling,P-Smith,A-0–12016A33Schack-SM 2016: Svergiemästarklassen5.2
Hillarp Persson,T-Grandelius,N-1–02016E35Schack-SM 2016: Svergiemästarklassen5.3
Westerberg,J-Semcesen,D-½–½2016D11Schack-SM 2016: Svergiemästarklassen5.4
Rydström,T-Hector,J-½–½2016C78Schack-SM 2016: Svergiemästarklassen5.5
Semcesen,D-Cramling,P-½–½2016E32Schack-SM 2016: Svergiemästarklassen6.1
Tikkanen,H-Hillarp Persson,T-1–02016C11Schack-SM 2016: Svergiemästarklassen6.2
Blomqvist,E-Smith,A-1–02016D11Schack-SM 2016: Svergiemästarklassen6.3
Grandelius,N-Rydström,T-1–02016C49Schack-SM 2016: Svergiemästarklassen6.4
Hector,J-Westerberg,J-½–½2016C00Schack-SM 2016: Svergiemästarklassen6.5
Cramling,P-Hector,J-0–12016A06Schack-SM 2016: Svergiemästarklassen7.1
Smith,A-Semcesen,D-½–½2016D15Schack-SM 2016: Svergiemästarklassen7.2
Rydström,T-Tikkanen,H-0–12016B11Schack-SM 2016: Svergiemästarklassen7.3
Hillarp Persson,T-Blomqvist,E-0–12016D17Schack-SM 2016: Svergiemästarklassen7.4
Westerberg,J-Grandelius,N-½–½2016A46Schack-SM 2016: Svergiemästarklassen7.5
Grandelius,N-Cramling,P-½–½2016C77Schack-SM 2016: Svergiemästarklassen8.1
Hillarp Persson,T-Rydström,T-1–02016A00Schack-SM 2016: Svergiemästarklassen8.2
Hector,J-Smith,A-0–12016C42Schack-SM 2016: Svergiemästarklassen8.3
Tikkanen,H-Westerberg,J-1–02016C70Schack-SM 2016: Svergiemästarklassen8.4
Blomqvist,E-Semcesen,D-1–02016B07Schack-SM 2016: Svergiemästarklassen8.5
Cramling,P-Tikkanen,H-1–02016D08Schack-SM 2016: Svergiemästarklassen9.1
Semcesen,D-Hector,J-1–02016D11Schack-SM 2016: Svergiemästarklassen9.2
Westerberg,J-Hillarp Persson,T-½–½2016C11Schack-SM 2016: Svergiemästarklassen9.3
Smith,A-Grandelius,N-½–½2016A09Schack-SM 2016: Svergiemästarklassen9.4
Rydström,T-Blomqvist,E-0–12016B42Schack-SM 2016: Svergiemästarklassen9.5

 

Final standings after nine rounds

  Title Name Country ELO 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Pts. TB
1 GM Erik Blomqvist
 
 2526   ½ ½ 1 ½ 1 1 1 1 1 7.5 / 9  
2 GM Nils Grandelius
 
 2649 ½   ½ ½ 1 ½ 0 1 ½ 1 5.5 / 9  
3 IM Jonathan Westerberg
 
 2489 ½ ½   1 ½ 0 ½ ½ ½ 1 5.0 / 9 20.75
4 GM Axel Smith
 
 2499 0 ½ 0   1 ½ ½ ½ 1 1 5.0 / 9 18.00
5 GM Jonny Hector
 
 2512 ½ 0 ½ 0   1 1 0 1 ½ 4.5 / 9 18.75
6 GM Hans Tikkanen
 
 2525 0 ½ 1 ½ 0   1 ½ 0 1 4.5 / 9 18.00
7 GM Tiger Hillarp Persson
 
 2518 0 1 ½ ½ 0 0   ½ 1 1 4.5 / 9 16.75
8 GM Daniel Semcesen
 
 2450 0 0 ½ ½ 1 ½ ½   ½ 1 4.5 / 9 16.50
9 GM Pia Cramling
 
 2471 0 ½ ½ 0 0 1 0 ½   ½ 3.0 / 9  
10   Tom Rydström     0 0 0 0 ½ 0 0 0 ½   1.0 / 9  

 

Photographer Lars O A Hedlund

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

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