Reykjavik Open: Four co-leaders as Andersen beats Jarmula

A diverse lineup

Despite lacking players rated 2700 or above, the Kvika Reykjavík Open is proving to be a very entertaining event. The presence of young rising stars, especially from India and the United States, adds interest to the traditional Icelandic tournament. Moreover, we are getting to see strong players from Scandinavian countries who do not play very often in the European circuit who are now fighting for first place with their more active colleagues.

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With three rounds to go, four players are sharing the lead on 5 out of 6 points. Mads Andersen, a 3-time Danish champion, defeated former sole leader Lukasz Jarmula in Sunday’s early round, thus climbing to shared first place. Also 5 points have been collected by 59-year-old Jóhann Hjartarson, a 5-time Icelandic champion, who defeated Hans Niemann in round 6. The two multiple national champions are joined by 22-year-old Max Warmerdam from the Netherlands and 16-year-old wunderkind Praggnanandhaa from India.

Boards 3 and 4 during round 5 —  Icelandic GMs Hedinn Steingrimsson and Hjorvar Steinn Gretarsson thinking while his rivals Praggnanandhaa and Hans Niemann have gone for a walk | Photo: Thorsteinn Magnusson

In a highlight of round 6, Pragg was paired up against an even younger opponent, none other than Abhimanyu Mishra, the youngest-ever grandmaster in history, aged 13. Pragg had the white pieces and found a nice tactical shot in the early middlegame.

After 19.Nb5 Black gets a rook and a knight for the queen with 19...Bxc4 20.Nxc7 Bxc7 21.Qd7 Rc8 22.Re1. However, White is the one in the driver’s seat, albeit in a very complicated position.

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Pragg showed great strategic knowledge and tactical awareness to keep the initiative all throughout the middlegame. Eventually, after simplifications, the teenagers reached an endgame with a queen against a rook and a bishop, in which White had a strong passer on the a-file.

Pragg did not fall for any trap set up by his tenacious opponent, who was looking to get some kind of fortress position, as he ended up getting the full point on move 79.

 

Praggnanandhaa R2612

1–0

Mishra, Abhimanyu2505

Reykjavik Open 2022 10.04.2022

1.d4 d5 2.c4 c6 3.Nf3 Nf6 4.e3 e6 5.Bd3 dxc4 6.Bxc4 Nbd7 7.0-0 Bd6 8.Qc2 0-0 9.e4 e5 10.Be3 Ng4 11.Bg5 Qc7 12.h3 h6 13.Bh4 Ngf6 14.Nc3 Nh5 15.Rad1 exd4 16.Rxd4 Ne5 17.Qd1

Here is where Abhimanyu entered the line that led to him giving up his queen for a rook and a knight. 17...Nxc4 17...Bc5 was called for here 18.Nxe5 Qxe5 19.Rd2 Ng3 20.Bxg3 Qxg3 and a dynamic battle would have ensued. 18.Rxc4 Be6 19.Nb5

19...Bxc4 19...Bh2+ was a slightly better alternative for Black 20.Nxh2 Qe5 21.Nd6 Bxc4 22.Nxc4 Qxe4 23.Qxh5 20.Nxc7 Bxc7 21.Qd7 Rac8 22.Re1 Nf4 23.b3 Be6 24.Qd2 Ng6 25.Qe3 Bb6 26.Qc3 Nxh4 27.Nxh4 Rcd8 28.Nf3 Rfe8 29.a4 a5 30.b4 Ra8 31.Rb1 axb4 32.Qxb4 Bc7 33.Nd4 Bc8 34.Nf5 Kh7 35.Qc4 Be6 36.Qc2 Rad8 37.Rxb7 Bxf5 38.Rxc7 Bxe4 39.Qc5 Bd5 40.Re7 Rg8 41.a5 Ra8 42.Qa3 Rgb8 43.a6 Rb3 44.Qa1 Rb6 45.a7 Rb4 46.Rc7 g6 47.f3 h5 48.h4 Rxh4 49.Qa6 Rb4 50.Rc8 White forces the exchange of rooks, but he still will need to work hard in order to convert his advantage into a win. Rxc8 51.Qxc8 c5 52.Qxc5 Ra4 53.Qc7

