Yesterday was the busiest day of the Chessfestival, with the Grand Prix Youth Tournament being played in an ajourning hall. Over 50 kids had a great day, both behind and off the boards! Please browse the Photographs to relive their fun, tension, excitement and ambition at the chessboard.
News
Nijboer strikes again
What we already feared in the preview tends to become reality: Eelke is having a hard time against Friso Nijboer. This match tends to remind some of us to the match Fischer – Larsen and Fischer Taimanov, both ending in 6-0, although we shouldn’t underestimate the promising talent of Eelke. Also we have to say the match is only halfway, so it wont be like bagle in tennis.
The first moves (photo: Harry Gielen)
There was no Caro-Kann this time. Nijboer played his main weapon 1.e4, De Boer reacted with his beloved Najdorf. Nijboers preparation included the quiet 6.Be2 and a few moves later 9.Qd3. It worked: after 17 moves white achieved a pleasant position. Nijboer was playing with the bishop pair with the plan of moving the white squared bishop to g2 to strike e4. Eelke quickly was walking on eggshells to keep the game balanced.
Eelke understood well the bishop has to come to d4 and the queen to e5. Nijboer found himself in a smoke of thoughts when the following position occurred:
How are things after 22.Lf4 Dh5 23.Ld6 e3? And what is 22.Lxd4 cxd4 23.f4 d3 24.Dxd3 Dxb2? Clever play by Eelke, give the opponent as much as possible to think about.
All this thinking from Nijboer did bear fruit. After 22.Lxd4 cxd4, white blew the center open with 23.Lxe4! And after Pxe4 24.f3! White wins back his piece with a better position. 24… f5 25.Dd3! Just an essential intermediate move 25… b5 26.b3 bxc4 27.bxc4 Db8 28.fxe4 Tfe8 29.c5 Txe4 30.Txe4 Txe4 31.d6!
Black managed to avoid the loss of a pawn, but the white passed pawns are now decisive. A few moves later, Black surrendered.
Nijboer surprises De Boer and draws first blood
The university challenge is an important Chess Festival tradition in which an experienced Grandmaster faces a younger, promising challenger. This year GM Friso Nijboer faces Eelke de Boer, which is an exciting matchup. Both prefer interesting and sharp positions over the overcooked traditional positions. At first glance, Friso Nijboer would be the overwhelming favourite and a small defeat would be a good result for the talented FM from Groningen.

Nijboer, after a lifetime of Sicilians and Pircs against 1. e4 suprised everyone by answering with 1… c6, the Caro Kann. He’d never played it before today, so any preparation by the FM could be tossed away and he’d have to rely on his own knowledge of the Caro Kann. However, De Boer made an inaccuracy by playing 13. c4 after which 13… b5 is a promising pawn sacrifice which gives ample compensation. Should white accept, black receives the open B and C-files, as well as the nice d5 square for the knight.

Black stood better after the opening 20 moves, and white is lacking any realistic counterplay.

After white missed an opportunity to get an advantage after the blunder 23… Rh4 with 24. Nf5!, we rejoin the game after the inaccurate 29… Rxh5?! which gave white an interesting move to, once again, get back into the game.

White found the correct 30. Ng5!, threatening mate after 30… Qxe1?? 31. Qxf7+ . In stead, black gave up the exchange and the game would have probably been dynamically equal after 30… Qf6 31. Qxh5 hxg5 32. Rh1. White disappointingly blundered with 32. f3, giving up the initiative and black played energetically to bring home the point with 32. f3? Qf5+ 33. Ka1 Qd3 34. Qxg5 but there was no longer a decent defense. 34… Qxa3+ Kb1 35. Qd3+ 36. Ka1 Bf6 37. Qg4 Nc3!

