
The town of Hoogeveen (pronounced Hoch-A-Vain) is famous all over the world for, believe it or not, its chess tournament. How many towns can have a claim to fame due to the chess festival they organize? Wijk comes to mind, and even that is in the same country. The Dutchmen love their chess!
The Hoogeveen Chess Tournament consists of the Hoogeveen Matches, the Hoogeveen Open and two amateur tournaments. All tournaments take place in the attractive town hall of the Dutch city of Hoogeveen. In the chess café, well-known commentators will analyse the games with the audience. The games can also be followed live on Playchess and on the official website.
Hoogeveen Matches: Hou Yifan vs Nigel Short, Jorden van Foreest vs Ivan Sokolov.
Hoogeveen Open: Nine rounds will be played, with space for approximately 84 players who must have a minimal rating of 2000. The Hoogeveen Open is an international tournament, and consequently (grand-) master norms can be achieved. There is a total prize fund of €7,500 with a 1st prize of €3,000.
Amateur toernaments: Group I (= afternoon group): for players with a rating up to 2100. Group II (= morning group): also for players with a rating up to 2100. Each group can contain a maximum of 84 players. They play eight rounds. 1st prize for both groups is €250 each.
Rate of play: 40 moves in 90 minutes, 30 minutes extra time + an increment of 30 seconds per move starting from move one.
Hoogeveen Open: Gupta, Lalith Babu lead with 2800+ performance
By Priyadarshan Banjan, photos by Lennart Ootes

The defending champion GM Abhijeet Gupta of India is on a roll this year as well, jointly leading with 6.5/7. Here's an interesting game from round three (remember: you can analyse with engine support on our replay board!)
1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.Bb5+ Nd7 4.0-0 a6 5.Bd3 Ngf6 6.Re1 e6 7.c3 b5 8.a4 c4 9.Bf1 Rb8 10.axb5 axb5 11.b3 cxb3 12.Qxb3 Bb7 13.Bxb5 Be7 14.d3 0-0 15.c4 d5 16.cxd5 exd5 17.e5 Bc6 18.Nd4 Bxb5 19.Nxb5 Nc5 20.Qc2 Rxb5 21.exf6 Bxf6 22.Nc3 Rb8 23.Rb1 Rc8 24.Bb2 Qd7 25.Qd1 Qf5 26.Re3 d4 27.Rf3 - Start an analysis engine:
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Beerdsen,T | 2404 | Gupta,A | 2626 | 0–1 | 2016 | B51 | Hoogeveen Open 2016 | 3.1 |
Please, wait...

In the fourth round, Gupta's opponent was Dutch GM Jan Wele (2555). Werle played an overambitious continuation, and was rewarded with a nought.
Replay and check the LiveBook here |
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1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 d5 4.Nc3 Bb4 5.Qa4+ Nc6 6.e3 0-0 7.Qc2 Bd7 8.Bd2 dxc4 9.Bxc4 Bd6 10.h3 e5 11.0-0-0 exd4 12.exd4 Nb4 13.Qb3 b5 14.Nxb5 Rb8 15.Bxb4 Bxb5 16.Bc3 c6 17.Ne5 Nd5 18.Bxd5 cxd5 19.Qxd5 Qc7 20.Rhe1 Ba3!? 21.Qb3 21.Kd2 Bd6 22.Re4± 21...Bxb2+? 21...Bd6! 22.Qc2 f6 23.Nf3= 22.Qxb2 Ba4 22...f6 23.Nf3 Ba4 24.Qa3 Bxd1 25.Kxd1 Rfc8 26.Kd2 Qc4 27.Nh4!± 23.Qa3 Bxd1 24.Rxd1 Rfc8 25.Kd2+- f6 26.Nd3 Qc4 27.Rc1 Qd5 28.Nf4 Qf5 29.Qd6 Kh8 30.g3 Qb5 31.Qd5 Qa6 32.Ne6 Re8 33.Re1 Qa3 34.Qc4 h6 35.f4 f5 36.g4 Rec8 37.Nc5 Rd8 38.gxf5 Rbc8 39.Kc2 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.
Gupta,A | 2626 | Werle,J | 2555 | 1–0 | 2016 | D38 | Hoogeveen Open 2016 | 4.1 |
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Another Indian GM Lalith Babu (2585) is tied for the first place with Gupta on 6.5/7.
In the fifth round, both the leaders played each other. The game was a notorious draw and was over in 30 minutes. Each and every move of this Slav-Botvinnik has been seen before in a game between Boris Grachev and Ivan Popov from Delhi 2016!
Replay and check the LiveBook here |
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1.d4 d5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.c4 e6 4.Nc3 c6 5.Bg5 dxc4 6.e4 b5 7.e5 h6 8.Bh4 g5 9.Nxg5 hxg5 10.Bxg5 Nbd7 11.g3 Bb7 12.Bg2 Qb6 13.exf6 0-0-0 14.0-0 c5 15.d5 b4 16.Rb1 Qa6 17.dxe6 Bxg2 18.Re1!? 18.e7 18...fxe6 19.Kxg2 bxc3 20.bxc3 20.f7 20...Qc6+! 21.Kg1 Bh6! 22.Qg4 Bxg5 23.Rxe6! Qd5 24.Qf5!? Qa8 24...Qxf5 25.Rc6# 25.Rb5 Rxh2! 26.Rxc5+ 26.Kxh2? Rh8+-+ 26...Nxc5 27.Qxc5+ Kb8 28.Qe5+ Kc8 29.Qc5+ Kb8 ½–½
- 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.
Lalith Babu M R | 2586 | Gupta,A | 2626 | ½–½ | 2016 | D44 | Hoogeveen Open 2016 | 5.1 |
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Replay and check the LiveBook here |
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1.Nf3 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 Bg7 4.d4 0-0 5.e4 d6 6.h3 Na6 7.Bg5 c6 8.Be2 e5 9.d5 h6 10.Be3 cxd5 11.cxd5 Nh5 12.Qd2 Kh7 13.0-0 f5 14.exf5 gxf5 15.Ne1 Nf6 16.f4 Bd7 17.Nd3 Qe8 18.fxe5 dxe5 19.Rae1 Rg8 - 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.
Lalith Babu M R | 2586 | Rathnakaran,K | 2469 | 1–0 | 2016 | A05 | Hoogeveen Open 2016 | 4.2 |
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India's GM Sandipan Chanda (2593) is on 5.5/7, following Gupta and Lalith Babu
Replay and check the LiveBook here |
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1.e4 d5 2.exd5 Qxd5 3.Nf3 Bg4 4.Be2 Nc6 5.d4 0-0-0 6.c4 Qf5 7.Be3 Bxf3 8.Bxf3 Nxd4 9.Bg4 Nc2+ 10.Qxc2 Qxg4 11.0-0 e6 12.Nd2 Nf6 13.Qa4 Qh5 14.Qxa7 Ng4 15.Nf3 Nxe3 16.fxe3 c6 17.Rad1 Be7 18.Nd4 Qc5 19.Qa8+ Kc7 20.Qa4 e5 21.Nf5 Bf6 22.Kh1 Rxd1 23.Rxd1 e4 24.Nd6 Rd8 25.Nxe4 - 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.
Van Osch,M | 2288 | Sandipan,C | 2593 | 0–1 | 2016 | B01 | Hoogeveen Open 2016 | 6.4 |
Please, wait...

