Have your chess and eat it too!

by Gerhard Bertagnolli
1/7/2019 – About halfway between Milan and Venice lies Lake Garda, with the town of Arco at its northern end, once again the venue of a small but festive amateur tournament between the Christmas and New Year celebrations. The 9th edition of this tournament ended in a dead heat between four players but FM Alessio de Santis from Italy was the lucky winner in the end. Gerhard Bertagnolli sends these highlights — suitable for beginners — and photos from an attractive winter holiday destination.

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Winter chess fun in northern Italy

The time between Christmas and New Years is surprisingly one of the busiest weeks on the chess calendar. In northern Italy — in Arco, to be precise 5 km north of Lake Garda — a small and friendly tournament took place for the ninth time from December 26th to 30th.

In the four-star hotel "Palace Hotel Città", the 72 participants could, depending on their mood, enjoy a peppy espresso or a soothing tea directly in the spacious tournament hall for the seven-round tournament. There were two tournaments, in fact: an A-Open with 32 players and a B-Open with 40 players.

The combination of a hotel and tournament hall has many advantages, which are particularly important in double-round events: lunch and a break is still easily possible between rounds! The time control was 90 minutes plus 30 seconds per move.

playing hall

A glimpse of the playing hall

Arco castle and the winner DeSantis

Left: A look into the old town and behind it the castle of Arco (click or tap to enlarge);
Right: The winner on tiebreak, FM Alessio De Santis

An IM and three FMs were the favourites

As usual in such tournaments, exciting and sometimes back-and-forth games were the norm, including some oversights and blunders, which can be most instructive.

Here are some examples:

 
Patience is a virtue

White is on move with a dominant position — he's in no hurry.

 
A surprising move is not necessarily best

Black was surprised by White's last move of Rf8. Has he given up his edge? Stay calm and calculate: ... Qd8, Rf6+ Qxf6, gxf6 Bf7 and on the next move, Black gets the queen back with (b1=Q)! Mate can't be far behind.

And next a small test:

 
Keep concentrating on your own game

How could Black win?

SHOW

Final standings

It was all Italians at the top!

1. FM Alessio De Santis 5
2. FM Giulio Calavalle 5
3. Alex Dobboletta 5
4. Andrea Difronzo 5
5. Marco Lezzerini 4½

prize giving

The podium: Arbiter Mirko Trasciatti, organizer Cristina Pernici Rigo, FM Giulio Calavalle (2nd), FM Alessio De Santis (winner), Alex Dobboletta (3rd), Ciprian Lupu (hotel director)

old centre

A small Christmas market decorates the cityscape in December

chess mural

In the castle of Arco are frescoes by chess players from another generation

To close there was a gala evening with a specially created chess cake (shown above), a blitz tournament and to top it all off, a raffle with a nice gift. Mark your calendars for the 10th-anniversary tournament next December!

