Small but mighty

“So conflicted...For the first time in 62 years, Easter Sunday coincides with April Fools' Day. How am I supposed to unleash my savage pranks in a timespan of spiritual restraint?! All those brilliantly evil jokes, gags and tricks must be cancelled as I can't rise to such a discordant occasion.
Providentially, Jersey's Polar Capital international tournament is set to start on April 1st. I might forget the high jinks but I'll give my opponent a hard time instead!”
These were my profound thoughts when I went on with booking the flights to the largest of the Channel Islands.
What a surprise to me that I essentially pulled the most mischievous prank ever — I fooled myself:) Two days before travelling and only by pure chance I realized that the first round was scheduled for 31st of March!?! My sense of humour didn't take a back seat after all, just a darker note.

Literally running to be on time for the game.
Luckily, I finished sports high school.
Landing at 15 o'clock and playing at 16 was a far cry from what I would call a professional treatment of a chess tournament. It was, however, a scaled-down chapter of the messiest Easter ever and the most wholesome Fools' Day too.
What could have been Jersey justice for my sloppiness (had a rather tough first round against a much lower rated opponent), turned into a jersey of cheerfulness I wouldn't like taking off.

A small island with a small chess tournament became disproportionately significant,
casting a long shadow in my memory.
Perhaps the best sketch for this bloody beautiful tournament is through a rugby analogy. If you ever plan to set foot on those grounds, don't expect a gentle treatment. The locals, the English players, the invited ones and even the organizers, who are taking up the challenge too, have no fear of brain injury. Chess in Jersey is a violent sport played by gentlemen. We just beat the living daylights out of each other and then hit the bar. What's not to like?

You can be attacked, bound, forked, skewered, chased and mated and love every minute of it!
The English legend and former Candidate could be an excellent example of this national 'malady'. One cannot help but notice the passion when he shares his chess views or the depths his calculation can still reach.

A living legend – Jonathan Speelman
Speelman played a major role in the tournament course of events by defeating Alan Merry in a superb technical game but succumbed in the final round against the wild Swedish GM, Tiger Hillarp Persson.
When surrounded by a wolf pack, a lamb would stand no chance. But the Tiger did and won the tournament undefeated after a stormy finish with three wins in the last three games. Surely the reader will enjoy the rather violent examples underneath:
Replay and check the LiveBook here |
Please, wait...
1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 a6 6.Be3 e5 7.Nb3 Be6 8.Qd2 Nbd7 9.0-0-0 Qc7 10.Kb1 Be7 11.f4 b5 12.f5 Bc4 13.Bxc4 bxc4 14.Nc1 Rb8 15.Bg5 0-0 15...d5 16.Bxf6 16.exd5 Ba3 17.b3 cxb3 18.cxb3 Bb4 16...Nxf6 17.Nxd5 Nxd5 18.Qxd5 18.exd5 c3! 18...Rd8‼ 16.g4 Rfc8 16...d5! 17.h4 Qb7 17...d5! 18.Nxd5 Nxd5 19.Qxd5 Nb6 20.Qa5 c3 21.b3 f6! 22.Be3 Nc4 23.Qxc7 Rxc7 18.b3 cxb3 19.axb3 Rxc3! 20.Qxc3 Nxe4 21.Qe1 Bf8 22.Bd2 d5 23.Ba5 d4 24.Rh3 Nd6 25.Qe2 Qc6 26.Na2 Nc4 27.Be1 Na3+ 28.Kb2 a5! 29.g5 a4 30.h5 axb3 31.Rxb3 Nc4+ 32.Ka1 Ra8 33.c3 d3 34.Qh2 Qa4 35.Rxd3 Qxb3 36.Rxd7 Ba3 0–1
- 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.
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Pruijssers,R | 2523 | Hillarp Persson,T | 2541 | 0–1 | 2018 | B90 | Polar Capital Open | 8.2 |
Pruijssers,R | 2523 | Merry,A | 2436 | 0–1 | 2018 | C10 | Polar Capital Open | 4.2 |
Merry,A | 2436 | Vakhidov,J | 2542 | 1–0 | 2018 | B51 | Polar Capital Open | 5.1 |
Please, wait...
Click or tap on the games in the list to switch
When choosing an opening repertoire, there are days when you want to play for a win with Black, when you want to bear down on your opponent’s position with a potentially crushing attack. The Najdorf is perfect for just such occasions. Strategy, combinations, attack and defence, sacrifices and marvellous manoeuvres — exciting chess is all about the Najdorf!

