People who play with glass pieces

The eighth Essent Chess Tournament is taking place (October 15 to 23, 2004). The location is again the town hall of Hoogeveen. Just like last year there are several competitions:

• a Crown Group (four players), a strong Essent Open,
• an Amateur Tournament
• an event for young players.

There is analysis in the chess cafe. The games are being shown live on the Internet as well as on the Dutch textview.

A special feature is that the players in the Crown Group play with glass pieces, made in the Glass museum of Hoogeveen. Every year in October Hoogeveen is the centre of a lively glass festival, called GLAS-IN.

Stellwagen,Daniel (2512) - Carlsen,Magnus (2581)
Hoogeveen Essent (1), 17.10.2004
1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 g6 4.0-0 Bg7 5.Re1 Nf6 6.e5 Nd5 7.Nc3 Nc7 8.Bxc6 dxc6 9.Ne4 Ne6 10.d3 0-0 11.Be3 b6 12.Qd2 f5 13.exf6 exf6 14.Bh6 a5 15.Bxg7 Kxg7 16.Ng3 Ra7 17.h4 h5 18.Re4 Re7 19.Rae1 Rfe8 20.Qe3 Kf7 21.Qh6 Rh8 22.Qd2 Rhe8 23.a3 Ng7 24.Qf4 Ne6

Watch the mature and experienced 17-year-old Stellwagen go after his 13-year-old opponent: 25.Ne5+ Kg7 26.Nxh5+ gxh5 27.Qg3+ Kh8 28.Nxc6 Qc7 29.Nxe7 Qxe7 30.Qg6 Bd7 31.Qxh5+ Qh7 32.Qxh7+ Kxh7 33.g4 Kg7 34.f4 Kf7 35.f5 Nd4 36.Rxe8 Bxe8 37.Kf2 Nxc2 38.Re6 b5 39.g5 fxg5 40.hxg5 Bd7 41.g6+ Kg8 42.Re5 Nd4 43.f6 Ne6 44.Rd5 Be8 45.Rd6 Bxg6 46.Rxe6 Bxd3 47.Ke3 Kf7 48.Rb6 Bf1 49.Kf4 b4 50.Ke5 Be2 51.Rb7+ Kf8 52.Ra7 c4 53.Rxa5 1-0.

Daniël concentrates, while young Magnus goes to check out the giant glass pieces

Sokolov,Ivan (2663) - Short,Nigel (2687)
Hoogeveen Essent (1), 17.10.2004
1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 Bb4 4.Qc2 d5 5.cxd5 exd5 6.Bg5 c5 7.dxc5 h6 8.Bh4 Nc6 9.e3 g5 10.Bg3 Ne4 11.a3 Bxc3+ 12.bxc3 Qa5 13.Bd3 Nxg3 14.hxg3 d4 15.exd4 Nxd4 16.Qb2 Bd7 17.Kf1 Ne6 18.Qxb7 Qxc3 19.Rd1 Rd8 20.Ne2 Qxa3 21.c6 Bc8 22.Qb1 Ke7 23.g4 Rd6 24.Rh3 Rhd8 25.Re3

25...Kf8 "At my advanced age I cannot play these positions," Short said after the game. "Leko would certainly have defended it." Fritz too, which is perfectly happy with 25...Kf8, unlike the official site, which gives the line 25...Ba6 26.c7 R8d7 27.Kg1! Rxc7 (27...Rxd3 28.Rexd3 Rxd3 29.Qxd3 Bxd3 30.c8Q) 28.Bxa6 Rxd1+ 29.Qxd1 Qxa6 30.Nd4.

Ivan Sokolov vs Nigel Short

26.Kg1 Rxc6 27.Bb5 Rxd1+ 28.Qxd1 Rd6 29.Qb1 Qa5 30.Ng3 Rb6 31.Qb2 Kg8 32.Qc2 Bb7 33.Bc4

Nigel was doing okay, but in time trouble he went astray: 33...Qc5 (33...Qb4 was better) 34.Nf5 Bd5 35.Nxh6+. It's all downhill for Black now. 35...Kf8 36.Qh7 Rb1+ 37.Qxb1 Qxc4 38.Qb8+ 1-0.

• Click here to replay and download the games
• Live coverage on the Essent site
• Round-by-round reports with games

  
  Getting too old for glass pieces? Nigel Short

Just how tired can a boy get, Daniël?

No cables required! The latest in game display technology

Alexandra Wilson against GM Dennis de Vreugt. "Angelic Allie" lost.

That's right, lock them up in a tent, them smokers ("rook" is smoke in Dutch)

You'll never guess what the winner gets!

The Town Hall in Hoogeveen, where the tournament is being held

• Here are video impressions by Jeroen van den Belt (who also supplied the pictures)