Title norms

WGM Pallathur Nandhidhaa of India and Eivind Grunt Kreken of Norway both made IM-norms in Fagernes Chess International 2024.

Nandhidhaa  and Kreken
(Photos: Tom Eriksen)

Final standings

GM Rinat Jumabayev of Kazakhstan and GM Abhimanyu Puranik of India both made 7 points in 9 rounds in the GM-group. Jumabayev had the best tie-break and gets first place.

GM Ido Gorshtein of Israel is number three followed by GM Krishnan Sasikiran (IND), IM Isik Can (TUR), IM Linus Johansson (SWE) and IM Mai Narva (EST). These five all had 6.5 points. Narva in addition was the best female player. 

Puranik and Jumabayev with organizer Hans Olav Lahlum
(Photo: Tom Eriksen)

The Open group was won by Amund Pihl Strand on 8 points, ahead of Andreas Skrede Hausken with 7.5 and Sigurd Kittilsen med 6.5 points. These three are all from Norway.

Best foreginer was Reddy Sushrutha of India with 6 points in fourth place. Also on 6 points were Norwegians August Minh Brattgjerd, Benjamin Halvorsen and Christine Nordahl.

Hausken, Strand and Kittilsen 
(Photo: Anniken Vestby)

Fagernes Blitz II

Fagernes Blitz II was played Saturday 30 March 2024 with 38 participants.

FM Ritvik Krishnan of India tok clear first place with 8.5 points from 9 games. His countryman GM Prraneth Vuppala was second with 7 point, the same score as  Swedish IM Ludvig Carlsson in third place. Another Swede, IM Edvin Trost, was number four as the only player with 6.5 points.

Top-3 in Fagernes Blitz II: 
Carlsson, Krishnan and Vuppala
(Photo: Tom Eriksen)

Possible title norms

List of title norm candidates before round 9:

 

IM Isik Can (TUR) :	Needs a win as black against GM Ido Gorshtein for a GM-norm.
Eivind Grunt Kreken (NOR) :	Needs a draw as white against IM Ameya Audi for an IM-norm.
FM Saad Abobaker Elmi (NOR):	Needs a win as black against Sergey Eliseev for an IM-norm.
WGM Pallathur Nandhidhaa (IND):	Needs a win as black against GM Tiger Hillarp for an IM-norm.
WFM Shivika Rohilla (IND) :	Needs a win as black against FM Ward Al-Tarboush for a WIM-norm.

Fagernes Slow Blitz

Fagernes Slow Blitz was played Friday 29 March 2024 with 53 participants.

The A-group was won by Indian GM Prraneth Vuppala, who made 6 points after only conceding two draws in seven games. 

Second and third place went to Norwegians FM Gunnar Lund and IM Aksel Bu Kvaløy respectively, both with 5.5 points. 

Top-3 in the A-group:
Kvaløy, Vuppala and Lund
(Photo: Tom Eriksen)

The B-group had a female winner, in Norwegian junior Oda Skramstad. She lost her first game, but then won all her remaining 6 games. 

Indian Reddy Sushrutha was number two and Norwegian Kazim Yilmaz number three, both with 5 points. Amund Pihl Strand also had 5 points, but lost out on tiebreak.

Top-3 in the B-group:
Yilmaz, Skramstad and Sushrutha
(Photo: Tom Eriksen)

Teamtalkingchess

The social Teamtalkingchess tournament was played Thursday 28 March 2024.
There were 12 teams taking part, some of them very strong.

Winners were the Norwegian team Stavanger, featuring IM Aksel Bu Kvaløy, FM Håvard Haug, FM Shazil Shehzad and Martin Holten Fiskaaen. They won all their four matches, beating both their closest competitors 2.5-1.5

In second place we find the Indian team The R Gang with GM Prraneeth Vuppala, IM Sidhant Mohapatra, IM Dushyant Sharma and IM Moksh Doshi.

Third place went to Norwegian-Swedish 46,95 sjokoladeplater, consisting of IM Ludvig Carlsson, IM Semen Mitusov, FM Mathias Unneland and Eivind G. Kreken.

The winners Stavanger:
Kvaløy, Haug, Shehzad and Fiskaaen
(Photo: Tom Eriksen)

We are ready!

The playing venue
(Photo: Tom Eriksen)

Fagernes Chess International starts today with 146 participants.

Highest rated is GM Abhimanyu Puranik (IND 2618) ahead of GM Rinat Jumbayev (KAZ 2598), GM Krishnan Sasikiran (IND 2578) and GM Surya Sekhar Ganguly (IND 2574).

The main Norwegian hope is IM Elham Amar (2567), ranked as number 5. Amar won several strong international opens last year, and is waiting for FIDE to confirm his GM-title.

The first round will start at 17.30 CET. Pairings and results may be found here.
The live games will have a 15-minute delay.