5th GM Tournament Hotel Stockholm North by First hotels young talents

[John Swain]

English IMs Sohum Lohia and Jonah Willow and Irish IM Tarun Kanyamarala are chasing GM norms in Sweden:

https://s2.chess-results.com/tnr1197161 ... 1&SNode=S0

Games are available in lichess and chess.com:

https://lichess.org/broadcast/hotel-sto ... 1/ls3Da548

https://www.chess.com/uk/events/hotel-s ... lents-2025

[Christopher Kreuzer]

The name of the event appears to be "young talents" and "North by First hotels" the hotel chain, and "Hotel Stockholm" the venue? Not sure.

Anyway, there is a piece by FIDE here on these tournaments:

https://www.fide.com/swedens-chess-make ... g-talents/

Sweden’s chess community is buzzing with excitement over “Schackelit Sverige”, a groundbreaking initiative aimed at fostering young elite players and increasing interest in chess worldwide. With strong support from local chess clubs SK Rockaden and SS 4 Springare, this program is set to provide Sweden’s rising stars with opportunities to compete on the international stage.

This initiative marks the beginning of a four-tournament series throughout 2025, each designed to help players advance their chess careers.

It looks like they are on tournament number 5 of the series now.

Supratit Banerjee registered for the 6th one in January 2026:

https://s2.chess-results.com/tnr1238932 ... 0&SNode=S0

[Ian Thompson]

Supratit Banerjee registered for the 6th one in January 2026:

https://s2.chess-results.com/tnr1238932 ... 0&SNode=S0

If he's also intending to play in the Rilton Cup (27 December - 5 January), he'll be exhausted by the end of that.

[Mick Norris]

English IMs Sohum Lohia and Jonah Willow and Irish IM Tarun Kanyamarala are chasing GM norms in Sweden:

https://s2.chess-results.com/tnr1197161 ... 1&SNode=S0

Is it 7/9 needed for a GM norm?

[LawrenceCooper]

English IMs Sohum Lohia and Jonah Willow and Irish IM Tarun Kanyamarala are chasing GM norms in Sweden:

https://s2.chess-results.com/tnr1197161 ... 1&SNode=S0

Is it 7/9 needed for a GM norm?

I think it's 7 for Tor Fredrik, Jonah & Gleb but 6.5 for the bottom four (Sohia, Tarun, Axel & Gevorg).

[NickFaulks]

Two of the invited GMs didn't make it there for their first round game. With nine rounds in four and a half days, I wonder when they will have time to squeeze in a quick draw.

[Jonathan Rogers]

Jonah Willow on 5/6...

[LawrenceCooper]

Jonah Willow on 5/6...

Remaining pairings for Jonah:

7 GM Poetsch, Hagen 2449 GER 2,5 Black

8 IM Lohia, Sohum 2405 ENG 2,5 White

9 IM Ilamparthi, A R 2516 IND 4 Black

[Jon D'Souza-Eva]

I haven't looked at any of Jonah's games yet, but many of the others are a little uninspiring.
https://s1.chess-results.com/PartieSuch ... 9&SNode=S0
1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.e5 c5 4.c3 Nc6 5.Nf3 Bd7 6.Be2 Nge7 7.O-O Nf5 8.Bd3 cxd4 9.Bxf5 exf5 10.Nxd4 Be7 11.Nf3 Be6 12.b3 O-O 13.Ba3 Rc8 14.Qd2 Re8 15.Qb2 f4 16.Nbd2 Bg4 17.Rfe1 Qc7 18.Bxe7 Rxe7 19.c4 dxc4 20.Re4 Nxe5 21.bxc4 Bxf3 22.gxf3 Nxf3+
Perhaps I'm just spoilt after the incredible stuff on display in the recent FIDE Grand Swiss.

[LawrenceCooper]

I haven't looked at any of Jonah's games yet, but many of the others are a little uninspiring.
https://s1.chess-results.com/PartieSuch ... 9&SNode=S0
1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.e5 c5 4.c3 Nc6 5.Nf3 Bd7 6.Be2 Nge7 7.O-O Nf5 8.Bd3 cxd4 9.Bxf5 exf5 10.Nxd4 Be7 11.Nf3 Be6 12.b3 O-O 13.Ba3 Rc8 14.Qd2 Re8 15.Qb2 f4 16.Nbd2 Bg4 17.Rfe1 Qc7 18.Bxe7 Rxe7 19.c4 dxc4 20.Re4 Nxe5 21.bxc4 Bxf3 22.gxf3 Nxf3+
Perhaps I'm just spoilt after the incredible stuff on display in the recent FIDE Grand Swiss.

This event is two games a day which can impact on the quality and, strong though they all are, they aren't 2700+ players as in the top end of the Grand Swiss.

If you like endings then I suggest looking at https://lichess.org/broadcast/hotel-sto ... i/AmWO9IRe and trying to work out why white has only one move to draw on move 52. I'm still trying to work out the reason but think I am making headway.

[LawrenceCooper]

Jonah Willow on 5/6...

Remaining pairings for Jonah:

7 GM Poetsch, Hagen 2449 GER 2,5 Black

8 IM Lohia, Sohum 2405 ENG 2,5 White

9 IM Ilamparthi, A R 2516 IND 4 Black

Jonah drew in round 7 so needs 1.5/2. The only other GM norm that is still alive is Jonah's round 9 opponent who needs 2/2.

[LawrenceCooper]

Jonah Willow on 5/6...

Remaining pairings for Jonah:

7 GM Poetsch, Hagen 2449 GER 2,5 Black

8 IM Lohia, Sohum 2405 ENG 2,5 White

9 IM Ilamparthi, A R 2516 IND 4 Black

Jonah drew in round 7 so needs 1.5/2. The only other GM norm that is still alive is Jonah's round 9 opponent who needs 2/2.

A draw in round 8 so Jonah will need to win tomorrow.

[Christopher Kreuzer]

If you like endings then I suggest looking at https://lichess.org/broadcast/hotel-sto ... i/AmWO9IRe and trying to work out why white has only one move to draw on move 52. I'm still trying to work out the reason but think I am making headway.

It is a useful bit of technique to know. I wonder if it has featured in any endgame manuals?

Starting position:

8/8/5p2/7p/4kPpP/1R4P1/1p4K1/1r6 w - - 2 52

Sohum played 52.Rb8 and lost. The right move was to give up the white f-pawn with 52.f5!

The point is seen in the game a few moves later:

8/8/5R2/7p/5PpP/5kP1/4r3/6K1 w - - 1 58

The Black king is sheltering behind the white pawn on f5, and the White g3 pawn is about to drop off. Giving up the f5 pawn on move 52 preserves that g3 pawn and saves the game.

(I may have slightly oversimplified here.)

[LawrenceCooper]

Jonah's last round game is underway: https://lichess.org/broadcast/hotel-sto ... d/pyhnxzkL

[NickFaulks]

I've just taken a look and Jonah needs to find 20...Nf4! Not immediately obvious.