Daniel Fernandez wins Zeeland Open, cheater caught with smartphone

by Gerd Densing
8/13/2024 – The 26th edition of the HZ University of Applied Sciences Chess Tournament 2024 was played in the Dutch city of Vlissingen in the province of Zeeland, from 3 to 10 August. GM Daniel Fernandez (pictured) won with 7½ out of 9 points. There was a player in the event who caused a stir by trying to increase his playing strength with a mobile phone hidden in his sock. Gerd Densing reports.

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Thrilling final rounds

In the first few rounds, no player was able to clearly pull away, and this led to an exciting final spurt in the HZ University of Applied Sciences Chess Tournament.

In the seventh round, GM Erwin L'Ami from the Netherlands and last year's winner GM Samvel Ter-Sahykyan from Armenia met at the top board. L'Ami played for a win for a long time and finally had to accept a draw after 114 moves in an ending with queen and pawn against queen. As the other games on boards 2 to 4 also ended in draws and one or two games were decided on the following boards, 5 players went into the eighth round leading with 6 points, while 11 players had 5½ points.

Erwin L'Ami

The penultimate round again brought only draws on the first four boards, with individual games being quite contested and Erwin L'Ami in particular again playing somewhat riskily, sacrificing an exchange and probably being happy with the draw in the end. The Russian GM Vyacheslav Ikonnikov, who has competed in every edition of the Vlissingen tournament for many years, and the English GM Daniel Fernandez joined the lead with 6½ points before the final round. I first noticed GM Fernandez at the 2019 European Chess Club Cup in Montenegro (Ulcinj) in one of the three evening blitz tournaments, which he won.

The final round again brought only draws on the first three boards, with GM L'Ami once more having the upper hand against GM Ikonnikov, but having to accept a repetition of moves. The game between GM Daniel Hausrath and last year's winner surprisingly ended in an unspectacular draw after just 21 moves in the middlegame (despite White's pair of bishops and passed pawns). On board 3, the game between IM Azarya Jodi and GM Antonios Pavlidis was fought out to a drawn rook ending until move 57, but also ended in a draw. GM Daniel Fernandez took advantage of the moment against IM Arthur De Winter, who had been on course to become GM for a long time during the tournament.

GM Fernandez used his more active king with black in a rook ending and even got to checkmate his opponent. He was the only player to reach 7½ points and thus became the sole tournament winner. Remarkably, after a rather slow start and three draws in the entire tournament, he "only" met one GM (draw against GM Koen Leenhouts in round 6) and secured the tournament victory by winning back-to-back games in rounds 8 and 9.

The 18-year-old FM Eelke De Boer achieved his third and final IM norm with a good 6½-point performance, no lost games and a TPR of 2470.

Eelke de Boer secured the IM title

For the young WFM Kata Karacxonyi from Hungary, who stood very well against GM Hausrath for a long time and won in rounds 8 and 9, it was unfortunately not enough for a WIM norm despite a great performance. She did not play against a single titleholder above WFM.

Just missed the norm: Kata Karacxonyi

The tournament was well organised as usual, but a cheating case made the headlines. A Dutch amateur player with an Elo rating of around 1700 had played very strongly in the first few rounds and, after being suspected by an FM, was then placed under observation by the arbiters and later scanned with a metal detector on his way to the toilet. A beep did not result from the watch on the player's wrist, as he claimed, but was triggered by a smartphone that the player had hidden in his sock. The player was immediately excluded from the tournament and reported to the Dutch Chess Federation. The organisers refrained from publishing the name, but you can see who it might be in how the standings progressed round by round.

The catering and the surroundings of the tournament at the Zeeland University of Applied Sciences were, as always, ideal. What was remarkable at this tournament - something I have never seen elsewhere - was the presence of a Dutch illustrator, who drew beautiful cartoons on her tablet live during the tournament.

