Video clip: Ding Liren

A brief interview with Ding Liren, the reigning champion of China and one of many players from his country participating in the tournament this year. He had to settle for a draw in the first round against a much lower rated opponent, and we think a jetlag might have been the main reason… [vsw id=”n93qykca0nc”…

First Game of the day!

This time around in the Reykjavik Open we will be giving out prizes for the game of the day. Our friends in the “12 Tónar” music store will be giving a CD each day for the best game. We have a small committee which decides on the game of the day. The game of the…

A grueling double round day

Three Icelanders have joined the foreign guns at the top of the table with 2 out of 2 after the first round of the day, they are Throstur Thorhallsson, Hjörvar Steinn Grétarsson and Guðmundur Kjartansson. Today is the dreaded double-round day and many players used the opportunity to take the one bye that is allowed…

Happy birthday Siggi!

We wish Sigurdur Steindorsson a happy birthday. Siggi Palli as we call him in Iceland hasn’t played much chess for a while but decided to enter the Reykjavik Open this year. He was the first to pay the entry fee, the first to draw somebody 600 elo points below him and the first to lose…

Round 1: Inspiration, enthusiasm, passion

The earliest settlers in Iceland probably weren’t planning to visit the country at all. In fact they had never heard of it, it wasn’t a country yet and it certainly wasn’t called Iceland yet! We’re talking about the 9th century, and brave men listening to names such as Naddoddr (a sailor from Norway) and Gardar…