For the third year in a row, the Kronborg Chess Open set a participant record with 122 players. And not only that, there was also a new record with a total of 40 participants from other countries, including Singapore, the USA, France, Spain, Sweden, Iceland, Norway, India, the Faroe Islands, and Germany. The tournament seems to be Denmark’s largest international chess tournament, and it’s fantastic to see such broad international participation! Thank you for sharing!
The tournament was held in peaceful surroundings at Hotel Comwell Borupgaard in Snekkersten. The hotel is situated in green surroundings, surrounded by a park and forest, just a few meters from Snekkersten station.
The foreign players didn’t dominate the top positions as heavily as in the previous two years, where they secured 11 out of 13 first places in 2022 and 9 out of the 11 possible top positions in 2023.
Below, you can find the winners of the 15 groups in 2024, where the GM group played a total of 9 rounds while the other groups played 7 rounds
GRAND MASTER
The German champion from 2023, GM Vitaly Kunin, became the new Kronborg Master 2024, accompanied by tournament organizer René Fabricius Weichel. Vitaly Kunin, originally from Russia, has represented Germany since 2001. Photo Jesper Simonsen
The 7-time Danish Champion GM Sune Berg Hansen here together with the winner was very close to winning his first Kronborg Championship, but a defeat in the penultimate round meant he was dependent on other results in the group. Photo Jesper Simonsen
MASTER 1
FM Nicolai Kistrup from BMS Skak delivered an impressive performance in the Master 1 group, securing victory with 6 out of 7 points and remaining undefeated. His strong finish positions him as a promising future International Master (IM). Photo Jesper Simonsen
CM Juan Alberto Gomez Aguirre from Spain secured an impressive 2nd place without suffering any losses. Moreover, after the third round, we could bestow upon Juan the title of FIDE Master, as he crossed the magical 2300 rating mark. A remarkable achievement for the 15-year-old Spaniard. Photo Jesper Simonsen
MASTER 2
Vitus Bondo Medhus from Skakklubben Evans secured victory in the Master 2 group with an impressive score of 6 out of 7 points, suffering only a single defeat. Photo Jesper Simonsen
Nathan Ronce from France secured the 2nd place with a score of 4 out of 7. His performance was commendable, especially considering the competitive field. Photo Jesper Simonsen
MASTER 3
Mikael Aroven from Sweden emerged as the winner of the Master 3 group, securing an impressive 5 out of 7 points. Photo Jesper Simonsen
Jacob Abildlund Brorsen from BMS Skak secured the 2nd place with 4½ points, edging out WIM Nina Høiberg from Nordre Skakklub based on the tiebreak rule of most wins, as they played a draw in their direct encounter. Photo Jesper Simonsen
MASTER 4
Noah Krug Wahlgreen, representing BMS Skak, achieved an impressive score of 5½ out of 7 points without suffering any losses. His consistent performance earned him the first-place position based on the tiebreak rule of direct encounters, where Noah emerged victorious over Stefan, who secured the second-place finish. Photo Jesper Simonsen
Svenske Stefan Karlsson ended up with the 2nd place, determined by the tiebreak rule of direct encounters, but he was otherwise very satisfied with the tournament. Photo Jesper Simonsen
MASTER 5
August Jalving from Frederiksberg Skakforening continues to make impressive strides in tournaments year after year. In the latest tournament, he secured a splendid 1st place with only one loss, managing to stay ½ point ahead of the Anna Sofie in second place. Photo Jesper Simonsen
The Nordic Champion 2024, Anna Sofie Li from Køge Skakklub, achieved an impressive 4½ points in a closely contested master group where there was only a 50-point rating difference among the 8 players. Her performance demonstrated both skill and resilience, especially considering the competitive field. Photo Jesper Simonsen
MASTER 6
Victor Lilliehöök, representing Sweden, defied expectations in the recent tournament. Despite being one of the lowest-rated players in the group, he emerged as the group winner with an impressive score of 5½ out of 7 points. This outstanding performance resulted in a significant rating gain of 85 points. Photo Jesper Simonsen
Simon Bering Larsen from Hvidovre Skakklub secured the 2nd place despite being one of the lowest-rated players in the group. His victory in the final round allowed him to clinch the podium position. Photo Jesper Simonsen
BASIC 1
- Sarah Sima Derlich from Nørrebro Skakklub delivered an impressive performance in the recent Kronborgturneringen, scoring 6½ out of 7 possible points. Not only did this secure her the first-place position with a two-point margin ahead of her closest competitor, but it also earned her the title of Denmark’s youngest female master player ever. At just 13 years and 7 months old, Sarah crossed the 1900 Elo rating mark 12.
