German Open Report

[Ingo_Zachos]

After many players had withdrawn from their announced attendence, this year’s German Open only saw a very low turnout of 6 players, all from Germany.

Especially foreign players withdrew, but also a few German players withdrew just days before the event.
Another factor that told were the draughts 100 cadets (under 16) World Championships, that were held at the same time in Korbach as the German Open were held in Korbach, too.
Actually, that was a chance to meet many players from Mongolia, Azerbaidjan or Estonia.
Anti Ingel from Estonia entertained everybody in breaks with his training sessions for the speedcubing WC that he plans to attend.
He solves a magic cube in almost 10 seoconds, and in 20 sec. with one hand.

As many players from Korbach were either playing (especially the 2nd of last years first German 3-move championship, Maximilian Frese, that scored the best German result at the cadets Wcin draughts 100 as well.

With only six players, we decided to play a double round robin on two days, with one round robin on Friday and another on Saturday.
Right in the first round I was paired with title holder and favorite IM Igor Martynov, and in the following hard fought game I secured a win:

1. Martynov,I - Zachos,I
DM 2009 (1), 14.8.2009

1.10-15 A surprise to me. The Kelso is a rare guest in GAYP. 21-17 2.09-13 This was a pleasant choice to me.
[ Favored in the old 2-move area and certainly best is 2.11-16 ]
2...17-14 3.11-16 The inclusion of 9-13 and 17-14 certaily favors White, so I was alreday feeling quite well here. 24-19 4.15:24 28:19 5.06-09 22-18 6.16-20 25-21 7.08-11 29-25 8.11-16
[ Here the surprising shot 8.12-16?! 19:12 9.03-08 12:03 10.02-06 03:10 11.06:29 does yield relief, as after 14-10-+ White has a strategical win. Note how strong the Pyramid looks. ]
8...25-22 9.04-08 32-28 Looks strange at first, but after calculating a few lines, I thought that 32-28 was necessay anyway.
[ And indeed 9...19-15 10.16-19 23:16 11.12:19 32-28 more or less transposes to the text. ]
10.01-06?! Looks natural, but might be a fatal mistake.
[ The ugly 10.02-06 is a strong defense and might survive by one hair: 22-17 11.13:22 26:17 12.07-11 ( Not 12.09-13 14-09! and White wins. ) 12...19-15 13.09-13 14-09 14.13:22 09:02 15.22-26 31:22 16.01-06 02:09 17.05:14 18:09 18.11:25 21-17 19.08-11! ( But not 19.25-29 28-24 20.16-19 24:15 21.12-16 17-14 should win for White. ) 19...30:21 20.11-15 17-14 21.15-19 and Black has escaped. ]
10...19-15 11.16-19 23:16 12.12:19 30-25!? This surprised Igor as he later confessed.It is based on long calculations and the idea, that once I win the square 23 I can win on the opponents double corner side, if I can get into the formation with pieces on 21,17, and a man on 23 that can't be excanged. So I was looking for a line to match that idea and the next moves are all made to carry that plan through. But maybe the plan does not win, as Black has surprisingly rich tactical rescources after I won the piece, which to my disappointment, I have not seen in advance...
[ But maybe there is an even stronger line available: 12...27-23! 13.20-24 ( 13.08-12 23:16 14.12:19 31-27 15.03-08 27-23 16.08-12 23:16 17.12:19 26-23 18.19:26 30:23 and Black has no move left. ) 13...23:16 14.24-27 31:24 15.13-17 22:13 16.07-10 14:07 17.02:27 21-17 and Black is lost.I did not look for that line in the game, as I was confident that my idea would win.But this might be a wrong judgement. ]
13.08-12 21-17 14.03-08 25-21 All according to my plan. 15.07-11 27-23 Now it is time to fight for square 23, as outlined above. 16.02-07 23:16 17.12:19 31-27 18.11-16 27-23 19.06-10?! This is the definate mistake that ends the game.
[ He could throw the piece in another way: 19.08-11 15:08 20.07-11! (the idea is to destroy the white pawn structure at all costs) 14-10! 21.06:15 08-03 22.20-24 03-07 23.24-27 07-10 24.27-31 28-24 25.19:28 10:12 I had calculated as deep as to this position when I played my 12th move and thought that it would be a win, but I might have been terribly over-optimistic: 26.31-27! 23-19 27.11-15! ( 27.27-23 12-08 28.23:16 08:15 29.28-32 17-14 30.16-20 15-11 31.32-27 26-23 might still win for White, but is very complicated. ) 27...18:11 28.27-23 11-08 29.23:30 08-04 30.28-32 ( Not 30.30-25? 17-14 31.25:18 19-15 32.18:11 12-08 33.09:18 08:22 and White wins. ) 30...19-16 31.30-25 17-14 32.25:18 14-10 33.09-14 16-11 and altough White is still better and he might have improvements, but Black has drawing chances. ]
19...15:06 20.07-11 14-10 21.20-24 10-07 And Black, still in time-trouble, a pawn down and in bad position finally overstepped the time. 0-1


