Chess tournament in Eiði breaks all records

Never before have so many gathered to play chess in the Faroe Islands as this weekend in Eiði.

Over one hundred players – including several from abroad – are taking part in Janus Open, which began Friday evening and continues through Saturday and Sunday.

Completely unexpectedly, there has been overwhelming interest in the tournament, which is one of several events in the Faroe Islands Chess Federation’s Grand Prix series this winter.

In total, 103 players are competing – most of them Faroese, but also participants from Denmark, Iceland, and Spain.

The tournament is called Janus Open. With this name, the organizers wish to honor the memory of a dedicated chess enthusiast from Eiði, who was deeply involved in the local club Rókur. He passed away last year at the age of only 46. That may partly explain the exceptionally high turnout, as more than thirty players have no official rating – many of them taking part for the first time. Most of these are locals from the surrounding area.

Record Participation

This is the largest turnout ever for a single chess tournament in the Faroe Islands. The previous record dates back to 1987, when the Faroe Islands hosted the Nordic Championship at the Nordic House in Tórshavn, with 101 participants from all the Nordic countries. The national record (for the Faroese Championship) was set in 2003, when 95 players took part in the individual championship held at the Teacher’s College in Tórshavn.

However, these are very different types of events. The tournaments in 1987 and 2003 were standard classical tournaments played over ten days with full time controls. Janus Open, on the other hand, is a weekend tournament with a different format.

The first three rounds on Friday evening were played as rapid chess. Today and tomorrow, players have one hour per game plus 30 seconds per move. Two rounds are played on Saturday and two more on Sunday. The tournament is open to all players rated below 2400, which means Grandmaster Helgi Dam Ziska is not eligible to compete.

One unusual rule is that players can request a half-point bye up to three times without playing. This gives participants some flexibility and breathing room throughout the weekend.

The large number of participants may also reflect a general trend: players are increasingly willing to join events that are faster-paced and less time-consuming, leaving room for other activities during the weekend.

Live Broadcast Online

Round 4 began this morning at 10:00 AM. The top twelve boards are being broadcast live online. The stream can be accessed via the Faroe Islands Chess Federation website: faroechess.com

Twelve players had a perfect score after the first three rounds on Friday – mostly international players, but also some Faroese.

Among them is Høgni Egilstoft Nielsen, who holds the highest rating in the tournament.

Another is the young Petur Gardar Magnussen from Havnar Telvingarfelag, who in the second round defeated national champion Luitjen Akselsson Apol.

A third is former Faroese champion Hans Kristian Simonsen from Kollafjarðar Talvfelag.

Round 5 begins at 14:00 today.