Video clip: Ivan Cheparinov
Here’s a brief interview with GM Ivan Cheparinov of Bulgaria, who returned to Reykjavik after playing the open last year: [vsw id=”M9JFyibPpog” source=”youtube” width=”560″ height=”315″ autoplay=”no”]
DetailsA 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…
DetailsHappy 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…
DetailsRound 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…
DetailsA quick video roundup of round 1
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RDwbGKEFIn8
Lots of upsets
Some upsets in round 1. We already had a 1900 player beating a 2478 but there was also an upset when the Icelandic Ingibjörg Edda Birgisdóttir (1783) beat the Dutch IM David Miedema. Some draws as well. Tinna Kristín Finnbogadóttir, another Icelandic female player drew against German IM Martin Zumzande(2419). Sigurður Páll Steindórsson (2235) allowed…
DetailsFirst huge upset!
Soren Jensen rated 1909 beat IM Frode Urkedal 2473 in only 21 moves using the Muzio in the King’s Gambit!!! Now that’s kicking it oldschool!
Meeting old friends
Reykjavik Open has in some ways “loyal customers”. Many players come here over and over and I’ve been shaking many hands today during the 1st round. One of them was Ivan Sokolov to whom I said “ahhh Ivan….another thousand years!!” to which he replied….”amazing…seems everybody has seen this” By “this” he of course means by…
DetailsRound 1 underway
We have started round 1 here in Reykjavik. 228 participants although one player is yet to show up. Final number of participants will be clear later. We had a small problem with the homepage but the server should be fine now and you can find links to live games and link to a stream from…
DetailsYoungest participant ever
This is Oskar Vikingur, he is only 7 years old and among the youngest if not the youngest participant ever in the history of Reykjavik Open! He is ready….we are about an hour away from the 1st round!!
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