Pragg does not grab the bishop with 53.Qxd5 Rxa7 as he knows he can manoeuvre his queen until getting a better version (more easily winning) of a similar position. 53...Ra2 54.Qd7 Be6 55.Qc7 Bd5 56.Kh2 Ra4 57.Kg3 Kg7 58.Kf2 Kh7 59.Ke3 Be6 60.Qb7 Bd5 61.Qd7 Ra5 62.Kd4 h4 63.Qc7 Rb5

Now that his king is centralized, Pragg decides to take the bishop with a small combination. 64.a8Q Bxa8 65.Qxf7+ Kh6 66.Qf8+ Kh5 67.Qxa8 Rf5 68.Qh8+ Kg5 69.Ke3 Rf7 70.Qd8+ Kh5 71.Qh8+ Kg5 72.Kf2 Rf4 73.Kg1 Kf5 74.Qg7 g5 75.Qf7+ Ke5 76.Qg6 Rf5 77.Kf2 Kf4 78.Qd6+ Re5 79.Qf6+

Game over: 79...Rf5 80.Qd4# 1–0

13-year-old Abhimanyu Mishra | Photo: Thorsteinn Magnusson

Warmerdam, who is now sharing the lead, defeated Simon Williams in round 6. The latter came from scoring a remarkable, tactical win over Raunak Sadhwani. The ‘Ginger GM’, true to his style, played the Dutch Defence, advanced his army on the kingside, and pushed ‘Harry the h-pawn’ down the board when he got a chance.

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Sadhwani, in fact, had a better position, but finding all the right moves amid a myriad of tactical complications is never easy. Williams was in his element, and punished his young opponent’s mistake to get the full point.

 

Sadhwani, Raunak2616

0–1

Williams, Simon K2464

Reykjavik Open 2022 09.04.2022

1.d4 e6 2.c4 f5 3.g3 Nf6 4.Bg2 d5 5.Nf3 c6 6.0-0 Bd6 7.b3 Qe7 8.a4 a5 9.Ba3 Bxa3 10.Nxa3 0-0 11.Nc2 Nbd7 12.Nce1 b6 13.Nd3 Bb7 14.Rc1 c5 15.e3 Rac8 16.Re1 Ne4 17.h4 Rfd8 18.Qe2 Ndf6 19.Nde5 Rc7 20.Qb2 Qe8 21.Rc2 h6 22.Rec1 g5 23.cxd5 Bxd5 24.Nc4 cxd4 25.exd4 Rb7 25...f4 opening up the kingside was playable at this point 26.Nxb6 fxg3 and grabbing the rook is bad for White due to 27.Rxc7 gxf2+ 28.Kf1 Qf8 and the other knight will jump to g4, creating deadly threats. 26.Nce5 f4 27.g4 h5

Pushing "Harry the h-pawn" is not best according to the engines, but the Ginger GM cannot help himself. 28.Nxg5 28.Rc7 hxg4 29.Nxg5 Qh5 30.Rxb7 Bxb7 31.Nxe6 was better for White. 28...hxg4 28...Nxg5 29.hxg5 Nxg4 and Black alleviates the pressure, but it is very difficult to calculate such sharp lines while in time trouble! 29.Rc7 White is clearly better. f3 30.Ngf7 fxg2

And now came the losing mistake by the young Indian... 31.Nxd8? Sadhwani was better advised to simplify while keeping the initiative instead of grabbing the exchange immediately: 31.Rxb7 Bxb7 32.Rc7 31...Rxc7 32.Rxc7 Ng5

Excellent tactical awareness! 33.f3 33.hxg5 Qh5 33...gxf3 34.hxg5 Qh5 Mate in 9. A typical tactical victory by the ever-sharp Williams, who is a rook down in the final position. 0–1

Simon Williams | Photo: Thorsteinn Magnusson

Standings after round 6

...245 players

Games from round 6

Replay all available games from the tournament at Live.ChessBase.com

Links

• Official site
• Kvika Reykjavik Open 2022: No Covid-restrictions