Icelandic Chess Stars Triumph at Nordic Championship
Rewritten Article:
Iceland's chess prodigies, Iðunn Helgadóttir and Guðrún Fanney Briem, took the Nordic chess scene by storm last weekend, bagging the Nordic Girls Championship titles in Fredericia, Denmark. Their relentless determination and meticulous preparation caught the spotlight throughout the tournament.
The two hourglass-wielding champettes clinched victory in their respective age categories. Iðunn outshone her competitors in the under-20 division with four victories in five games, while Guðrún ruled the under-16 bracket with four and a half wins out of five.
Games won on strategy and know-how
Björn Ívar Karlsson, the principal of the Icelandic Chess School and coach of the national team, was all praises for the girls' unwavering dedication. He pointed out that their preparation, far surpassing their opponents, was the cornerstone of their success.
"More than half of the games were decided by the strategies these girls crafted specifically for each opponent," Karlsson noted.
Facing competitors ranked higher than them, the Icelandic stars emerged triumphant: Iðunn started the tournament in 7th place, and Guðrún stood in 3rd. The girls agreed that thorough preparation was instrumental in their wins.
"many of our victories stemmed from our laser-focused preparation against specific opponents," Iðunn explained.
"we've been on a roll, thanks to our recent competitive streak," Guðrún added, nodding towards their participation in the Reykjavik Open just days before the Nordic Championship. Both applauded the tournament for boosting girls' and women's chess and fostering international friendships.
The fresh faces of Icelandic chess
Despite their youth, both Iðunn and Guðrún have already donned the Icelandic jersey at the Women's A-team during the Chess Olympiad.
"these girls are forces to be reckoned with," Karlsson gushed, underlining the rarity of such young players making it to this level.
On reaching out for comments, Karlsson was still on cloud nine, having just celebrated the team's success with a pile of melted ice cream. He shared that, upon returning to their hotel, the girls promptly resumed their chess marathon: "they simply cannot get enough."
Karlsson attributed the team's success to the recent surge of girls' and women's chess in Iceland.
Igniting the flame
Briem first made headlines in Morgunblaðið in 2019, at just nine years old, as efforts to promote girls' chess started picking up steam. Veronika Steinunn Magnúsdóttir and Jóhanna Björg Jóhannsdóttir, former members of the Icelandic women's national team, initiated weekly training sessions specifically for girls. These sessions aimed to foster a sense of kinship and encourage participation in a sport often dominated by men.
"girls tend to prefer camaraderie in team activities," Jóhannsdóttir said at the time. "these weekly sessions provide them with a support system and a space to grow together."
Champions, inspiring the next wave
The Icelandic team fielded nine players across three age categories at the Nordic Championship. Although they narrowly missed out on medals in the youngest division, Karlsson stressed the importance of the experience for the newcomers.
"the younger girls now have role models to look up to," he said, referring to Iðunn and Briem's triumphs.
[1] - Chess-Results.com[2] - Iceland Monitor[3] - New Atlanticist[4] - ChessBase[5] - World Chess
- The stunning victories of Iðunn Helgadóttir and Guðrún Fanney Briem in the Nordic Girls Championship, particularly highlighting their sportsmanship and strategic prowess in chess, were agreed to be the tournament's most noteworthy moments.
- In the under-20 and under-16 divisions, Iðunn Helgadóttir and Guðrún Fanney Briem, respectively, demonstrated their superior skills by winning more games than their competitors, creating a new standard for young chess players across the Nordic region.
- Upon the success of Iðunn Helgadóttir and Guðrún Fanney Briem, Björn Ívar Karlsson, the principal of the Icelandic Chess School, emphasized the importance of emphasizing girls' and women's chess in Iceland, as it will inspire the next generation of young chess prodigies following in their footsteps.