Her rapid rise in the chess world is evident from her remarkable progress. At the end of last year’s Kronborg Chess Open, she held a Danish rating of 1542, which means she has gained an impressive 431 rating points since then. This achievement surpasses the previous record held by Miriam Frida Mikkelsen, who became a master player at the age of 13 years and 8 months back in 2002.
Here’s the unofficial list of Denmark’s youngest female master players:
- Sarah Sima Derlich, 13 years and 7 months
- Miriam Frida Mikkelsen, 13 years and 8 months
- Anna Sofie Li, 14 years and 2 months
Photo Jesper Simonsen
Claus Pakmor, representing Sjælsø Skakklub, faced an early setback in the first round but then made a remarkable comeback. He secured an overall 2nd place without suffering any losses in the subsequent 6 rounds. Photo Jesper Simonsen
BASIC 2
Valentin Albizzati-Loye, one of the three French players in this year’s tournament, delivered an impressive performance. He won the Basic 2 group without suffering any losses and secured the overall first place with a total of 5½ points. Photo Jesper Simonsen
Benjamin Lau Jensen from Lyngby-Virum Skakklub finished as the runner-up with 4½ points, tying with William Brännström from Sweden. Benjamin secured the higher position based on the tiebreak rule of direct encounters, where he emerged victorious. Photo Jesper Simonsen
BASIC 3
Sissel Kærgaard from Ishøj Skakklub suffered only a single loss in the tournament. Overall, she scored 5 points, which was the same as the player in second place. However, due to the tiebreak rule of direct encounters, she emerged as the winner of the Basic 3 group. Photo Jesper Simonsen
Gustav Jr. Lang from Sweden also scored 5 points like the group winner, but he had to settle for the 2nd place. Photo Jesper Simonsen
BASIC 4
Norwegian player Hallvard Foss Bjornstad won his group for the second consecutive year. This year, he achieved an impressive 6 out of 7 points, with only a single loss. In 2022, he secured the 3rd place, but he has truly developed and elevated his level over the past year. Photo Jesper Simonsen
Jørgen Kamp Nielsen from Amager Skakforening secured a 2nd place with 4 points. Photo Jesper Simonsen
BASIC 5
Leo Nielsen from Helsingør Skakklub finally had the opportunity to participate in the tournament. It suited him exceptionally well, and he scored 6 out of 7 points, securing an impressive 1st place. For the past 20 years, he has been responsible for the café during the tournament. It’s great to see him finally get a chance to play!
Leo’s dedication to the chess community, both as a player and a contributor, is commendable. His role in managing the café has undoubtedly enriched the tournament experience for everyone involved. Photo Jesper Simonsen
Kim Michael Pedersen from Amager Skakforening secured a solid 2nd place with 5 out of 7 points 1. His performance demonstrated both skill and determination. Photo Jesper Simonsen
BASIC 6
Anders Askjær Mikkelsen, representing both Gentofte Skakklub and Skak for sjov, achieved an impressive score of 6½ out of 7 possible points. His outstanding performance secured a clear 1st place in the group. Photo Jesper Simonsen
Finn Stuhr from Køge Skakklub secured the 2nd place, ahead of Michael Jen Knudsen from Hvidovre Skakklub, both with 5 points. Finn won the direct encounter between them. Photo Jesper Simonsen
BASIC 7
Tristan Lund Elnegaard from Gentofte Skakklub won Group Basic 7 without any losses, scoring a total of 6 points, with two games ending in a draw. Photo Jesper Simonsen
Louay Mohammad from Frederikssund Chess Club had a good tournament and achieved a total of 5½ points, securing second place. Photo Jesper Simonsen
BASIC 8
Ukrainian Artem Vorobets from the local Helsingør Chess Club won the exciting group where the top positions were decided in the last round. Photo Jesper Simonsen
Eskil Rosenlund Ahl from BMS Skak was referred to second place after winning the last round. He achieved 5 points, the same number as Yogasimman Kamal from Hillerød Skakklub, but won on the tiebreak rule. Photo Jesper Simonsen