The Arctic Chess Challenge is taking place in Tromsø from August 4 to August 12, 2007. In the first round, Magnus drew a 2034 player. In round 2, he defeated GM DeFirmian. This round, he draws against a 2325 player.
Here are some of the leaders after 3 rounds:
1 GM Bartosz Socko 2660 POL 3,0
2 GM Vugar Gashimov 2655 AZE 3,0
3 GM Alexander Moiseenko 2641 UKR 3,0
4 GM Mikhail Gurevich 2633 TUR 3,0
5 GM Bartlomiej Macieja 2596 POL 3,0
6 GM Michail Brodsky 2595 UKR 3,0
7 GM Simen Agdestein 2582 NOR 3,0
8 GM Kjetil A. Lie 2536 NOR 3,0
9 FM Espen Lie 2404 NOR 3,0
10 GM Vladimir Epishin 2587 RUS 2,5
11 GM Vladimir Burmakin 2581 RUS 2,5
12 GM Heikki M. J. Westerinen 2385 FIN 2,5
13 WIM Katarzyna Toma 2275 POL 2,5
14 Sondre Waage Tofte 2060 NOR 2,5
15 GM Magnus Carlsen 2710 NOR 2,0
16 GM Victor Mikhalevski 2598 ISR 2,0
17 GM Antoaneta Stefanova 2481 BUL 2,0 …
Here is the official website: http://www.arcticchess.org/engindex.htm
Susan, it is really wonderful to see latest news at your blog.
Best wishes & more success
Ryaad, Norway
Holy moly! Magnus needs to get his rear in gear if he wants to win this thing. Two draws, and one with a 2000 player! Magnus must be really dissatified with his result so far, especially after winning Biel ahead of players like Polgar and Radjabov. Still, he’s known for his resilience, so I’m hoping that he’ll bounce back and produce a string of wins.
Magnus seems to play better these days against the strongest players. Look how he defeated Radjabov. He must be burned out right now. He probably needs some rest. He also needs a challenge to get his creative juices flowing. He did poorly at Biel against lower rated people but crushed Radjabov.
Nakamura has had some trouble with the lower rated people recently also. They need to get that adrenelin flowing. No challenge to rise up to. Meanwhile the lower rated guy is in high overdrive with adrenlin pumping like a river in overflow mode.
Magnus probably sits there dreaming of playing Kramnik for the World Championship title.
Magnus is very tired now, as he said in the interview after Biel.
He should rest!! So quickly after Biel starting another tournament! 😮
Carlsen propably just needed a break between tournaments.
I suppose he may be overrated, too. Drawing with 2000-2300 players?! He’ll lose elo for sure, not overrated anymore then. Why always excuses when a GM fails to win a non-GM?
If someone wins a tournament in front of few other guys with 2700+ he’s not overrated for sure. I reckon Magnus is just tired. Perhaps he should withdraw and get some rest…
Magnus is tired! Plain and simple. This kid loves chess and loves winning to the point where he probably has not realized that he needs some rest every once in a while and that he needs not attend every tournament he is invited to.
wait,wait half a dozen rounds to come.
String of victories for young Magnus to come.
Watch .
He is just kicking ass of 2233 player there.
Right now,move is 40 ,he has 55 minutes on his clock (and much better position) while his victim only 15 min on clock and pressed with army of Carlsen’s pawns!
according to his father (http://blog.magnuschess.com/), he was late for his connecting flight to tromso.
just my two pence:
2034 ELO is a very strong amateur level – no one, you can fool around (and believe it or not – i saw this 28. rxf7! sequence to win this game at once – i’m an amateur, too, and I’m LOWER rated as Hagen…)- no need to praise amateur chess, no need to damn GM Carlsen – and last but not least no need to find apologies, or even more ridiculous, excuses!
THAT IS CHESS! HUMAN CHESS, OF COURSE!
sometimes the underdog takes it all …!!!
i’m VERY satisfied with this! and KUDOS to Brede Hagen!
greetings!
Rolfo on chessgames.com wrote:
His family (mother, father, sister)are all in Tromsø (father,sister playing), so I think he chose to play anyway to stay with them..and his comrades from NTG.
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Magnus is that kind of sportsman that lacks motivation when facing “weak” opponents. In this “holiday tourney” he probably plays blitz chess: those who have seen him live in such situations say he only visit the board now and then to make a quick move. In Biel he played a simul and won 20-0. There were some players above 2000 there, one a 2200+. It speaks for itself.