After that round I managed to win all other games on that day, too, but especially young Samuel Ziegler and Thomas Juergens, who placed 3rd in last year’s 3-move championships made up very though fights. Juergens also was very close to a draw against Igor, but at last Igor prevailed with a fine endgame victory.
As Martynov also missed a win against newcomer Lothar Schmolz and then was lucky to escape to a draw in that game, I was ahead with 10 out of ten possible, Martynov 2nd with 7 points, Juergens 3rd with 6, Schmolz had 5, Philipp Jaslar, who defeated Samuel Ziegler in their encounter had 2 points, and Samuel was on zero points, but had dropped a few very good chances.
Both Philipp and Samuel are still quite young, and their quick play may explain why we were still able to score aginst them, though their combinative skills were apparent.

In day two I had the pleasant opportunity to play for a draw againt Martynov in our encounter in the 1st round of day two, and though Igor tried hard, he could not gain any chance for a full point and I was a big step ahead in my attempt to win the title:

1. Zachos,I - Martynov,I
DM 2009 (6), 15.8.2009

1.11-15 22-17 2.08-11 25-22 3.09-13 Now into a regular Switcher. I was confident that I could get the draw I need to secure a 3 point lead in the tournament now. 30-25 A good sideline to avoid the well-known lines of published play, but rather well-known as well.
[ The main line runs 3...17-14 4.10:17 21:14 , and White has a sound draw, though Black is better all the way. ]
4.04-08 24-19 5.15:24 28:19 6.11-15 17-14 7.15:24 27:20 8.10:17 21:14 9.13-17! A psycological blow to my opponet, as I am striving for simplifications and an easy draw, which is now hard to avoid.
[ 9.08-11 may be better, but keeps the game complicated, which was not my aim. ]
9...22:13 10.06-09 13:06 11.02:27 31:24 White is still not better, and Black can sail easily into the save draw harbour.
[ I remember that when I played 13-17 I calculated the nice line 11...32:23 12.08-11 23-18!? ( better might be 12...25-22 13.07-10 29-25 , though after 14.12-16! I can attack the double corner and my opponent has no clear attacking plan at hand. ) 13.11-16!! 20:02 14.01-06 02:09 15.05:30 25-21 16.12-16 , and now 29-25 is necessary, as 21-17 runs into 1st position. I was and am not quite sure if White has a draw here, but Black can draw with ease, which is all I wanted. ]
12.08-11 25-22 13.07-10 29-25 14.11-15 26-23 15.01-06! Aiming for further simplifications with 15-19 etc. 23-19 16.06-09 25-21
[ Note that 16...20-16 is impossible: 17.10-14 19:10 18.12:28 ]
17.09-13 32-28 18.05-09 Without the following tactical resource White would even lose the game. 22-18 19.15:22 I offered a draw, but hoping for a blunder, my opponent declined it, but the positon remains drawn all the way. 19-16 20.12:19 24:06 21.22-26 06-01 22.26-31 01-05 23.09-14 05-09 24.14-18 09-14 25.18-23 14-18 26.23-26 28-24 27.26-30 18-23 28.31-26 24-19 29.03-08 I might even do without that move.
[ 29.26-22 20-16 30.03-08 16-12 31.08-11 12-08 32.13-17 21:14 33.22-18 08-04 34.18:27 04-08 35.27-23 08:15 36.23:16 draw. ]
29...23-18 30.30-25 19-15 31.26-22 18-23 32.25-30 15-10 33.22-26 23-18 34.26-31 10-06
[ Many programs now claim that White has an edge after 34...20-16 , but 35.08-12 16-11 36.12-16 10-06 37.16-19 18-15 38.19-24 06-02 39.24-28 in reality is a safe draw, especially as I had more time left on the clock. ]
35.30-26 18-15 36.08-12 06-01 37.26-23 01-06 38.31-26 06-10 39.26-22 10-14 40.22-17 14-09
[ 40...15-18 41.17:10 18:27 42.10-14 also leads to a safe draw. ]
41.17-22 09-14 And with 6 seconds remining on his clock, my opponent offered a draw which I accepted.
[ 41...21-17 42.22-26 17-14 43.26-22 09-05 44.13-17 is another way to smoke the pipe of peace. ]
½-½

That 6th round also proved to be a turning point for two other players:
Lothar Schmolz managed to win against Thomas Juergens, who has a terrible 3rd day, and Samuel Ziegler took his revanche and defeated Philipp to catch him on points on their race for the youth title.
With that win, Lothar sailed to a 3rd place finsish, though he was lucky to win against Philipp Jaslar, at a point being two pieces down after missing a nice shot by Philipp.
Lothar fought back and he regained one pawn in a forced sequence, but Philipp did not simplify to a won ending, but strived for further complications and missed a shot that won the piece back for Lothar, and then Philipp even managed to lose a drawn ending by crowning too early.
Another surprise came, when Samuel caught Thomas Juergens in a trap and secured a drawn ending two kings against two kings, which he drew with ease, securing the point he needed to become German youth Champion 2009.

