GM Thorhallsson is Iceland Chess Champion 2012

Chess blog for latest chess news and chess trivia (c) Alexandra Kosteniuk, 2012

Hi everyone,

Throstur Thorhallsson - Bragi Thorfinnsson

GM Throstur Thorhallsson is the new Icelandic Chess Champion after he beat IM Bragi Thorfinnsson in a closely-fought match. Thorhallsson and Thorfinnsson were joint winners of the Icelandic Chess Champion in April this year - the strongest Icelandic Championship so far during this century. They first played a four-game match, which ended 2-2 (one victory each and two draws) last Monday.

Latest chess news updates via Chessdom say employing similar system and playing out the games during the same day as Anand and Gelfand did in their World Champion match, Thorhallsson eventually emerged as the winner.

Thorhallsson and Thorfinsson first played two active games (25+10), which both ended with a draw. They then played two more games with less time (10+10), where Thorhallsson won the first game, but Thorfinnsson the second, curiously both with the black pieces. They then played two blitz games (5+3), where Thorfinnsson won the first one, but Thorhallsson the second, thus equalizing the match.

Finally, in an Armageddon game Thorhallsson, with the black pieces (and therefore less time as well) actually won the game (although only needing a draw) and therefore the match 6-5.

The 2012 Icelandic Chess Championship was the most memorable in a long time. Both players received a big round of applause from the enthusiastic audience, even before the Armageddon game. Analysts universally praised their play, despite the demanding time limits.

Although Thorhallsson has been a fixture of Icelandic chess life for almost 30 years, this is in fact the first time he has captured the national champion title. He first took part in the event in 1985.

As a result of his victory, Thorhallsson will automatically qualify as a member of the Icelandic Chess Olympiad team in Istanbul this autumn and as Iceland’s representative at the European Individual Championship in Poland in April next year.

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Bragi, Throstur Tie for First at Iceland National Chess 2012

Chess blog for latest chess news and chess trivia (c) Alexandra Kosteniuk, 2012


Hi everyone,


IM Bragi Thorfinnsson and GM Throstur Thorhallsson have tied for the first place at the Icelandic Chess Championship 2012. They share the top spot with 7.5/11 points each. A Fide report said they would go for a playoff later. 

The Icelandic Chess Championship was organised by the Icelandic Chess Federation from April 13 to 23 in Kópavogur, the second largest city in Reykjavik. The national championship was the strongest that has been held this century in the country, with four Grandmasters and an average rating of 2398.

Twelve players competed in the round robin tournament. Top seeded was the 11-times national champion Hannes Stefansson.

Final standings:1. IM Thorfinnsson Bragi 2421 – 7.5
2. GM Thorhallsson Throstur 2398 – 7.5
3. IM Arngrimsson Dagur 2361 – 7
4. GM Danielsen Henrik 2504 – 7
5. FM Kjartansson David 2305 – 5.5
6. GM Stefansson Hannes 2531 – 5.5
7. GM Kristjansson Stefan 2500 – 5.5
8. IM Kjartansson Gudmundur 2357 – 5
9. FM Bjornsson Sigurbjorn 2393 – 4.5
10. IM Thorfinnsson Bjorn 2416 – 4
11. Gislason Gudmundur 2346 – 3.5
12. Jensson Einar Hjalti 2245 – 3.5

You can find the official website of the chess tournament here.

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Iceland Chess Championship 2012 Begins

Chess blog for latest chess news and chess trivia (c) Alexandra Kosteniuk, 2012

Hi everyone,

The Iceland Chess Championship has begun. The national chess event began on Friday in Kópavogur - the second largest city in Reykjavik. The chess championship is the strongest that has been held this century in the country with four GMs and an average rating of 2398 for its national chess event.

Ármann Kr. Ólafsson, mayor of Kópavogur, opened the event, by playing the first move in the GM battle between Henrik Danielsen and Stefan Kristjansson.

This is the second time that the championship is held in Kópavogur. The first time was in the year 2000, when IM Jon Viktor Gunnarsson won it.

 

Ármann Kr. Ólafsson making the first move for GM Henrik Danielsen, Gunnar Björnsson is watching.

GM Hannes Stefansson, eleven-time champion, and Henrik Danielsen, winner of the 2009 tournament, are the only former champions taking part in the event. Stefansson has won the championship on eleven of the last occasions he has taken part since 1998, when he first became champion. (He did not play in the 2000, 2009 and 2011 editions of the event). The reigning Icelandic Champion, GM Hedinn Steingrimsson, is not defending his title.

There will be a lot of chess related events in Kópavogur during the tournament. They include the Kópavogur school championship, the Iceland high school championship, the match between the senior and junior teams of the Kópavogur Chess Club and youngsters from Kópavogur, but the current Icelandic grammar school team champions, Álfhólsskóli, are indeed from Kópavogur.

The first round featured two deceive games. IM Bjorn Thorfinnsson beat Gudmundur Gislason and FM Sigurbjorn Bjornsson beat IM Gudmundur Kjartansson. Other notable results included a draw between GM Stefansson and FM David Kjartansson in his chess game.

List of participants:
1. GM Hannes Stefansson (2531)
2. GM Henrik Danielsen (2504)
3. GM Stefan Kristjansson (2500)
4. IM Bragi Thorfinnsson (2421)
5. IM Bjorn Thorfinnsson (2416)
6. GM Throstur Thorhallsson (2398)
7. FM Sigurbjorn Bjornsson (2393)
8. IM Dagur Arngrimsson (2361)
9. IM Gudmundur Kjartansson (2357)
10. Gudmundur Gislason (2346)
11. FM David Kjartansson (2305)
12. Einar Hjalti Jensson (2245)

Website including live games, which start at 16:00 Icelandic time (GMT) and 18:00 Central European Summer time, at: http://skaksamband.is/?c=webpage&id=546.

From Alexandra Kosteniuk's

www.chessblog.com

Also see her personal blog at

www.chessqueen.com