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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!!
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!
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
| 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