The cartoonist at work

Final standings

Rank Name Score Fed. M/F Rating TPR SB
1 GM Fernandez, Daniel Howard 7.5 ENG M 2519 2561 43.25
2 GM Pavlidis, Antonios 7.0 GRE M 2566 2582 43.25
3 GM Ter-Sahakyan, Samvel 7.0 ARM M 2618 2634 42.25
4 GM L'Ami, Erwin 7.0 NED M 2629 2598 41.75
5 IM Setyaki, Azarya Jodi 7.0 INA M 2370 2562 41.0
6 GM Hausrath, Daniel 7.0 GER M 2469 2486 40.0
7 IM Karacsonyi, Gellert 7.0 HUN M 2395 2444 39.0
8 GM Ferreira, Jorge Viterbo 7.0 POR M 2523 2490 38.5
9 GM Leenhouts, Koen 7.0 NED M 2454 2393 39.0
10 GM Ikonnikov, Vyacheslav 7.0 FID M 2465 2442 38.0
11 IM Beukema, Stefan 7.0 BEL M 2435 2432 36.25
12 IM Arfan, Aditya Bagus 7.0 INA M 2405 2356 37.25
13 FM De Boer, Eelke 6.5 NED M 2384 2471 38.25
14 IM De Winter, Arthur 6.5 NED M 2411 2456 34.5
15 GM Bharath Subramaniyam H 6.5 IND M 2566 2457 40.0
16 FM Syrov, Arkadi 6.5 GER M 2316 2378 33.25
17 Rappazzo, Johannes 6.5 SUI M 2278 2317 33.25
18 IM Van Delft, Merijn 6.5 NED M 2376 2240 35.75
19 IM De Jong, Migchiel 6.5 NED M 2295 2224 32.75
20 WFM Karacsonyi, Kata 6.5 HUN F 2184 2292 32.5
21 WGM Frayna, Janelle Mae 6.5 PHI F 2162 2303 32.25
22 IM Tarigan, Gilbert Elroy 6.0 INA M 2359 2417 34.5

