Reykjavik Open: Warmerdam takes the lead

Five chasers a half point back

A demanding double-round on Sunday left 22-year-old Max Warmerdam in the sole lead of the Reykjavik Open. The Dutch player just got his grandmaster title a year ago, but has already shown his strength both as a competitor and as a second. In December last year, he won the Dutch National Championship, months after assisting compatriot Jorden van Foreest to win the 2021 Tata Steel Masters.

Fighting against the King's Indian

In 60 minutes you can get an idea how to play versus the Kings Indian like an expert like GM Loek van Wely, known for his epic battles in the Kingsindian with Teimour Radjabov.

Warmerdam defeated two grandmasters with almost the exact same rating on Sunday: Simon Williams (rated 2464) and Johann Hjartarson (rated 2465). As the sole leader with two rounds to go, he will face top seed Pouya Idani with the white pieces on Monday.

Idani is one of five players standing a half point behind the leader. Praggnanandhaa, Mads Andersen, Matthieu Cornette and Tania Sachdev are the remaining players in the chasing pack. For them, much like for Warmerdam, stamina will be a key factor going forward, as the 9-round event included two double-round days to fit the tournament into a 7-day schedule.

Oleg Romanishin, aged 70, did not shy away from playing in the gruelling event — he currently has a 5/7 score | Photo: Thorsteinn Magnusson

In round 7, Warmerdam beat Hjartarson from the black side of a King’s Indian Defence. The position was rather balanced until White played a quiet move, missing his opponent’s sneaky plan to get control over the d-file via 26...Ra7 and 27...Rd7.

 

Hjartarson, Johann2470

0–1

Warmerdam, Max2607

Reykjavik Open 2022 10.04.2022

1.c4 Nf6 2.Nc3 g6 3.d4 Bg7 4.e4 d6 5.Nf3 0-0 6.Be2 e5 7.0-0 exd4 8.Nxd4 Re8 9.f3 c6 10.Nc2 Na6 11.Kh1 h6 12.Be3 d5 13.exd5 cxd5 14.Bf2 Nc7 15.c5 Bd7 16.Qd2 a5 17.Rfe1 Bc6 18.Bf1 Nd7 19.Rxe8+ Qxe8 20.Re1 Qf8 21.Bg3 Ne6 22.Bd6 Qd8 23.Nxd5 Ndxc5 24.Ne7+ Kh7 25.Nxc6 bxc6 26.b3?

This was Hjartarson's losing mistake. White should have gone for 26.Rd1 Na4 27.Ba3 Qxd2 28.Rxd2 Bxb2 29.Bxb2 Nxb2 30.g3 when Black has an extra pawn, but White has a potentially strong bishop and his opponent's c-pawn is rather weak. 26...Ra7 Activating the rook with decisive effect! 27.Bf4 Rd7 28.Qe3 Nd3 29.Bxd3 Rxd3 30.Qe4 Nxf4 31.Qxf4 Rd2 32.Ne3 Rxa2 33.Nc4 Qd3 34.h3 Qc2

Black has made the most of his initiative. 35.Rg1 Qxb3 36.Ne5 Ra4 Losing the f-pawn is irrelevant, as once the queens leave the board Black's passers on the queenside, supported by the strong bishop, will decide the game. Hjartarson resigned. 0–1

Tania Sachdev | Photo: Thorsteinn Magnusson

The lowest-rated player among the chasers on 5½/7 is Tania Sachdev. The well-known commentator and author — also a two-time Indian women’s champion — defeated Hedinn Steingrimsson in round 7.

Improve your Tactics

The aim of this course is to help you understand how to make tactical opportunities arise as well as to sharpen your tactical vision - these selected lectures will help to foster your overall tactical understanding.

In a queen endgame, Steingrimsson had three connected passers on the kingside against Sachdev’s single far-advanced passed pawn on the d-file. It had been a long struggle, and let us remember that this was the second game in a double-round day. Steingrimsson’s position was clearly superior, but he failed to find the winning plan and reached a drawn setup. After a series of slip-ups by both players, it was Sachdev who emerged victorious.

