Grand Master Helgi Áss Grétarsson came, saw and conquered at Landsbankinn’s Friðriksmót, the Icelandic rapid chess tournament, held at the Bank’s headquarters at Reykjastræti on 1 December.
The tournament opened with a message from Friðrik Ólafsson who could not make it in person. He sent his best wishes to the participants and thanked Landsbankinn for supporting the tournament for over two decades.
Bergsteinn Einarsson, Managing Director of Risk Management at Landsbankinn, made the ceremonial first move for Jóhann Hjartarson against Haraldur Björnsson. Bergsteinn received applause when he announced that the Bank would continue supporting the tournament.
Helgi Áss Grétarsson played despite being dependent on crutches after a minor procedure and remained stationed at the fixed fourth board. There, he impressively dispatched most of his opponents, conceding only three draws and winning 10 games – an exceptional performance. He finished with 11.5 points, earning him the title of Icelandic Rapid Chess Champion.
International Master Hilmir Freyr Heimisson scored 11 points, a tally that would typically secure victory. Losses to Helgi Áss and Stephan Briem meant he had to settle for second place, despite defeating all other opponents. Stephan Briem, Davíð Kolka, and Birkir Ísak Jóhannsson each scored 9 points, sharing 3rd-5th place. Notably, members of Breiðablik Chess Club captured four of the five main prizes at the tournament! Oliver Aron Jóhannsson and Magnús Pálmi Örnólfsson also scored 9 points but finished with lower tie-break scores.
It was great to see the younger generation performing so well in the tournament.
This time, the number of special prizes was reduced, but their value was increased. Lenka Ptácníková claimed the women's prize - not for the first time. Performance awards (based on results relative to players' ratings) were handed out in two categories, under and over 2000 ratings. Örvar Hólm Brynjarsson won the prize for under 2000 points and Stefán Bergsson received the award for over 2000 points. While both Helgi Áss and Davíð Kolka had better performance scores than Stefán, double awards were not permitted.
There were 77 participants this year. The arbiters for the tournament were Gunnar Björnsson, Ingvar Thór Jóhannesson, and Daði Ómarsson. Daði also managed the live broadcasts. Additionally, Björn Ívar Karlsson, Jóhanna Björg Jóhannsdóttir, and Róbert Lagerman contributed to the preparation and organisation of the event.
The Icelandic Blitz Chess Championship will take place at Bankinn vinnustofa, located in the Landsbankinn building in Selfoss, on 7 December.