...232 players

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1.d4 3 Nf6 7 2.c4 8 c5 6 3.d5 15 b5 6 4.cxb5 26 a6 4 5.e3 1:21 axb5 10 6.Bxb5 9 Qa5+ 1:59 7.Nc3 10 Bb7 1:49 8.Bd2 57 Qb6 5 9.a4 2:17 And now e4 would win. e6 56 10.Nf3 6:56 10.e4 10...Nxd5= 3:23 11.Nxd5 3:35 White is slightly better. Bxd5 8:15 12.Bc3 31 Nc6 38:10 12...Qb7= remains equal. 13.0-0 3:25 f6 9:00 13...Qb7± 14.Re1 2:33 14.Nd2+- Black must now prevent e4. Nb4 15.e4 14...Be4 6:22 14...Bxf3 15.Qxf3 Be7 15.Nd2 2:09       White is in control. Bg6 1:04 16.Nc4 3:58 Qc7 9
17.a5! 4:22       Rd8? 2:09 17...Rb8 keeps fighting. 18.a6+- 5:18 Kf7 13:19 18...Be7 19.Qa4 Nb4 19.Qf3 5:08 Strongly threatening Bxc6. White is clearly winning. Bd6 7:29 20.Bxc6 1:48 dxc6 17 20...Bxh2+ 21.Kh1 Bd3 21.Ba5 38 Weighted Error Value: White=0.13 (very precise) /Black=0.56. Mistake: White=2 Black=6 Inaccurate: --- Black=1 OK: White=6 Black=4 Best: White=2 ---
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WhiteEloWBlackEloBResYearECOEventRnd
L'Ami,E2629Fischer,G19151–0202426th Hogeschool Zeeland 20241.1
Van den Hoogen,A1915Ter-Sahakyan,S26180–1202426th Hogeschool Zeeland 20241.2
Bharath Subramaniyam H2566Karacsonyi,L19141–0202426th Hogeschool Zeeland 20241.3
Karacsonyi,B1913Pavlidis,A25660–1202426th Hogeschool Zeeland 20241.4
Ferreira,J2523Verbruggen,S19131–0202426th Hogeschool Zeeland 20241.5
Kools,J1912Fernandez,D25190–1202426th Hogeschool Zeeland 20241.6
Hausrath,D2469Timmermans,A19061–0202426th Hogeschool Zeeland 20241.7
Bogers,T-Ikonnikov,V24650–1202426th Hogeschool Zeeland 20241.8
Leenhouts,K2454Schreidl,M19001–0202426th Hogeschool Zeeland 20241.9
Baete,G1898Beukema,S24350–1202426th Hogeschool Zeeland 20241.10
De Winter,A2411Godding,M18921–0202426th Hogeschool Zeeland 20241.11
Van Rij,G1891Arfan,A24050–1202426th Hogeschool Zeeland 20241.12
Karacsonyi,G2395Beltman,G18891–0202426th Hogeschool Zeeland 20241.13
Pennig,F1889De Boer,E23840–1202426th Hogeschool Zeeland 20241.14
Van Delft,M2376Lucas,F18851–0202426th Hogeschool Zeeland 20241.15
Wagenvoorde,G2108L'Ami,E26290–1202426th Hogeschool Zeeland 20242.1
Ter-Sahakyan,S2618Kliashtornyi,A20981–0202426th Hogeschool Zeeland 20242.2
Kazarjan,G2100Bharath Subramaniyam H25660–1202426th Hogeschool Zeeland 20242.3
Pavlidis,A2566Fronda,J20891–0202426th Hogeschool Zeeland 20242.4
Wink,L2090Ferreira,J25230–1202426th Hogeschool Zeeland 20242.5
Fernandez,D2519Goudriaan,R20791–0202426th Hogeschool Zeeland 20242.6
Marzano,C2079Hausrath,D24690–1202426th Hogeschool Zeeland 20242.7
Ikonnikov,V2465Merbis,M20791–0202426th Hogeschool Zeeland 20242.8
Romkes,A2078Leenhouts,K2454½–½202426th Hogeschool Zeeland 20242.9
Beukema,S2435Weber,N20781–0202426th Hogeschool Zeeland 20242.10
Le Clercq,M2069De Winter,A24110–1202426th Hogeschool Zeeland 20242.11
Arfan,A2405Verhoeven,R20591–0202426th Hogeschool Zeeland 20242.12
Brouwer,M2053Karacsonyi,G23950–1202426th Hogeschool Zeeland 20242.13
De Boer,E2384Duchene,R20481–0202426th Hogeschool Zeeland 20242.14
Hng,M2019Van Delft,M2376½–½202426th Hogeschool Zeeland 20242.15
L'Ami,E2629Syrov,A23161–0202426th Hogeschool Zeeland 20243.1
Rappazzo,J2278Ter-Sahakyan,S26180–1202426th Hogeschool Zeeland 20243.2
Bharath Subramaniyam H2566Karacsonyi,K21841–0202426th Hogeschool Zeeland 20243.3
Van Baar,E2248Pavlidis,A25660–1202426th Hogeschool Zeeland 20243.4
Ferreira,J2523Goossens,H2172½–½202426th Hogeschool Zeeland 20243.5
Honkoop,G2189Fernandez,D2519½–½202426th Hogeschool Zeeland 20243.6
Hausrath,D2469Frayna,J21621–0202426th Hogeschool Zeeland 20243.7
