Sixth OGD Prinsenstad Tournament in Delft
4/7/2013 – The town dates back to the 13th Century and is famous for its historical main square, its blue pottery and the 17th Century painter Johannes Vermeer. The tournament over Easter was the sixth in recent years, this time staged in the Grotius College. It was won by GM Erwin l'Ami with 5.5/6 points and a 2822 performance. Erwin's wife Alina l'Ami has sent us this lovely pictorial report.
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The sixth OGD Prinsenstad Tournament was organised by OGD and the Delftse SchaakClub (DSC) over the Easter weekend in the auditorium of the Grotius College in Delft. The tournament was played in three groups: the A-group (rating of 1900 or higher), B-group (rating from 1600 up untill 2000), and C-group (rating below 1700). Time controls were 1:40 hours per player with a 10-second increment for each move played. The prize fund was over €3000, in prize money. Report and pictures by WGM Alina l'Ami.
Top final standings of the A-Group (after six rounds)
| # | Player | Rtng | Pts | Perf | w-we | wp | SB |
| 1 | Erwin l’Ami | 2615 | 5½ | 2822 | 1.21 | 23½ | 21¼ |
| 2 | Jan Smeets | 2627 | 4½ | 2588 | -0.09 | 23 | 15¼ |
| 3 | Dimitri Reinderman | 2573 | 4½ | 2562 | 0.10 | 23 | 15¼ |
| 4 | Stewart Haslinger | 2547 | 4½ | 2542 | 0.21 | 22½ | 15¼ |
| 5 | Mher Hovhanisian | 2494 | 4½ | 2501 | 0.19 | 20½ | 15¾ |
| 6 | Erik van den Doel | 2552 | 4½ | 2480 | -0.34 | 20½ | 15½ |
| 7 | Bernd Kohlweyer | 2460 | 4½ | 2418 | -0.10 | 20½ | 14¼ |
| 8 | Fred Slingerland | 2336 | 4½ | 2538 | 1.62 | 20 | 13¼ |
| 9 | Bart von Meijenfeldt | 2195 | 4 | 2420 | 1.63 | 20½ | 10½ |
| 10 | Matthieu Freeke | 2320 | 4 | 2265 | -0.28 | 17½ | 10¾ |
| 11 | Smaranda Padurariu | 2201 | 4 | 2300 | 0.75 | 17 | 9 |
| 12 | Harold van Dijk | 2331 | 4 | 2173 | -0.78 | 16 | 11 |
| 13 | Lars Ootes | 2350 | 3½ | 2407 | 0.51 | 23½ | 11¼ |
| 14 | Michel de Wit | 2260 | 3½ | 2385 | 1.04 | 22½ | 11½ |
| 15 | Ulf Andersson | 2562 | 3½ | 2424 | -0.48 | 21½ | 13¾ |
| 16 | Alina l’Ami-Motoc | 2381 | 3½ | 2242 | -0.88 | 20 | 9¾ |
| 17 | Erik Hoeksema | 2347 | 3½ | 2193 | -0.95 | 19 | 10 |
| 18 | Thomas Beerdsen | 2116 | 3½ | 2244 | 0.82 | 19 | 9¼ |
| 19 | Gert Legemaat | 2195 | 3½ | 2202 | 0.04 | 18½ | 9¾ |
| 20 | Lars Vereggen | 2138 | 3½ | 2242 | 0.86 | 17 | 9 |
The playing hall in the Grotius College in Delft...
...with the games under way
Players could follow top games on flat panels, but also the Candidates games from London
The famous Ulf Andersson, who is often spotted in Dutch events
British GM Stewart Haslinger, also a regular on the Dutch chess circuit
The winner of the A-Group: GM Erwin l'Ami
Second: top seed Jan Smeets, rated 2627
WIM Smaranda Padurariu from Romania
Special interest in the top board games of the final round
Delft is a city in South Holland (Zuid-Holland), located between the larger cities of Rotterdam and The Hague. It is primarily known for its historic town centre and canals; also for the painter Vermeer, Delft Blue pottery (Delftware), the Delft University of Technology, and its association with the Dutch royal family, the House of Orange-Nassau.
Johannes Vermeer's oil painting of Delft in the 17th Century [Wikipedia]
Typical Dutch town, with canals, bicycles, water... In the background you can see The Oude Kerk (Old Church), and its most recognizable feature, a 75-meter-high brick tower that leans about two meters from the vertical (Dutch version of Pisa tower). This church is the final resting place of the Golden Age Dutch painter Johannes Vermeer.
The Town Hall at the head of the Town Square...
...with the typical Dutch shops and houses
Street-side stores with the famous Royal Delftware ...
... blue-and-white pottery originally duplicated from Chinese porcelain by 17th-century artisans
One of the great contributions to modern civilization: Dutch cheese
The famous Dutch clogs, available in different sizes
Wooden shoes have been popular in the Netherlands for about 700 years. Wearers claim they are warm in winter, cool in summer and provide support for good posture. The wood also absorbs perspiration so that the foot can breathe. Wooden shoes, as icons of Dutch culture, appear in customs such as the practice of young Dutch men presenting their fiancees with a pair of carved wooden shoes. More about them here.
As you can see the most practical method of getting around Delft is on bicycle
... which you can park at the station when you commute by train