The hotel looks nice at Christmas

All available games

 
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1.b3 Nf6 2.Bb2 g6 3.Bxf6 exf6 4.c4 c6 5.e3 Na6 6.Nf3 Nc7 7.Nc3 Bg7 8.Be2 0-0 9.0-0 d5 10.Rc1 f5 11.d4 dxc4 12.bxc4 Ne6 13.g3 h6 14.Qa4 Bd7 15.Qa3 Re8 16.Rfd1 Bf8 17.Qb2 Qc7 18.Rb1 Rab8 19.Ne5 Ng5 20.f4 Nh7 21.Bf3 Nf6 22.Qc2 h5 23.Qa4 a6 24.c5 Be6 ½–½
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WhiteEloWBlackEloBResYearECOEventRnd
De Santis,A2281Lagrotteria,S2104½–½2018A019. Torneo Arco d'Inverno 20181
Giancotti,E2051Calavalle,G22640–12018D029. Torneo Arco d'Inverno 20181
Damia,A2261Pojer,R20401–02018B209. Torneo Arco d'Inverno 20181
Tonina,F2040Tirelli,M22400–12018D319. Torneo Arco d'Inverno 20181
Difronzo,A2238Engl,S2034½–½2018A109. Torneo Arco d'Inverno 20181
Privitera,F2004Dittmar,P22220–12018E039. Torneo Arco d'Inverno 20181
Caruso,A2217Valenti,G20030–12018B079. Torneo Arco d'Inverno 20181
Bardi,M1965Pasini,N21920–12018A059. Torneo Arco d'Inverno 20181
Ager,J2170Buglisi,M19411–02018A009. Torneo Arco d'Inverno 20181
Mortola,A1938Negro,R21501–02018A009. Torneo Arco d'Inverno 20181
Tencati,G2143Matei,C19011–02018A009. Torneo Arco d'Inverno 20181
Paganini,A1893Trauth,M21340–12018A009. Torneo Arco d'Inverno 20181
Lezzerini,M2122Yarhunkin,O18421–02018A009. Torneo Arco d'Inverno 20181
Bisaro,A1837Astengo,C21200–12018A009. Torneo Arco d'Inverno 20181
Dobboletta,A2119Thaler,E18131–02018A009. Torneo Arco d'Inverno 20181
Proietti,T1791Horn,P21110–12018A009. Torneo Arco d'Inverno 20181
Calavalle,G2264Trauth,M21341–02018B239. Torneo Arco d'Inverno 20182
Astengo,C2120Damia,A2261½–½2018D639. Torneo Arco d'Inverno 20182
Tirelli,M2240Lezzerini,M21221–02018B319. Torneo Arco d'Inverno 20182
Dittmar,P2222Dobboletta,A2119½–½2018A309. Torneo Arco d'Inverno 20182
Pasini,N2192Mortola,A1938½–½2018B009. Torneo Arco d'Inverno 20182
Horn,P2111Ager,J2170½–½2018E929. Torneo Arco d'Inverno 20182
Valenti,G2003Tencati,G2143½–½2018A119. Torneo Arco d'Inverno 20182
Engl,S2034De Santis,A22810–12018B009. Torneo Arco d'Inverno 20182
Lagrotteria,S2104Difronzo,A22380–12018A009. Torneo Arco d'Inverno 20182
Buglisi,M1941Caruso,A22170–12018A009. Torneo Arco d'Inverno 20182
Negro,R2150Paganini,A18931–02018A009. Torneo Arco d'Inverno 20182
Matei,C1901Giancotti,E20510–12018A009. Torneo Arco d'Inverno 20182
Pojer,R2040Bisaro,A18371–02018A009. Torneo Arco d'Inverno 20182
Yarhunkin,O1842Tonina,F20400–12018A009. Torneo Arco d'Inverno 20182
Thaler,E1813Privitera,F2004½–½2018A009. Torneo Arco d'Inverno 20182
Proietti,T1791Bardi,M19651–02018A009. Torneo Arco d'Inverno 20182
Tirelli,M2240Calavalle,G22640–12018B239. Torneo Arco d'Inverno 20183
De Santis,A2281Tencati,G21431–02018A119. Torneo Arco d'Inverno 20183
Damia,A2261Horn,P21111–02018C019. Torneo Arco d'Inverno 20183
Difronzo,A2238Astengo,C21201–02018A149. Torneo Arco d'Inverno 20183
Mortola,A1938Dittmar,P22220–12018C019. Torneo Arco d'Inverno 20183
Dobboletta,A2119Pasini,N2192½–½2018A309. Torneo Arco d'Inverno 20183
Ager,J2170Valenti,G20030–12018B419. Torneo Arco d'Inverno 20183
Caruso,A2217Giancotti,E2051½–½2018B279. Torneo Arco d'Inverno 20183
Tonina,F2040Negro,R2150½–½2018A009. Torneo Arco d'Inverno 20183
Trauth,M2134Pojer,R20400–12018A009. Torneo Arco d'Inverno 20183
Lezzerini,M2122Proietti,T17911–02018A009. Torneo Arco d'Inverno 20183
Privitera,F2004Lagrotteria,S2104½–½2018A009. Torneo Arco d'Inverno 20183
Thaler,E1813Engl,S2034½–½2018A009. Torneo Arco d'Inverno 20183
Calavalle,G2264De Santis,A22810–12018B239. Torneo Arco d'Inverno 20184
Dittmar,P2222Damia,A2261½–½2018A139. Torneo Arco d'Inverno 20184