Kumar,P2185Ikonnikov,V24650–1202426th Hogeschool Zeeland 20243.8
Provoost,S2165Beukema,S2435½–½202426th Hogeschool Zeeland 20243.9
De Winter,A2411Vantorre,N21531–0202426th Hogeschool Zeeland 20243.10
Van Rootselaar,R2152Arfan,A2405½–½202426th Hogeschool Zeeland 20243.11
Karacsonyi,G2395Van Doren,B21291–0202426th Hogeschool Zeeland 20243.12
Hng,M2145De Boer,E23840–1202426th Hogeschool Zeeland 20243.13
Decker,N2134Setyaki,A23700–1202426th Hogeschool Zeeland 20243.14
Tarigan,G2359Van der Werf,J21141–0202426th Hogeschool Zeeland 20243.15
De Boer,E2384L'Ami,E2629½–½202426th Hogeschool Zeeland 20244.1
Ter-Sahakyan,S2618De Winter,A24111–0202426th Hogeschool Zeeland 20244.2
Setyaki,A2370Bharath Subramaniyam H25661–0202426th Hogeschool Zeeland 20244.3
Pavlidis,A2566Karacsonyi,G23951–0202426th Hogeschool Zeeland 20244.4
Karsay,P2357Hausrath,D2469½–½202426th Hogeschool Zeeland 20244.5
Ikonnikov,V2465Tarigan,G23590–1202426th Hogeschool Zeeland 20244.6
Fernandez,D2519Sorbe,S23431–0202426th Hogeschool Zeeland 20244.7
Coenen,E2117Ferreira,J25230–1202426th Hogeschool Zeeland 20244.8
Nieuwelink,K2084Leenhouts,K24540–1202426th Hogeschool Zeeland 20244.9
Beukema,S2435Van Rootselaar,R21521–0202426th Hogeschool Zeeland 20244.10
Arfan,A2405Provoost,S2165½–½202426th Hogeschool Zeeland 20244.11
Van der Zalm,M2071Stillger,B22630–1202426th Hogeschool Zeeland 20244.12
Bezemer,A2225De Rycke,T21221–0202426th Hogeschool Zeeland 20244.13
Verweij,D2001Honkoop,G21890–1202426th Hogeschool Zeeland 20244.14
Goossens,H2172Hirzel,C2116½–½202426th Hogeschool Zeeland 20244.15
Setyaki,A2370Ter-Sahakyan,S26180–1202426th Hogeschool Zeeland 20245.1
Tarigan,G2359Pavlidis,A25660–1202426th Hogeschool Zeeland 20245.2
L'Ami,E2629Karsay,P23571–0202426th Hogeschool Zeeland 20245.3
Ferreira,J2523De Boer,E2384½–½202426th Hogeschool Zeeland 20245.4
Stillger,B2263Fernandez,D25190–1202426th Hogeschool Zeeland 20245.5
Hausrath,D2469Bezemer,A2225½–½202426th Hogeschool Zeeland 20245.6
Leenhouts,K2454Den Heijer,R19811–0202426th Hogeschool Zeeland 20245.7
Honkoop,G2189Beukema,S24350–1202426th Hogeschool Zeeland 20245.8
Bharath Subramaniyam H2566Frayna,J21621–0202426th Hogeschool Zeeland 20245.9
Provoost,S2165Ikonnikov,V24650–1202426th Hogeschool Zeeland 20245.10
De Winter,A2411Grooten,T21461–0202426th Hogeschool Zeeland 20245.11
Vantorre,N2153Arfan,A24050–1202426th Hogeschool Zeeland 20245.12
Karacsonyi,G2395Timmermans,I21431–0202426th Hogeschool Zeeland 20245.13
Van Delft,M2376Van Doren,B21291–0202426th Hogeschool Zeeland 20245.14
Sorbe,S2343Manshanden,N21140–1202426th Hogeschool Zeeland 20245.15
Ter-Sahakyan,S2618Pavlidis,A2566½–½202426th Hogeschool Zeeland 20246.1
Beukema,S2435L'Ami,E26290–1202426th Hogeschool Zeeland 20246.2
Fernandez,D2519Leenhouts,K2454½–½202426th Hogeschool Zeeland 20246.3
Syrov,A2316Bharath Subramaniyam H2566½–½202426th Hogeschool Zeeland 20246.4
Bezemer,A2225Ferreira,J25230–1202426th Hogeschool Zeeland 20246.5
Karacsonyi,K2184Hausrath,D24690–1202426th Hogeschool Zeeland 20246.6
Ikonnikov,V2465Boulahfa,H2183½–½202426th Hogeschool Zeeland 20246.7
Perestjuk,M2171De Winter,A24110–1202426th Hogeschool Zeeland 20246.8
Arfan,A2405Tarigan,G23590–1202426th Hogeschool Zeeland 20246.9
Manshanden,N2114Karacsonyi,G23950–1202426th Hogeschool Zeeland 20246.10
De Boer,E2384Omota,V19451–0202426th Hogeschool Zeeland 20246.11
Kazarjan,G2100Van Delft,M2376½–½202426th Hogeschool Zeeland 20246.12
Harreman,J-Setyaki,A23700–1202426th Hogeschool Zeeland 20246.13