And the game was over after 38. bxc3 Qxc3+ 39. Ka2 Qc2+ 40. Ka3 Be7+
Nijboer was satisfied with the result:’Although it doesn’t say much about the upcoming games, the moment I surprised De Boer forced him to think for a significant amount of time.’ A succesful opening choice then? ‘My repertoire is not up to scratch, at least not so much that I can continue playing the same lines over and over again. I’d assumed him to be well-prepared, so I thought to jump the gun.’
In summary, a great opening choice by Nijboer, followed by decent positional chess with the occasional slip up by black.
Threefold repetition of the same position?
A remarkable moment in the first round. Black to move and from the diagram position the following moves were played: …Rd6 34. Re7+ Re6 35. Ra7 Rd6 36. Re7+ Re6 37. Red7 Kf6 38. Ra7 …
Here black claimed the draw on account of the threefold repetition of the position after Ke5.
And indeed, the position is exactly the same for the third time. Unfortunately for black, the difference is it is now white to move. So, no draw, two minutes added on the clock for white, and the game continues.
Erwin Denissen (aspiring International Arbiter)
After Chess – the full program with blitz tournaments and much more
Chess Festival Groningen is much more than what’s going on in the playing venue. Almost every night there’s a blitz- or variant chess tournament in the bar Proeflokaal Hooghoudt on Gedempte Zuiderdiep 61 in the inner city of Groningen. And there’s even a guided tour through the beautiful, old city center. Down here you’ll find the complete list and you can also check out the category side events on this website.
Ultimate Moves, Saturday 21 December 08:30 PM
The informal opening of the Chess Festival. In two games of 5 minutes with 10 seconds increment, two teams will battle it out. Every 5 moves a new player takes over, trash talk is being appreciated.
After this match a small, informal bullet tournament (two minutes per person per game ) takes place. And yes, you may capture the king! Participation free. Subscribe for Ultimate Moves and/or Bullet with Maarten Roorda (00316-28979404)) or with the bar personnel. Prizes in liquid form. Maximum of twenty participants.
Dutch Bughouse, Sunday 22 December 08:30 PM
Chess no team sport? But indeed it is! Because now it’s time for Dutch Bughouse!
Just a little bit different than regular or international bughouse, it’s easy to learn and play if you are familiar with the normal bughouse.
7 minutes per game, teams of two. The ten times Dutch champion Erik Jan Hummel also joins.
Teams can subscribe till 08:00 PM with Maarten Roorda (00316-28979404). Prizes in liquid form. Maximum of twenty participants.
SISSA Kerstblitz, Monday 23 December 09:00 PM
SISSA Kerstblitz, the most bloody, tough, straightforward blitz chess tournament you will find, organized by student chess club SISSA.
Poule phase with groups of four and finals in groups of ten. Subscribe with https://bit.ly/35AGLDT of till 08:30 PM in the bar. Maximum of 30 participants. Full = Full.
Money prizes! Entree fee 5 euro, GM/IM’s gratis. Prize giving around 01:00 AM. No excuses, you won’t be brought home.
Chess against the Bear, Tuesday 24 December from 09:00 PM
Can you beat that strong, big bear with those mighty claws? Well, try it against grandmaster Sipke Ernst. He’s also available for arm wrestling.
Subscribe is not necessary. Just come by. If you do you beat the bear, you will get a drink or a bottle for free.
Wednesday 25 December (First Christmas Day ) the bar is closed.
Hands & Brains, Thursday 26 December 08:30 PM
Great minds think alike. Or two thoughts, one move. Anyway, it’s time for Hands & Brains! In teams of two one names the piece, the other makes the move. 7 minutes per team per game.
Teams can subscribe till 08:00 PM with Maarten Roorda (00316-28979404). Prizes in liquid form. Maximum of 30 participants.
Fischer Random, Friday 27 December 08:30 PM
Forget about opening theory, it’s time for Fischer Random (Chess 960)! Last year grandmaster Vojta Plat became first, winning 75 euro. Are you his successor?
Swiss tournament, 7 minutes per game, 8 rounds. First price 75 euro, second price 50 euro and third price 25 euro.
Subscribe by app or SMS till 08:00 PM with Maarten Roorda (00316-28979404). Maximum of 32 participants.
Pub quiz, Saturday 28 December 08:00 PM
Who said: ‘A question that sometimes drives me hazy — am I or are the others crazy?’ En what’s the capital of Kalmukkie?
Ben van Os of chess club Assen comes with his famous pub quiz. In Dutch(!), so make sure at least one team member is a local. Teams with a maximum five. With some chess-related questions.
Subscribe at the bar till 08:00 PM. Some money and liquid prizes.
Atom Chess, Sunday 29 December, 08:30 AM
Ever wanted to rant and rave as a Dr. Strangelove at the chessboard? Go for it!
Maarten explains the rules of this explosive variant before the tournament. Subscribe till 08:00 ‘o clock with Maarten Roorda (00316-28979404) or at the bar. Liquid prizes. Maximum 30 participants.
Guided Tour through the city center, Monday 23 December and Friday 27 December at 10:30 AM
Also, check out the guided tour through Groningen to learn to know this beautiful city. On the 23th and 27th of December, the Chess Festival organizes a free tour through the city center with experienced guide Mirjam de Boer. We start at 10:30 AM at ‘Peerd van Ome Loeks at the Central station.
The city center (Foto: Deon Prins)
Lucas van Foreest among participants, and the fight for the Ladies Prize.
With the addition of current Dutch Champion Lucas van Foreest there will now be no fewer than 11 Grand Masters fighting for first place in Groningen. Lucas will surely find stiff competition in the young Armenian Grand Master Shant Sargsyan and the experienced Sergey Tiviakov and Michal Krasenkow.
With Woman Grand Master Mary Ann Gomes, four other titled woman and the local Heroine Machteld van Foreest among the participants, the Chess Festival can also be asured of a good fight for the €400 Ladies Prize.
Of course the nicest tournament of the Netherlands has an extensive side program, with for example; SISSA Christmas Blitz, Student Christmas Chess, a Youth Tournament and the Open Fischer Random Championship of the Northern Netherlands.
