Kollars is the 2024 German champion, Sieber wins Women's Masters

A clear victory for Kollars

Dmitrij Kollars was in the lead by a full point before the final round at the German Individual Championships in Ostfildern on Tuesday, and therefore had the best prospects of winning the title. After the national number 2 in the German rankings - behind Vincent Keymer - had defeated the 2023 champion Vitaly Kunin in round 8 (see analysis of the game below), Kollars faced Leonardo Costa, who had sensationally won the Championship in 2022 at the age of 14, in the ninth and final round.

Kollars achieved a better position out of a Spanish Opening. Costa could hardly refuse his offer of a draw, and so Kollars secured the title of 2024 German champion.

Middlegame Secrets Vol.5 - The Inner Strength of Kings

In this video course, kings will play a role of strong and active pieces. We will explore how Kings can be helpful in defence and prophylaxis, or even in attack!

The new German champion

This year, the open championship was held as a round-robin tournament for the first time in a long time. Kollars was the outright winner with 6/9 points after scoring 6 draws and victories over Rainer Buhmann, Roven Vogel and Vitaliy Kunin.

Niclas Huschenbeth, Dennis Wagner and Roven Vogel tied for second with 5½ points each.

Kollars, Dmitrij2656

1–0

Kunin, Vitaly2523

95th German-ch Meister 2024 Ostfildern26.08.2024[Schulz,A]

1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 g6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nc6 5.c4 Bg7 6.Be3 Qb6 The main variation arises after 6...Nf6 7.Nc3 0-0 8.Be2 d6 9.0-0 Bd7 10.Qd2 Nxd4 11.Bxd4 Bc6 12.f3 a5 13.b3 Nd7 14.Be3 Nc5 15.Rab1 Qb6 16.Rfc1 Rfc8 e.g.: 17.Kh1 h5 18.Rc2 Qd8 19.Bf1 Qf8 20.a3 Kh7 21.Qe1 Ne6 22.Qf2 f5 23.exf5 Qxf5 24.Rd1 Nf4 25.b4 axb4 26.axb4 Ra3 27.Bd4 Bxd4 28.Rxd4 Ra1 29.Rcd2 b6 30.Rd1 Rca8 31.Qe3 Ne6 32.R4d2 Qf6 33.Kg1 Ng7 34.Ne2 Nf5 35.Qxb6 Ba4 36.Rxa1 Qxa1 37.Ng3 Nxg3 38.hxg3 Qf6 39.Ra2 h4 40.gxh4 Qxh4 41.b5 Qf4 42.Qf2 1-0 Carlsen,M (2802)-Mamedov,R (2660) Wch Blitz 5th Moscow 2010 (10) 7.Nb3 After 7.Nb5 Qa5+ 8.N1c3 Nf6 9.f3 0-0 10.Qd2 a6 11.Nd4 d6 Black has achieved good results, e.g: 12.Be2 Nxd4 13.Bxd4 Be6 14.0-0 Rfc8 15.b3 b5 16.cxb5 axb5 17.Rfd1 Bd7 18.Rac1 b4 19.Na4 Bxa4 20.bxa4 Qxa4 21.Bc4 Bh6 22.Bxf7+ Kg7 23.Bxf6+ exf6 24.f4 Qa7+ 0-1 Kamsky,G (2661)-Abdusattorov,N (2661) Chess.com Rapid Wk11 Swiss Chess.com INT 2022 (3) 7...Qd8 Black has actually spent a whole tempo just to force the d4-knight back to b3. 7...Qc7 was also played a few times. 8.Qd2 In case of 8.Nc3 there is Bxc3+ 9.bxc3 Nf6 10.f3 d6 as seen in previous games. 8...Nf6 9.Nc3 Ng4 10.Bf4 d6 11.Be2 a5 12.Na4 Nf6 13.f3 b6 14.Bh6 14.Be3!? Nd7 15.Bh6 14...0-0 15.Bxg7 Kxg7 16.0-0