Karsay,P2357Margarido,J21121–0202426th Hogeschool Zeeland 20246.14
De Jong,M2295Wink,L20901–0202426th Hogeschool Zeeland 20246.15
L'Ami,E2629Ter-Sahakyan,S2618½–½202426th Hogeschool Zeeland 20247.1
Pavlidis,A2566Ferreira,J2523½–½202426th Hogeschool Zeeland 20247.2
Karacsonyi,G2395Fernandez,D2519½–½202426th Hogeschool Zeeland 20247.3
Hausrath,D2469De Boer,E2384½–½202426th Hogeschool Zeeland 20247.4
Leenhouts,K2454Setyaki,A23700–1202426th Hogeschool Zeeland 20247.5
De Winter,A2411Tarigan,G23591–0202426th Hogeschool Zeeland 20247.6
Bharath Subramaniyam H2566Grochal,J22511–0202426th Hogeschool Zeeland 20247.7
Kools,T2116Ikonnikov,V24650–1202426th Hogeschool Zeeland 20247.8
Boulahfa,H2183Beukema,S2435½–½202426th Hogeschool Zeeland 20247.9
Van Delft,M2376Nieuwelink,K2084½–½202426th Hogeschool Zeeland 20247.10
Kazarjan,G2100Karsay,P23570–1202426th Hogeschool Zeeland 20247.11
Verhoeven,R2059Syrov,A23160–1202426th Hogeschool Zeeland 20247.12
Den Heijer,R1981De Jong,M22950–1202426th Hogeschool Zeeland 20247.13
Rappazzo,J2278Van der Zalm,M20711–0202426th Hogeschool Zeeland 20247.14
Kliashtornyi,A2098Arfan,A24050–1202426th Hogeschool Zeeland 20247.15
Setyaki,A2370L'Ami,E2629½–½202426th Hogeschool Zeeland 20248.1
Pavlidis,A2566De Winter,A2411½–½202426th Hogeschool Zeeland 20248.2
Ter-Sahakyan,S2618Bharath Subramaniyam H2566½–½202426th Hogeschool Zeeland 20248.3
Ferreira,J2523Karsay,P2357½–½202426th Hogeschool Zeeland 20248.4
Fernandez,D2519De Jong,M22951–0202426th Hogeschool Zeeland 20248.5
Syrov,A2316Hausrath,D24690–1202426th Hogeschool Zeeland 20248.6
Ikonnikov,V2465Rappazzo,J22781–0202426th Hogeschool Zeeland 20248.7
De Boer,E2384Karacsonyi,G2395½–½202426th Hogeschool Zeeland 20248.8
Perestjuk,M2171Leenhouts,K24540–1202426th Hogeschool Zeeland 20248.9
Beukema,S2435De Rycke,T21221–0202426th Hogeschool Zeeland 20248.10
Arfan,A2405Fronda,J20891–0202426th Hogeschool Zeeland 20248.11
Frayna,J2162Van Delft,M2376½–½202426th Hogeschool Zeeland 20248.12
Tarigan,G2359Provoost,S21651–0202426th Hogeschool Zeeland 20248.13
Hng,M2145Kumar,P21851–0202426th Hogeschool Zeeland 20248.14
Coenen,E2117Boulahfa,H21831–0202426th Hogeschool Zeeland 20248.15
L'Ami,E2629Ikonnikov,V2465½–½202426th Hogeschool Zeeland 20249.1
Hausrath,D2469Ter-Sahakyan,S2618½–½202426th Hogeschool Zeeland 20249.2
Setyaki,A2370Pavlidis,A2566½–½202426th Hogeschool Zeeland 20249.3
De Winter,A2411Fernandez,D25190–1202426th Hogeschool Zeeland 20249.4
Bharath Subramaniyam H2566De Boer,E2384½–½202426th Hogeschool Zeeland 20249.5
Tarigan,G2359Ferreira,J25230–1202426th Hogeschool Zeeland 20249.6
Leenhouts,K2454Goossens,H21721–0202426th Hogeschool Zeeland 20249.7
Karsay,P2357Beukema,S24350–1202426th Hogeschool Zeeland 20249.8
Hng,M2145Arfan,A24050–1202426th Hogeschool Zeeland 20249.9
Karacsonyi,G2395Coenen,E21171–0202426th Hogeschool Zeeland 20249.10
Syrov,A2316Nieuwelink,K20841–0202426th Hogeschool Zeeland 20249.11
Van Delft,M2376Van der Werf,J21141–0202426th Hogeschool Zeeland 20249.12
De Jong,M2295Van der Zalm,M20711–0202426th Hogeschool Zeeland 20249.13
Rappazzo,J2278Duchene,R20481–0202426th Hogeschool Zeeland 20249.14
Kazarjan,G2100Grochal,J2251½–½202426th Hogeschool Zeeland 20249.15

The next Zeeland Open is likely to take place again in the first week of August in 2025.

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Gerd is an avid club player who enjoys competing in tournaments. He has recorded his impressions in many reports on the ChessBase news page.

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