Finding the correct plan on an open board in a queen ending can be extremely tricky!

 

Steingrimsson, Hedinn2535

0–1

Tania, Sachdev2392

Reykjavik Open 2022 10.04.2022

1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 Bb4 4.e3 0-0 5.Bd3 d5 6.cxd5 exd5 7.a3 Bd6 8.Qc2 c6 9.Nge2 a5 10.Bd2 Na6 11.0-0 Nc7 12.Na4 Ne6 13.b4 axb4 14.Bxb4 Re8 15.Bxd6 Qxd6 16.Rfc1 Ng4 17.Ng3 g6 18.Qb3 Ng7 19.Nb6 Ra7 20.Qb4 Qf6 21.Nh1 Qg5 22.Qc5 Ne6 23.Qd6 Qd8 24.Qb4 h5 25.h3 Nf6 26.a4 Nd7 27.a5 Nxb6 28.axb6 Rxa1 29.Rxa1 Nf8 30.Ng3 Nd7 31.Rb1 Qe7 32.Qc3 Nf6 33.Ne2 Be6 34.Qa5 Qd7 35.Ra1 Bf5 36.Nf4 g5 37.Bxf5 Qxf5 38.Ne2 Ne4 39.Qe1 h4 40.Ra7 Re7 41.Ra8+ Kg7 42.Rb8 Qd7 43.Qb4 Re8 44.Rxe8 Qxe8 45.Nc3 Nxc3 46.Qxc3 Qe4 47.Qb4 Qe6 48.Qa3 Qc8 49.Qe7 Kg6 50.Kh2 Qa8 51.f4 f6 52.Qd7 Qb8 53.Kh1 gxf4 54.Qg4+ Kf7 55.exf4 Qd8 56.Qh5+ Kg7 57.f5 Qh8 58.Qg4+ Kf7 59.Qf4 Qd8 60.Qxh4 Qxb6 61.Qh7+ Ke8 62.Qg6+ Ke7 63.Qg7+ Ke8 64.Qg8+ Kd7 65.Qf7+ Kc8 66.Qxf6 Qb1+ 67.Kh2 Qf1 68.Qe6+ Kb8 69.Qe5+ Ka7 70.h4 Qf2 71.Kh3 c5 72.dxc5 d4 73.c6 bxc6 74.Qc7+ Ka6 75.Qxc6+ Ka5 76.Qc5+ Ka4 77.h5 Qe3+ 78.g3 Qe4 79.Qc4+ Ka5 80.Qe6 Qh1+ 81.Kg4 Qd1+ 82.Kg5 d3 83.h6 Qc1+ 84.Kg6 d2 85.Qd5+ Kb4

White is better and is the one giving checks at this point. He needs to find a setup in which playing h7 and exchanging a pair of queens (two more will soon appear on the board) is favourable for him. 86.Qe4+ 86.Qd4+ was the way to go here, keeping the queen connected to the new queen about to be promoted on h8. Kb5 86...Kb3 87.Qe3+ Kc2 88.h7+- 87.h7 d1Q 88.h8Q This is winning for White. 86...Qc4 87.Qb1+ Suddenly the position is drawn. Qb3 88.Qe4+ Qc4 89.Qf3? But now it is Black who is winning! Qg8+ 90.Kh5 Qb3 Sachdev does not find the winning plan. 90...Qe8+ 91.Kg4 Qa4 was winning. 91.Qf4+ Kc3 92.h7?

But it is Steingrimsson who makes the last mistake! 92.Qe3+ Kc2 93.Qf2 Kc1 94.Qf4 was the way to draw, harassing the black king with checks. 92...Qf7+ 93.Kh6 Qf6+ 94.Kh5 d1Q+

Sachdev did not miss her chance this time around. Queen endgames are always tricky, but more so in the second game of a double-round day! 0–1

Standings after round 7

...245 players

Games from round 7

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

Links

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