White has come out of the theoretical duel with a slight space advantage and the slightly more active pieces. Black has the better bishop, but is still looking for plans. 16...Bd7 17.Nc3 Rc8 17...a4!? with the idea of 18.Nd4 Nxd4 19.Qxd4 Qc7 20.Rfd1 Qc5 18.Rac1 Nb4 19.Nd4 Be6 20.b3 20.Nxe6+ fxe6 brings White nothing. The e6-pawn covers some squares. 20...Nd7 21.Nd5 Nc6 After 21...Bxd5 White has 22.cxd5 and has a favourable position. Or even 22.exd5 22.Nb5 f6 23.f4 With e4-e5 and f4-f5 as potential alternatives. Nc5 24.Qe3 Rb8 25.Rcd1 White's space advantage is now noticeable. White can calmly strengthen his position, while Black cannot find an active plan. The juxtaposition of the d1-rook and the d7-queen will decide the game in the end. Qd7 26.h3 Na7 27.Nd4 Nc6 28.Nb5 The line 28.Nxc6 Qxc6 29.Nxe7 Qxe4 30.Qxe4 Nxe4 31.Bf3± is favourable for White. 28...Na7 29.Nbc3 White rejects the silent draw offer. Nc6 30.Bf3 h6 31.Nb5 Na7 32.Nd4 b5

32...Nc6 33.Nxc6 Qxc6 34.Nxe7+- 33.e5 with a decisive opening of lines in the centre. fxe5 34.fxe5 bxc4 35.bxc4 Nc8 36.exd6 36.Nf4!? Rb2 37.Bc6+- 36...Bxd5 37.Bxd5 Nxd6 38.Nc6 The rook on b8 and the knight on c5 are under attack. Na6 39.Nxb8 Rxb8 40.c5 Nf5

41.Qe5+ Kh7 42.Bg8+ 1–0

In the final round, the participants in the Championship once again provided the spectators on site and on the Internet with a series of colourful and exciting games. It turned out that Rasmus Svane must be under the special protection of the chess goddess Caissa because after he had managed to draw an endgame a piece down in the previous round, Caissa once again favoured him in his game against Marius Deuer - it was a second consecutive draw from an inferior position for Svane.

Thank you, Caissa!

Niclas Huschenbeth played a model game out of an Advance Variation in the French Defence against the veteran Daniel Fridman. Both grandmasters were on top of their game with their knowledge of the variation. In the course of the middlegame, however, Huschenbeth had the better ideas and decided the game with the help of a pawn push in the centre.

Huschenbeth, Niclas2594

1–0

Fridman, Daniel2591

95th German-ch Meister 2024 Ostfildern27.08.2024[Schulz,A]

1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.e5 c5 4.c3 Nc6 5.Nf3 Qb6 6.Be2 cxd4 7.cxd4 Nge7 8.Na3 Nf5 9.Nc2 Bb4+ 10.Kf1 Be7 11.h4 11.Bd3 Bd7 12.g4 Nh4 13.Nxh4 Bxh4 14.Be3 Be7 15.b4 a5 16.bxa5 Nxa5 17.Kg2 Nc4 18.Bf4 Qd8 19.Qf3 Bc6 20.h4 Ra4 21.Rab1 Rxa2 22.Nb4 Bxb4 23.Rxb4 Qa5 24.Rhb1 0-0 25.g5 Qa7 26.Rd1 Ba4 27.Rc1 Ra3 28.Rxa4 Qxa4 29.Rb1 Qa6 30.Re1 Qb6 31.Bc1 Rb3 32.Rd1 Nb2 33.Bxb2 Rxb2 34.h5 Qd8 35.Qg4 Kh8 36.Re1 h6 0-1 Durarbayli,V (2596)-Fridman,D (2607) Las Vegas National op 2016 (6) 11...h5 12.g3 Bd7 13.Kg2

