Congratulations to the winners!

The three winners of TV 2 Fagernes International were Russian GM Maxim Turov (GM-group), Lithuanian GM Eduardas Rozentalis (IM-group) and Norwegian Henrik Øie Løbersli (Elo-group).
Congratulations!

IM Benjamin Arvola Notkevich (NOR) and IM Oskar Von Bahr (SWE) made GM-norms, while FM Benjamin Haldorsen (NOR), FM Erik Santarius (USA), FM Anders Hobber (NOR), FM Tor Fredrik Kaasen (NOR) and Mads Vestby-Ellingsen (NOR) all made IM-norms. Seven title norms in the same tournament must be a Norwegian record!

Top-4 in the GM-group:
Rausis, Kryakvin, Turov and Notkevich

Top-3 in the IM-group:
Vestby-Ellingsen, Rozentaliz and Kveinys

Top-4 in the Elo-group:
Vitenberg, Løbersli, Mihajlov and Hagesæther
(All photos by Tom Eriksen)

Fagernes Easter Blitz NGP

Fagernes Easter Blitz NGP was played 31th March after round 8 in the main tournament.

The A-group was won by Gabriel Bick (USA) ahead of GM Maxim Turov (RUS) and GM Dmitry Kryakvin (RUS), while Kazim Yilmaz took the B-group with Alisha Shehzad and Roar Sola as his closest competitors.

Top-3 in the A-group: Kryakvin, Bick and Turov
(Photo: Tom Eriksen)

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

Title norms

We were aware that title norm chances would be very good in this year's Fagernes tournament, but did not realize they would be THIS good :-)

Before the start of round 9 we are happy to congratulate American FM Erik Santarius and Norwegian players Mads Vestby-Ellingsen, FM Anders Hobber and FM Tor Fredrik Kaasen with already having completed very well deserved IM-norms!! (as we take for granted they will all remember to play the last round tomorrow...)

... And we look forward to an extraordinary interesting last round as SEVEN more title norms will be at stake!
In the IM-group, FM Johannes Haug of Norway needs a win to get an IM-norm. In the GM-group, IM Benjamin Arvola Notkevich of Norway can make a GM norm with a draw, while IM Oskar von Bahr of Sweden and FM Erik Santarius of USA both need a win in the last round. Also in the GM-group, FM Catagay Burcu of Turkey and FM Benjamin Haldorsen of Norway can make an IM-norm with a draw, while WIM Mai Narva of Estonia needs a win to get a WGM-norm!

Fagernes Easter Rapid NGP

Our rapid tournament Fagernes Easter Rapid NGP was played 29th and 30th March, in the evenings after the main tournament.

GM Maxim Turov (RUS) took first place ahead of IM Himal Gusain (IND), both with 5½ points from 6 games.

Topp 3 in the rapid: Kryakvin, Turov and Gusain
(Photo: Tom Eriksen)

We are ready for the first round.

The pairings may be found here.

Photo: Tom Eriksen

The tournament starts today with 131 participants! 

Those staying at the hotel with full board may find the meal times here.

TV 2 new main sponsor

We are happy to annonce that TV 2 for the fourth time will be sponsoring the Fagernes tournament.
The new tournament name will accordingly be TV 2 Fagernes International.

TV 2 is Norway's largest commercial broadcaster.