2008 Reykjavik Open features Carlsson, Simutowe!
Having finished the Málaga Open with a good performance, GM Pontus Carlsson heads to Reykjavik, Iceland to compete in the Reyjavik Open. IM Amon Simutowe will also be in the field. Last year, the Reykjavik Open featured a motivated Emory Tate. Apparently Tate will sit just one out, but Reykjavik Open will boast some powerful names such as the Chinese duo of Grandmasters… Wang Yue and Wang Hao.
World Junior Champion Ahmed Adly will be there will Italian Champion and Corus “C” winner Fabiano Caruana. The adopted country of Bobby Fischer will be host to an interesting cadre of players, many of whom will pay their respects to the champion’s grave.
Check out Official Site and chess-results.com.
Hello, to whom it may concern, I’d like to know what time the games begin in the Reykjavik open. What time can I follow these games Eastern Standard Time ( USA)? Thank You.
There’s a 5 hour delay..the games start at 5pm in Iceland time so around noon EST..I’m in Atlanta and I’m following them as well.
Fabiano Caruana is joint first with Iceland’s Hannes Stefansson and lead the Reykjavik International on 4½-½ with six GMs ½-point back. Egypt’s Ahmed Adly is in form and continues to rise from his stated 2551 ELO. Wang Yue took a first-round loss, but has gotten back into contention with four straight wins including his last win over Pontus Carlsson.
American phenom Ray Robson is also playing well and has a 2555 performance (against three GMs). Amon Simutowe is on 3-2 and will play WGM Tania Sachdev, the current Indian women’s champion. Hopefully Amon can concentrate on his game and not the stunning beauty of his opponent. He’s hoping to close this tournament on a strong note.
Our Carlsson was taught a lesson in positional manouvering in one the best Lopez wins I have ever seen from the black side.This is a model game… just watch how GM Wang Yue does it
GM Carlsson,Pontus(SWE) (2501) – GM Wang,Yue(CHN) (2698) [C95]
Reykjavik Open Reykjavik, ISL (5), 07.03.2008
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 Nf6 5.0-0 Be7 6.Re1 b5 7.Bb3 d6 8.c3 0-0 9.h3 Nb8 10.d4 Nbd7 11.Nbd2 Bb7 12.Bc2 c5 13.d5 c4 14.Nf1 Qc7 15.g4 Rfb8 16.Ng3 Bc8 17.Nf5 Bf8 18.a3 Nc5 19.Bg5 Ne8 20.Qd2 a5 21.Kh2 Ra7 22.Qe3 Rab7 23.Nd2 f6 24.Bh4 g6 25.Nh6+ Bxh6 26.Qxh6 g5 27.Bg3 Qd8 28.h4 Bxg4 29.Rg1 Rg7 30.hxg5 fxg5 31.Kg2 Nf6 32.Qh2 Be2 33.f3 Bd3 34.Bxd3 Nxd3 35.Rgb1 a4 36.Kf1 g4 37.Ke2 gxf3+ 38.Nxf3 Qb6 39.Rg1 Ng4 Black wins 0-1 (see game)
I hope Pontus recovers from this setback .Its one of those games where you cannot really kick yourself but resign to fate.
“I do not believe that there is anything going to happen in this life that is not meant to happen or isn’t something that I essentially make happen myself,” he added. “Knowing that, knowing that I am giving my best and I am doing the best I can, there is nothing to fear.” – England Rugby Star Johnny Wilkinson on Sky Sports 6 February 2008
Thanks for the game (and quote) Darren. I believe Pontus’ plan with sacrificing the g4-pawn may have been a bit too ambitious.
Daaim I was looking for pgn files Rejkjavik blitz tournament of 2004 won by Aronian .I have searched my limited resources but could not locate the games.The rapidplay games are easily available but it the blitz ones that are elusive.There are some key games I need from the tournament especially Short-Kasparov blitz .The rapid was won by Garry Kasparov.
Hey Daaim, Not sure if your still in China, hope everythings going well.. I just had a quick question.. There seems to be another brother playing in the Reykjavik Open. I was wondering if you knew who he was??
Darren,
Have you tried the TWIC site? They have a good archival system. Chessgames.com has a good search facilty and you may be able to pull up that tournament. As a matter of fact, I just tried some searches and the games you are looking for are there. Go to chessgames.com and search until your heart is content. 🙂
Michael,
Back in the US.
I’m trying to reacclimate myself after the 12-hour flight. It’s funny… I left Beijing, China on Sunday 5:25pm and arrived in Chicago, USA on Sunday 4:50pm! 😆
I’m not sure of the other player, but there may be other players from that region. Last year I met several African professors who were living and working in Sweden, Finland and Norway.
You must have already check the photos, but I’ll check them more thoroughly. Thanks for the heads-up!
Many of you may not have read about the new sensation. His name is FM Illya Nyzhnyk from the Ukraine and he is 11-years old. He became famous when winning the Moscow Open “B” section. This is not the “B” section as in the U.S. “B” section, but it is merely the non-Grandmaster section. He gained some intrigue because he brought a teddy bear to the board at the European Youth Championships last year. The last player of note to bring a teddy bear to the board was Judit Polgar and we know how she turned out.
Nyzhnyk drew GM Pontus Carlsson in round 6 on the white side of a Sicilian Dragon. Interesting battle.
Nyzhnyk,I (2405) – Carlsson,P (2501) [A00]
Reykjavik Open 2008 Reykjavik (6.17), 08.03.2008
1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 g6 6.Be3 Bg7 7.f3 0-0 8.Qd2 Nc6 9.g4 e5 10.Nxc6 bxc6 11.0-0-0 Ne8 12.h4 Be6 13.h5 Qe7 14.g5 Rd8 15.Qh2 Bh8 16.Kb1 Rd7 17.Bh3 Nc7 18.Bxa7 Bxh3 19.Qxh3 Ne6 20.Be3 Rb8 21.b3 Rbd8 22.Qg4 d5 23.Na4 Bg7 24.hxg6 hxg6 25.Qh4 Rb7 26.exd5 cxd5 27.Bb6 Ra8 28.Rxd5 Rxa4 29.Qxa4 Rxb6 30.Rdd1 Nf8 31.Qa5 ½-½ (see game)
Daaim, Thanks for the response, hope to see you at the World Open as usual.
The Chinese duo of Wang Yue and Wang Hao finished joint 1st along with hometown favorite Hannes Stefansson with 7-2. There was only one loss between the three as Wang Yue suffered a shocking loss to host Bjorn Thorfinnsson. Thorfinnsson probably earned a GM norm from his 6-3 score. He ended with a 2562 performance rating and had only one loss against five GMs. He also defeated GM-elect Amon Simutowe.
There were some notable performances by junior FMs Sahaj Grover (India), Illya Nyzhnyk (Ukraine) and Ray Robson (USA). Grover beat Robson in the last round to end on 6-3 and probably IM norm; Nyzhnyk ended with 5½-3½ (losing only to GM Ahmed Adly); Robson ended on a disappointing 5-4 losing two of his last three games. These three will no doubt be seeing each other in the future.
Pontus Carlsson ended with +2 score and lost a tough game to Germany’s Georg Meier in the last round. His only other loss was to a surging Wang Yue. Zambia’s Amon Simutowe finished with a win, but struggled with consistency and ended on 5-4.
(Note: This tournament was held in honor of Bobby Fischer and reports were made on Boris Spassky’s visit to his grave.)