It’s February 27th, the last round of the Reykjavik Open 2013. Here is your guide to what you should be watching for and who!
The total prize package is €15.000 so we can expect some jockeying for position in the last round. This year the rules have been changed so that prizes aren’t distributed evenly for people with the same amount of points. Those with higher Buchols and therefore have been longer near the top throughout the tournament are rewarded. Half the prizes are split evenly but the other half according to final standings (Hort-System).
Eljanov is a lock for a prize, but how much?
For instance if the standings after the 8th round would have been the final one with 6 players tied then Pavel Eljanov would have received €3.342 being at the top the longest but Ding Liren who sneaked up on the leaders after a slow start would have gotten €1.067 (since he had weaker opponents to get to where the others were).
Aside from the top honors in the tournament, there are several prizes for ratings categories and age/gender categories. Lets have a look at who is battling here:
Rating Category 2201-2400
Here the young Norwegian Aryan Tari (U14-2263) is leading with 6 points. He is however black against veteran Polish GM Bartosz Socko (2643). Several other players on 5,5 will look to catch up here with players such as: Wang Jue(2375), Alina L’Ami(2362), Oliver Bewersdorff(2335), Andrew Muir(2313),Cherednichenko(2307) and Mamedyarova(2280) among others.
Cherednichenko
Rating Category 2001-2200
Here Jon Thor Bergthorsson(2125) of Iceland and Frank Drill(2124) of Germany are leading with 5,5. Both play black vs 2400+ IM’s so look also for somebody on 5 points to look to overtake them. Among several players there and playing white are Magnus P. Ornolfsson (2169), Detlef Doell(2044), Johann Ragnarsson (2046), also Gudlaug Thorsteinsdottir(2041) is on 5 points as well as Richard Bjerke who has the best tiebreak among those with 5 points.
Frank Drill, goalkeeper of ROW team (red shirt in middle) with chances for a rating prize
Rating Category under-2000
The under-2000 prize could become a battle between two Icelandic youngsters on 5 points. Hallgerdur Thorsteinsdottir (1960) and Jon Kristinn Thorgeirsson (U14-1766) they get tough opposition. The other player on 5 here is Austrian Kiaras Pretterhofer. Some players on 4,5 with good tiebreaks could also sneak up here like Tinna Kristin Finnbogadottir(1871) and Dagur Ragnarsson(U16-1961). If this was a tipping service our suggetion would be Dagur Ragnarsson here!
Best placed junior
Prizes are given for juniors born 1997 or later. Not surprisingly the brand new GM-elect Wei Yi(2501) is a lock here. Aryan Tari (2263) on 6 could catch him if he slips up and then we’ll find Wang Yiye(2226) on 5,5.
Wei Yi
Women’s prize
Despite her 9th round loss Sopiko Guramishvili(2414) finds herself leading the females with 6 points but is now joined by Tan Zhongyi(2466), Guo Qi (2431) and Huang Qian(2478) but Zhongyi has slightly better tiebreak which can swing either way in the last round.
Sopiko has some chances
Best performance in relation to own rating
This prize is given to the player with best (Rating Performance)-(own rating).
Leading here is the young Nansy Davidsdottir(1479) +384 and on here heels is Tinna Kristin Finnbogadottir(1871) +298
Title norms
We already have several people making IM norms through 9 rounds. Famously already achieving a GM norm is young Wei Yi but these people have made 9 rounds IM norms:
Huang Qian 6 (Rp 2478)
Tan Zhongyi 6 (Rp 2518)
Yaacov Norowitz 6,5 (Rp 2508)
Wang Jue 5,5 (Rp 2468)
Quite an impressive showing so far from the Chinese!
Local IM Hjörvar Steinn Grétarsson could also clinch his 3rd and final GM norm in his hometown but has his work cut out for him as he faces super-GM David Navara. He does have the white pieces though but needs a big W.