13...a5 Black has achieved good results after 13...Rc8 and the main line goes 14.Bd2 14.Bd3!? 14.Rb1!? 14...a5 15.Bc3 Nb4 16.Ne3 Nxe3+ 17.fxe3 Bb5 18.a3 Bxe2 19.Qxe2 Nc6 20.Rhf1 Qa6 21.Qf2 Qd3 22.Ne1 Qg6 23.Qc2 Qxc2+ 24.Nxc2 b5 25.Rfc1 Kd7 26.Ne1 b4 27.axb4 axb4 28.Bd2 Ra8 29.Nd3 Rhb8 30.b3 Ra3 31.Rcb1 Rba8 32.Rxa3 bxa3 33.Kf3 Na7 34.Ke2 Nb5 35.Nc1 Rc8 36.Kd3 f6 37.exf6 gxf6 38.Na2 e5 39.Rc1 Rg8 40.Rg1 Rg4 41.Nc3 Nxc3 42.Kxc3 Bd6 43.Be1 exd4+ 44.exd4 f5 45.Bf2 f4 46.gxf4 Rxg1 47.Bxg1 Bxf4 48.Bf2 Bc1 0-1 Vasiukov,E-Suetin,A URS-ch22 Semifinal Yerevan 1954 14.a3 a4 14...f6!? e.g.: 15.Rf1 0-0 16.Bd3 fxe5 17.Nxe5 Nxe5 18.dxe5 Bb5 19.Ne3 Bc5 20.Nxf5 Bxd3 21.Ne7+ Bxe7 22.Qxd3 Rac8 23.Rb1 Rc4 24.Be3 Qc6 25.Bd4 Bc5 26.Bxc5 Qxc5 27.Qg6 Qb6 28.b3 Rc6 29.b4 a4 30.Rbd1 Rf5 31.Rd2 Qd8 32.b5 Rb6 33.f4 Rf8 34.Qd3 Qd7 35.Rb1 Rc8 36.Rdb2 Rc4 37.Qd1 Qf7 38.Rb4 Rxb4 39.Rxb4 Qf5 40.Qxa4 Qd3 41.Qb3 Qe2+ 42.Kh3 Qf1+ 43.Kh2 ½-½ Polanco Colina,J (1671)-Gauna Quiroz,J (2019) Coro IRT 489 Anniv 2016 (3) 15.Rb1 Rc8 Black has sufficient counterplay on the queenside. 16.Bd2 Na5 The d4-pawn is taboo: 16...Ncxd4? 17.Ncxd4 Nxd4 18.Be3+- 17.Bd3 17.Bxa5 Qxa5 18.Bd3 was also taken into consideration. 17...Nb3 18.Bc3 Bb5 To exchange the ‘bad’ French bishop. 19.Bxf5 exf5 20.e6!? To clear the e5-square for a knight. Objectively better was 20.Ne3 but after Qe6 it's not so easy for White to make progress. 20...f6 Braver was 20...fxe6 21.Ne5 f4!? 21.Re1 g6 22.Ng1 Preparing to reach f4. Qa6 23.Nh3 Bd6

24.Nb4 White gradually gains the upper hand. Bxb4 25.axb4 25.Bxb4!? Bd3 26.Nf4 Bxb1 27.Qxb1 Rh6 28.Qd1 28.Nxd5? Qc6-+ 28...Qc6 29.Nxg6 Rxg6 30.Qxh5-+ 25...Bd3? Better was 25...0-0 26.Nf4 Bxb1 27.Qxb1 Rh6 28.Qd1+- Qc4 29.Qf3!? 29.Nxg6 Rxg6 30.Qxh5+- also worked here. 29...Nxd4 30.Qxd5 Qxd5+ 31.Nxd5

Black is an exchange up, but is completely helpless. 31...Nb5 32.Bxf6 Rh7 33.Bg5 Rh8 34.Rd1 Kf8 35.Ne7 Re8 36.Rd7 Rh7 37.Nd5 1–0

Fighting for the initiative with the Schara-Hennig Gambit in 60min

In the Schara-Hennig Gambit black sacrifices a pawn and in return he gets a lead in development. From that point on black has two options. Playing against white’s king or trying to prevent white from developing.

