The Eksjö Tournament

Eksjö Chess Club also succeeded in achieving its objective in its second International Tournament, namely to secure an IM norm for a Swedish player. This time it was the Gothenburg master Ove Kinnmark who was the fortunate one. He reached the required 5½ points through wins over the Swedes Åkvist, Ivarsson and Lundin, a loss to Böhm, and draws in the remaining games. Ove now has three years in which to repeat the result twice. Then the IM title will be his.

Besides Kinnmark, Hans Ek and Håkan Åkvist also held valid IM norms following their victory in last year's Eksjö tournament.

Round 1

Ove Kinnmark completely fooled Håkan Åkvist. Åkvist opened with the French Defence and confidently expected 3. Nd2, which Ove usually plays. Perhaps Ove had prepared something new beforehand precisely because the French specialist Hans Ek was taking part in the tournament. Or perhaps he simply sensed danger. Ove has poor statistics against Håkan. Since Åkvist is by no means an opening theoretician, he was more or less knocked out by Ove's 3. Nc3 and was subsequently outplayed. In that position Åkvist consoled himself with the fact that he had lost the first round in the tournament the year before as well.

The short but intense IM encounter Grabczevski–Lehmann was played. Despite few moves, time passed quickly.

Bilek offered a draw in Hans Böhm's time trouble. The Dutchman coldly refused and later stood better in the adjourned position. The game would have gone to a second adjournment but Böhm was again in time trouble. He tried to squeeze out the move sequence with repeated moves. In time trouble he did that once too often and Bilek claimed a draw. Böhm's first grandmaster norm would have to wait.

Round 2

The most entertaining game of the round was Grabczevski–Rantanen (see the games section). Yrjö Rantanen had been summoned at short notice after Norway's Terje Wibe declined at the last moment. Yrjö finished the final round of the Helsinki championship, where he had 7½ points out of 8, and set off on a well-planned last-minute dash to Eksjö. Fifteen minutes before the first round he arrived out of breath. To begin an international tournament with two wins under such circumstances is quite an achievement.

Round 3

Böhm declined a draw in a clearly drawn position against the Pole. This was largely a protest against the improper way of offering a draw. If one behaves correctly, one offers a draw at the same time as making a move. Both Bilek and Grabczevski made their draw offers while Böhm was thinking, an unsporting practice. Perhaps it was connected with their full right to offer one draw per game. Böhm then overstepped the time limit.

Ek lost the thread in time trouble and thus lost his Småland derby against Åkvist. As things turned out, these were the only two losses for Ek in the tournament (Lundin in round 1). On paper it looks careless to lose to the tournament's two bottom players. With one point from those two games, Ek would have secured his second IM norm. The tournament was, however, so even that anyone could beat anyone. Ek had the misfortune to meet “Ludde” and Håkan early on when they were still alert. “Ludde” finished with four losses and a quick draw. Håkan “sprinted” with five losses.

Standings: Rantanen 2½, Bilek, Grabczevski, Kinnmark, Lundin 2, Böhm, Åkvist 1½, Ek, Lehmann ½, Ivarsson 0.

Round 4

At last Johnny Ivarsson appeared in the results list by defeating International Master Romuald Grabczevski. Apart from Ek and Åkvist, Johnny was the only player who took part in both Eksjö tournaments. This year's tournament was one category stronger. Despite this Johnny scored 3 points compared with last year's 2½. Only one draw in the two tournaments speaks clearly of Johnny's fighting spirit.

Standings: Rantanen 3, Bilek, Böhm, Lundin 2½, Grabczevski, Kinnmark, Åkvist 2, Lehmann 1½, Ek, Ivarsson 1.

Round 5

Now things began to go badly for Lundin and Åkvist. Lundin played the tournament's longest game against Böhm. The game was not finished until after the eighth round.

After taking the lead in the tournament table, Åkvist decided to go for a win against Dr. Lehmann. It proved to be a bad move.

Ek pressed hard against Rantanen but failed to decide the game. Rantanen stood worse in many games but managed to keep them together with tactical resources.

Standings: Böhm, Rantanen 3½, Bilek, Kinnmark 3, Grabczevski, Lehmann, Lundin 2½, Åkvist 2, Ek 1½, Ivarsson 1.

Round 6

The evenness of the tournament could not have been more clearly demonstrated than after six rounds, when Åkvist forgot to tie up the sack against Rantanen. A faulty springer move changed victory into defeat. Åkvist's chances of reaching the required 5½ points were thereby almost wiped out. The field became completely compressed. If Åkvist had won, the difference between first and last place would have been only 1½ points.

Ek won a long queen ending against Böhm. Ivarsson crushed Lundin. “Ludde” could not quite settle into the role. Ivarsson thus had two wins and two draws against our international masters.

Standings: Rantanen 4½, Böhm, Bilek, Kinnmark 3½, Grabczevski, Lehmann 3, Ek, Lundin 2½, Ivarsson, Åkvist 2.

Round 7

Sweden's greatest hope at this point, Ove Kinnmark, played a draw with István Bilek. After the first three rounds' “real” games Bilek had eased off. He kept afloat with quick draws in 15, 12, 13 and now 14 moves.

Standings: Rantanen 5, Böhm 4½, Bilek, Grabczevski, Kinnmark 4, Ek, Lehmann 3½, Lundin 2½, Ivarsson, Åkvist 2.

Round 8

This time Böhm offered an early draw. But Lehmann declined. Lehmann remained in the field with his six draws. Yet his play was far from peaceful. Sharp variations and complicated play were his hallmark throughout the tournament.

Ek's chances of reaching 5½ points disappeared when, despite several attempts, he could not beat “Grabben”. But Kinnmark's chances improved instead through his win over Lundin.

Bilek sharpened up and defeated Rantanen. Just as in last year's tournament, the tension was thus preserved.

Standings: Böhm, Bilek, Kinnmark, Rantanen 5, Grabczevski 4½, Ek, Lehmann 4, Ivarsson 3, Lundin 2½, Åkvist 2.

Round 9

As in the previous year, the IM norm was to be decided at the very last moment. The final round was fairly uneventful, with only one fighting game. It was the local player and defending champion Håkan Åkvist who came to life and took on the Pole, whose slackening grip made Romuald the tournament's most dangerous chess player. With victory Grabczevski shared first prize; with defeat he would have finished outside the prize places.

The other four games were quickly settled. Rantanen and Böhm were both chasing 5½ points, as was Kinnmark. Ek had only a minimal chance of third prize because Lehmann quickly beat Ivarsson.

Surprisingly, Bilek did not play for a win either. After Lundin had made his sixth move, Bilek offered a draw!

Jan Berglund