As Igor also won the 2nd games aginst Thomas Juergens and Lothar Schmolz after hard fought games.
The final result was:

1. Ingo Zachos 19/20,
2. Igor Martynov 16/20,
3. Lothar Schmolz 11/20,
4. Thomas Juergens 9/20,
5. Samual Ziegler 3/20,
6. Philipp Jaslar 2/20,

I won the tournament without even being in a critical position, and Igor fought his way to 2nd place, and this was the first event in Germany he did not win since his come back last year.
Lothar Schmolz made his debut, had troubles with the handling of the clocks, but showed much improvement on day two, and he drew a fine game with Igor Martynov.
Thomas Juergens was unlucky to lose most of the hard fought battles in the event, and I am sure with a little bit of luck and improved endgame technique, he will be a very good player.
Samuel Ziegler and Philipp Jaslar both played quick and showed talent for spotting shots, but also they committed the biggest blunders and both could have scored much more points with careful play, but thr future is bright for them.

The next German Chamionships will be held in Korbach on the weekend of May 22nd /23rd 2010.


Greetinx from hot and sunny Dortund,

Ingo Zachos

[Ingo_Zachos]

In 2006 at the GO we even visited the Bad Cannstätter Vasen in Stuttgart which is an even bigger beer festival.
But the beer there is expensive, and it is hard to concentrate with all that noise.
You may ask Liam. He won that year and Tomas Novotny got sky-rocketed with the former German Lady Champion.

Greetinx,

Ingo

[JR Smith]

Ingo wrote,

The next German Chamionships will be held in Korbach on the weekend of May 22nd /23rd 2009.

Did you mean May 22nd /23rd 2010?

[MostFamousDane]

Hi Ingo

Congratulations on winning the German Open!

Wait a couple of years and you might think back nostalgically on this year as the year with many players

[Ingo_Zachos]

Ingo wrote,

The next German Chamionships will be held in Korbach on the weekend of May 22nd /23rd 2009.

Did you mean May 22nd /23rd 2010?

Pardon me, I made a mistake.
Of course it is 2010.
Also Martynov scored 16 points and not 17. I corrected that.

Greetinx from hot Germany,

Ingo Zachos

[Ingo_Zachos]

Hi Ingo

Congratulations on winning the German Open!

Wait a couple of years and you might think back nostalgically on this year as the year with many players

Thx Sune, but wait, in 2010 we'll double the number of this year both in Danemark and in Germany.
As the Beatles wisely sang: I have to admit it's getting better (it couldn't get much worse)!

Then I will only accept registrations in advance if they pay the full starting fee in advance, so that they lose something if they don't show up.
Also it will be in 3-move then, but maybe I will use the Italian system for balloting:
One opening each round, and one game each round, but not all 156 openings are on the ballot, but only those that allow good prospects for both sides.

Greetinx from hot Dortmund,

Ingo Zachos

[Alex_Moiseyev]

but not all 156 openings are on the ballot, but only those that allow good prospects for both sides.

Ingo, I find this concept quite interesting. Can you give me more detail definition and your vision of this ? We have a tough 3-move deck in ACF, but this is collection of uneven, critical ballots which generates certain chances for one side only. So - playing two games is important, crucial and cannot be omitted.

If I understand you correctly, Germany Fair Deck will include the following ballots: 156 openings - ACF Tough Deck openings (80) = 76. Correct ? If you agree, you can use ACF tough deck information as input. Here is a link to ACF Tough deck

http://usacheckers.com/forum/viewtopic. ... a&start=45


Actually, there are few openings in ACF tough deck, which are about even but allow a good scope for both sides For instance: 12-16 21-17 9-14 (potential Minotaur) ... and few more.

Regards,

Alex

[MostFamousDane]

Then I will only accept registrations in advance if they pay the full starting fee in advance, so that they lose something if they don't show up.
Ingo Zachos

I tried that one year and I ended up with subscriptions to different uk magazines until 2099

[kiwinurse]

Congratulations Ingo on your great win,Jan

[JR Smith]

Ingo Zachos submitted some nice pictures from 2009 German Open.

http://www.nccheckers.org/NCCA/2009%20G ... Photos.htm