The co-shared winners but with a superior tiebreak for the tiger
Only Alan Merry kept the pace and scored the same 7/9, grabbing his 2nd GM norm as well! Truth be told, losing against him in the last round didn't offer your author a merry Orthodox Easter (how unusual is that, to celebrate it twice during the same event?!). Making errors is not quite invigorating yet the public might be delighted with the following tactical blows:
Replay and check the LiveBook here |
Please, wait...
1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 Bg7 4.e4 d6 5.Nf3 0-0 6.Be2 e5 7.0-0 Nc6 8.d5 Ne7 9.Ne1 Nd7 10.Be3 f5 11.f3 f4 12.Bf2 g5 13.Nd3 Nf6 14.c5 Ng6 15.Rc1 Rf7 16.Kh1 Bf8 17.Rg1! h5 18.g3 fxg3 19.Rxg3 Bh6 20.Be3 h4 21.Rg1 21.Rxg5! Bxg5 22.Bxg5 21...Nh5 22.cxd6 cxd6 23.Qd2 Ngf4 23...Rh7!? 24.Bxg5 Ng3+! 25.Rxg3 hxg3 24.Nxf4 exf4 25.Bd4 g4 26.Nb5 26.Rxg4+ Bxg4 27.fxg4 Ng3+ 28.hxg3 hxg3 29.Bf3! 26.fxg4 Ng3+ 27.hxg3 hxg3 26...a6 26...g3! 27.Nc7 27.Rxc8! Rxc8 28.Rxg4+ Bg7 29.Nc3 27...Rxc7 28.Bb6 Ng3+! 29.hxg3 hxg3 30.Kg2 gxf3+ 30...Rc2 31.Qxc2 Qxb6 31.Bxf3 Qd7 32.Rh1 Rxc1 33.Rxh6 Rb1 33...Qg7 34.Qxf4 34.Rh5 Bh3+ 35.Rxh3 35.Kxh3 g2 36.Qxg2 Rh1+ 37.Qxh1 Qg3# 35...Rac8 36.Bd1 Rxd1 37.Qxd1 Qxb2+ 38.Kf3 Qxb6-+ 34.Rh4 Qg5 35.Rxf4 Rc2 36.Qxc2 Qxf4-+ 34...Rc2+ 35.Kg1 Rxb2 34.Bd4 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.
Merry,A | 2436 | L'Ami,A | 2306 | 1–0 | 2018 | E99 | Polar Capital Open | 9.2 |
Williams,S | 2460 | L'Ami,A | 2306 | 0–1 | 2018 | A01 | Polar Capital Open | 5.6 |
Williams,S | 2460 | Arkell,K | 2413 | 1–0 | 2018 | D53 | Polar Capital Open | 9.3 |
Merry,A | 2436 | Hebden,M | 2454 | 1–0 | 2018 | C84 | Polar Capital Open | 6.1 |
Please, wait...
Click or tap on the games in the list to switch
The results didn't play merry hell with our moods either, it's just impossible in the English Channel anyway.

If the games don't go your way, something else will
What I worship about this tournament is not only the no-half-measures-attitude which makes for incredible games or the solace one would get from the easy on the eyes surroundings. It is the sense of community which is unique.

Long and lovely dinners are the norm
I am the type of person to dot the i's and cross the t's until a headache would appear but I still didn't find a satisfactory explanation to why this event is simply great. It just is! In fact, the mammoth tide alone is descending from a parallel universe...

Impossible to get tired of or used to
Good things take time but great things might happen in a blink of an eye. You could just be walking on the beach when suddenly a random person would come by and reveal a close affinity with...correspondence chess?! Or you might be enjoying your space and privacy during the excellent dinner times to only realize after 3 hours you have been friends for a lifetime with someone you've just met?!

Best would be, however, to spot our opponent's mistakes...
It is possible that our chess pranks will not be seen as the most hilarious ever and our Christian chess feast a bit difficult to chew. But Jersey's Polar Capital Festival has some of the most beautiful Fabergé Eggs for your dream Easter Basket, too!