Valenti,G2003Difronzo,A22380–12018C109. Torneo Arco d'Inverno 20184
Pojer,R2040Tirelli,M2240½–½2018B339. Torneo Arco d'Inverno 20184
Pasini,N2192Lezzerini,M21221–02018B409. Torneo Arco d'Inverno 20184
Horn,P2111Caruso,A22171–02018A289. Torneo Arco d'Inverno 20184
Giancotti,E2051Ager,J21701–02018B089. Torneo Arco d'Inverno 20184
Tencati,G2143Tonina,F2040½–½2018A009. Torneo Arco d'Inverno 20184
Astengo,C2120Mortola,A19381–02018A009. Torneo Arco d'Inverno 20184
Trauth,M2134Bardi,M1965½–½2018A009. Torneo Arco d'Inverno 20184
Lagrotteria,S2104Bisaro,A18371–02018A009. Torneo Arco d'Inverno 20184
Buglisi,M1941Privitera,F20040–12018A009. Torneo Arco d'Inverno 20184
Matei,C1901Thaler,E18130–12018A009. Torneo Arco d'Inverno 20184
Yarhunkin,O1842Paganini,A18930–12018A009. Torneo Arco d'Inverno 20184
De Santis,A2281Difronzo,A2238½–½2018A379. Torneo Arco d'Inverno 20185
Damia,A2261Dobboletta,A2119½–½2018C019. Torneo Arco d'Inverno 20185
Tirelli,M2240Pasini,N21921–02018B519. Torneo Arco d'Inverno 20185
Giancotti,E2051Astengo,C2120½–½2018D009. Torneo Arco d'Inverno 20185
Pojer,R2040Horn,P21110–12018C159. Torneo Arco d'Inverno 20185
Lezzerini,M2122Valenti,G20031–02018E699. Torneo Arco d'Inverno 20185
Privitera,F2004Tencati,G21430–12018A089. Torneo Arco d'Inverno 20185
Thaler,E1813Lagrotteria,S2104½–½2018A009. Torneo Arco d'Inverno 20185
Tonina,F2040Caruso,A22170–12018A009. Torneo Arco d'Inverno 20185
Ager,J2170Bardi,M19651–02018A009. Torneo Arco d'Inverno 20185
Proietti,T1791Trauth,M2134½–½2018A009. Torneo Arco d'Inverno 20185
Bisaro,A1837Buglisi,M19410–12018A009. Torneo Arco d'Inverno 20185
Paganini,A1893Matei,C19010–12018A009. Torneo Arco d'Inverno 20185
Difronzo,A2238Calavalle,G2264½–½20189. Torneo Arco d'Inverno 20186
Dobboletta,A2119De Santis,A2281½–½2018A349. Torneo Arco d'Inverno 20186
Horn,P2111Tirelli,M2240½–½2018A289. Torneo Arco d'Inverno 20186
Pasini,N2192Damia,A22611–02018C579. Torneo Arco d'Inverno 20186
Tencati,G2143Giancotti,E20511–02018E339. Torneo Arco d'Inverno 20186
Astengo,C2120Lezzerini,M2122½–½2018B819. Torneo Arco d'Inverno 20186
Caruso,A2217Thaler,E1813½–½2018A039. Torneo Arco d'Inverno 20186
Lagrotteria,S2104Ager,J2170½–½2018A109. Torneo Arco d'Inverno 20186
Valenti,G2003Pojer,R20400–12018A009. Torneo Arco d'Inverno 20186
Trauth,M2134Mortola,A1938½–½2018A009. Torneo Arco d'Inverno 20186
Buglisi,M1941Tonina,F2040½–½2018A009. Torneo Arco d'Inverno 20186
Bardi,M1965Engl,S20340–12018A009. Torneo Arco d'Inverno 20186
Matei,C1901Yarhunkin,O18421–02018A009. Torneo Arco d'Inverno 20186
De Santis,A2281Pasini,N2192½–½2018A349. Torneo Arco d'Inverno 20187
Calavalle,G2264Tencati,G2143½–½2018C019. Torneo Arco d'Inverno 20187
Difronzo,A2238Horn,P2111½–½2018A149. Torneo Arco d'Inverno 20187
Tirelli,M2240Dobboletta,A21190–12018A339. Torneo Arco d'Inverno 20187
Damia,A2261Lezzerini,M21220–12018C149. Torneo Arco d'Inverno 20187
Pojer,R2040Astengo,C21200–12018B869. Torneo Arco d'Inverno 20187
Mortola,A1938Caruso,A2217½–½2018D009. Torneo Arco d'Inverno 20187
Ager,J2170Thaler,E18131–02018E919. Torneo Arco d'Inverno 20187
Tonina,F2040Valenti,G20031–02018A009. Torneo Arco d'Inverno 20187
Bardi,M1965Matei,C19011–02018A009. Torneo Arco d'Inverno 20187

Translation from German: Macauley Peterson

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Gerhard Bertagnolli, born in 1976, international arbiter from South Tyrol / Italy with assignments south and north of the Alps, is also available to German-speaking chess fans for questions about tournaments in Italy.

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