Lucas Van Foreest (2350), Jorden's younger brother, is the only non-Indian in the top six with 5.0/7.

Indian IM Eesha Karavade is also on 5.0/7

FM Rakesh Kumar Jena (2247) has caused the biggest surprise. He is tied for the third place on 5.0/7.

Dutch GM Jan Werle (2555) has been overambitious at times. He is stuck on 4.5/7.

On the same number of points is his country-mate GM Sipke Ernst (2540)

That was what IM S. Nitin was left doing after he misplayed a decent position against Abhijeet Gupta in round 7

IM K. Rathnakaran is not having an amazing tournament, but he is serving his usual fare of entertaining chess
1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 a6 6.Be3 Ng4 7.Bg5 h6 8.Bh4 g5 9.Bg3 Bg7 10.Qd2 Nc6 11.Nb3 b5 12.h4 gxh4 13.Bxh4 Nge5 14.Qe3 Nc4 15.Bxc4 bxc4 16.Nd2 Nd4 17.Rc1 Be6 18.f4 f5 19.exf5 Bxf5 20.Nd5 Kf7 21.Nxc4 Re8 22.0-0 Be6 23.Qe4 Bf5 - 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.
Rathnakaran,K | 2469 | Mager,D | 2224 | 1–0 | 2016 | B90 | Hoogeveen Open 2016 | 3.5 |
Please, wait...

A subtle way of announcing to the world that you are a chess player

Legendary GM Oleg Romanishin is also playing. He has scored 4.5/7.
Top ten standings after seven rounds
See full standings and pairings here
Hoogeveen Matches
Two matches are being played between Nigel Short & Hou Yifan, and Ivan Sokolov & Jorden Van Foreest. More details will follow in a separate report.

Hou Yifan lost yet again to Nigel Short and has fallen way behind her rival in their match that is being held alongside the tournament.

All tournaments are taking place in the attractive town hall of Hoogeveen

All photos are by Lennart Ootes, a well-known chess photographer, known for bringing the artistic side of chess to the fore (as in the above image)

McDonalds, the fast-food giant, is also among the sponsors

Loek van Wely (2667) is the Tournament Director for the event! He also happens to be the highest rated player currently in Hoogeveen – but is not playing!

Chess in such a beautiful town can only be enchanting

In the chess café, well-known commentators are analyzing the games with the audience. Add to that, analysis by players and teachers like Ivan Sokolov, and you can have the chess-time of your life!
Related:
- Report on the Matches by GM Alejandro Ramirez
- Liked the tactics? Find more interesting ones at tactics.chessbase.com!
Tournament Schedule
Date |
Matches |
Hoogeveen Open |
Amateur |
Analysis |
Sat. 15 Oct. |
opening |
Round 1 (14.00) |
R1 (10.00/14.30) |
|
Sun. 16 Oct. |
Round 1 (14.00) |
Round 2 (14.00) |
R2(9.30/14.00) |
Jop Delemarre |
Mon. 17 Oct. |
Round 2 (14.00) |
Rround 3 (14.00) |
R3 (9.30/14.00) |
Gert Ligterink |
Tues. 18 Oct. |
Round 3 (14.00) |
Round 4 (14.00) |
R4 (9.30/14.00) |
Hans Bohm |
Wed. 19 Oct. |
Rest day |
R5 (9.00) + R6 (15.00) |
R5 (9.30/14.00) |
|
Thurs. 20 Oct. |
Round 4 (14.00) |
Round 7(14.00) |
R6 (9.30/14.00) |
Cor van Wijgerden |
Fri. 21 Oct. |
Round 5 (14.00) |
Round 8 (14.00) |
R7 (9.30/14.00) |
Robert Ris |
Sat. 22 Oct. |
R6 (12.00), closing |
Round 9 (12.00) |
R8 (9.30/14.00) |
Joris Brenninkmeijer |
Links
The games will be broadcast live on the official web site and on the server Playchess.com. If you are not a member you can download a free Playchess client there and get immediate access. You can also use ChessBase or any of our Fritz compatible chess programs. |
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