A true chess feast
Final standings (top 25)
1 |
2 |
|
GM |
HILLARP PERSSON Tiger |
SWE |
2541 |
7,0 |
48,0 |
38,0 |
36,75 |
2 |
7 |
|
IM |
MERRY Alan B |
ENG |
2436 |
7,0 |
43,5 |
34,5 |
31,75 |
3 |
5 |
|
GM |
WILLIAMS Simon K |
ENG |
2460 |
6,5 |
43,5 |
33,5 |
29,50 |
4 |
1 |
|
GM |
VAKHIDOV Jakhongir |
UZB |
2542 |
6,0 |
52,0 |
40,0 |
32,50 |
5 |
11 |
|
FM |
WADSWORTH Matthew J |
ENG |
2354 |
6,0 |
45,5 |
34,5 |
28,75 |
6 |
4 |
|
GM |
SPEELMAN Jon S |
ENG |
2501 |
5,5 |
51,5 |
40,0 |
30,50 |
7 |
13 |
|
IM |
L'AMI Alina |
ROU |
2306 |
5,5 |
50,0 |
39,0 |
29,50 |
8 |
8 |
|
GM |
ARKELL Keith C |
ENG |
2413 |
5,5 |
49,5 |
38,5 |
28,00 |
9 |
12 |
|
IM |
ANSELL Simon T |
ENG |
2342 |
5,5 |
44,0 |
34,0 |
26,25 |
10 |
15 |
|
FM |
LE QUANG Kim |
BEL |
2267 |
5,5 |
41,0 |
31,5 |
24,75 |
11 |
32 |
|
|
VERMA Aditya |
ENG |
2002 |
5,5 |
40,0 |
32,0 |
22,50 |
12 |
14 |
|
IM |
RUDD Jack |
ENG |
2276 |
5,5 |
36,5 |
29,0 |
20,50 |
13 |
3 |
|
GM |
PRUIJSSERS Roeland |
NED |
2523 |
5,0 |
53,0 |
41,5 |
27,00 |
14 |
10 |
|
GM |
VOGT Lothar |
GER |
2402 |
5,0 |
47,0 |
36,5 |
25,00 |
15 |
21 |
|
|
STEWART Ashley |
ENG |
2148 |
5,0 |
42,5 |
33,0 |
22,50 |
16 |
16 |
|
|
WOUDSMA Martijn |
NED |
2262 |
5,0 |
41,0 |
31,5 |
19,00 |
17 |
19 |
|
FM |
HOUSE Glenn L |
ENG |
2188 |
5,0 |
39,5 |
31,5 |
19,50 |
18 |
17 |
|
FM |
KABOS Tobias |
NED |
2253 |
4,5 |
41,0 |
32,5 |
16,00 |
19 |
35 |
|
|
PITCHER Thomas |
ENG |
1910 |
4,5 |
40,5 |
31,5 |
18,00 |
20 |
20 |
|
AGM |
KLINGHER Dominic |
ENG |
2173 |
4,5 |
39,5 |
31,0 |
17,00 |
21 |
39 |
|
|
MODI Kishan J |
ENG |
1850 |
4,5 |
39,0 |
29,5 |
18,00 |
22 |
18 |
|
|
MITCHELL Martin |
SCO |
2237 |
4,5 |
38,5 |
30,0 |
16,75 |
23 |
30 |
|
|
VAN LEUSDEN Dennis |
NED |
2035 |
4,5 |
35,0 |
27,5 |
12,75 |
24 |
6 |
|
GM |
HEBDEN Mark L |
ENG |
2454 |
4,0 |
46,5 |
35,5 |
18,25 |
25 |
9 |
|
IM |
EGGLESTON David J |
ENG |
2409 |
4,0 |
46,0 |
35,5 |
19,75 |
...42 players
Addendum
After such hand-to-hand combat, one would need some time to recuperate and your author thought a change of scenery would do the trick.

From Jersey's beaches...
I head to...the mountains of Nepal and the chess tournament in Kathmandu! Strangely enough, the travelling part and the double rounds schedule didn't allow for the meditation I was hoping for:)
Then onward towards Malaysia with more to come from both Nepal and Indonesia. Don't ask...more double rounds but also more stories which I so look forward sharing with you. As soon as the mind and body will allow that...
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