Italian one-two in Bad Zwischenahn

The North-West Cup was held for the 25^th time at the end of January. What started out as a small tournament in Oldenburg and then moved to Bad Zwischenahn a few years later has now become one of the largest German open tournaments. With 382 participants, maximum capacity was reached — the participants were nonetheless comfortably accommodated in the spacious and bright Wandelhalle of the Kurhaus.

Calculation Training for 1400-1600 players

Mastering these tactical motifs is essential to deepen your understanding of the game and become a better player. After all, you neither want to overlook the given chances by your opponent, nor blunder yourself!

After enjoying the tournament very much last year, we made the long journey from Freiburg to Bad Zwischenahn again this year (a journey of around 7 and a half hours under the best of circumstances), but this time with some additional difficulties: on Monday, we found out that the rail strike was due to start on Wednesday — our planned day of travel — which meant that our train journey was in danger of being cancelled. Fortunately, the headmaster was kind enough to allow Max another day off school, and the booking of our holiday flat could also be moved forward by one day so that we could arrive on Tuesday. This gave us a full day before the tournament to have a look around the lovely spa town on the shores of the Zwischenahner Meer Lake.

It is of course not a real sea, but a large lake, also known as the “Pearl of the Ammerland”

The playing hall was located directly next to the spa gardens and the Zwischenahner Meer, so that the time between the double rounds could be used for walks

As I wasn’t playing myself, but was looking after my 13-year-old son Max (Skembris), I had a bit more time to look around the playing hall. The top of the lineup in particular was very international this year. India’s Himal Gusain had travelled directly from France, with two recent tournament wins in his pocket (Tours and Marseille). He almost got another tournament victory, but he lost to 23-year-old Italian Lorenzo Lodici in the last round.

Lodici v. Gusain (1-0)

The Italian player was thus assured shared first place. However, he was beaten in the Buchholz tiebreak score by his lesser-known compatriot IM Alberto Barp, who won the last round with a bit of luck.

Barp v. Kramer (replay game below)

The top three in the A tournament, from right: 1^st Alberto Barp, 2^nd Lorenzo Lodici 3^rd Erik Van den Doel, the rating favourite from Holland

Making the right decisions in chess - Fundamentals

In a total of 6 chapters, we look at the following aspects: the right decision based on tactical factors, decisions in exchanges and moves, complex and psychological decisions in longer games and in defence.

Some very strong Chinese players were also present, including the 13-year-old Lu Miaoyi. The young Chinese player is already a WGM and is one of the strongest girls of her age worldwide (in Bad Zwischenahn she started with a 2252 rating, but in the latest ranking she has a 2369 rating). She is coached and accompanied by her mother, WGM Xu Yuanyuan, who also played in the tournament.

A strong mother-daughter team: Lu Miaoyi and Xu Yuanyuan (replay Lu’s game below)

Of course, a number of young German players also took the opportunity to gain experience in this tournament, especially as the division into A, B and C tournaments means you quickly get opponents of similar strength. The 13-year-old Lisa Sickmann, by far the strongest girl in her age group in Germany, has gained more than 200 rating points in recent months and is now in 5^th place in the German U14 rankings.

In Bad Zwischenahn, she was even able to win her first “GM scalp” with a victory against the Greek grandmaster Spyridon Skembris. Incidentally, a nice touch was that special successes against rating favourites (the best in each of the three groups) were rewarded with a book gift before each round.

On the rise — Lisa Sickmann from Lübeck

Max Skembris

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However, Max Skembris was able to ‘avenge’ his dad a few rounds later with a win against Lisa and restore the family honour.

Another young player in the lineup was Hussain Besou, who has an amazingly full tournament calendar for a 12-year-old and was again able to win the youth prize in this event. His little brother Jad (at the age of 7, he has a DWZ rating nearing 1600 points) took part in the B tournament.

Jad Besou is not yet as used to photos as his big brother

All in all, it was a very successful tournament, which was organised jointly by SK Union Oldenburg, SC Schwarzer Springer Bad Zwischenahn and Jürgen Wempes ChessOrg.

Anke and Jürgen Wempe belong to the successful organizing team

Final standings

...167 players

Links

• All results and links to other ChessOrg tournaments
• Eltaj Safarli prevails at traditional Staufer Open
• Korneev wins Magdeburg Open