From left to right: Niclas Huschenbeth (2^nd place on tiebreaks), Dmitrij Kollars (1^st place) and Dennis Wagner (3^rd place on tiebreaks)

All the participants

Final standings

Rk.		Name	Rtg.	Nt.	Pts.	n	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	TB	Perf.
1		Kollars,D	2656		6.0	9		½	½	1	½	½	½	½	1	1	25.50	2680
2		Huschenbeth,N	2594		5.5	9	½		½	½	1	½	1	1	½	0	24.25	2642
3		Wagner,D	2613		5.5	9	½	½		½	½	½	½	½	1	1	23.00	2640
4		Vogel,R	2546		5.5	9	0	½	½		½	1	1	1	0	1	22.00	2647
5		Svane,R	2633		5.0	9	½	0	½	½		½	½	½	1	1	20.50	2601
6		Deuer,M	2452		4.0	9	½	½	½	0	½		0	½	½	1	17.50	2535
7		Costa,L	2481		3.5	9	½	0	½	0	½	1		½	½	0	15.75	2494
8		Fridman,D	2591		3.5	9	½	0	½	0	½	½	½		½	½	15.25	2482
9		Buhmann,R	2562		3.5	9	0	½	0	1	0	½	½	½		½	15.25	2485
10		Kunin,V	2523		3.0	9	0	1	0	0	0	0	1	½	½		12.50	2445
TBs: Sonneborn-Berger

All games

Fiona Sieber wins the Women's Championship

In the Women's Masters, also a round-robin tournament, which is not a national championship unlike the open event, Fiona Sieber had secured tournament victory with a round to spare - she had only a 1-point advantage over Kateryna Dolzhykova and Lara Schulze, but had defeated both players in their direct encounters (the first tiebreak criterion).

Sieber still had to play the tricky Luisa Bashylina in the final round still. Bashilyna achieved a promising position against Sieber's Nimzo-Indian Defence after sacrificing a pawn, but lost her advantage after a skirmish in the middlegame. After being forced to exchange queens, Sieber was able to use her material advantage in the endgame to end the event with a win.

Fiona Sieber

Attacking with the Jobava London System

The Jobava London System is a minor form of the London System. White tries to play Lf4 quickly followed by Nc3.

After completing her studies, Sieber wants to spend a year playing tournament chess. Her year as a 'chess pro' has started well!

Kateryna Dolzhykova finished second, ahead of Lara Schulze.

From left to right: Kateryna Dolzhykova (2^nd), Fiona Sieber (1^st) and Lara Schulze (3^rd)

All the participants of the Women's Masters

Final standings

Rk.		Name	Rtg.	Nt.	Pts.	n	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	TB	Perf.
1		Sieber,F	2218		7.5	9		1	1	½	½	1	1	½	1	1	30.00	2461
2		Dolzhykova,K	2340		6.5	9	0		½	1	1	1	1	1	0	1	23.00	2340
3		Schulze,L	2306		6.0	9	0	½		½	1	½	1	½	1	1	20.75	2303
4		Voicu-Jagodzinsky,C	2227		4.5	8	½	0	½		0		1	½	1	1	16.75	2237
5		Zhou,L	2095		3.5	8	½	0	0	1		1	1		0	0	15.25	2167
6		Butenandt,S	2126		3.5	8	0	0	½		0		0	1	1	1	11.00	2151
7		Khrapko,M	2188		3.5	9	0	0	0	0	0	1		1	½	1	10.00	2111
8		Arnhold,S	2132		3.0	8	½	0	½	½		0	0		1	½	13.00	2123
9		Bashylina,L	2176		3.0	9	0	1	0	0	1	0	½	0		½	12.75	2067
10		Peglau,D	2099		2.0	9	0	0	0	0	1	0	0	½	½		6.50	1981
TBs: Sonneborn-Berger

All games

Links

• Official website by the German Chess Federation
• Full technical information on Chess-Results