The recently concluded Sligo Chess and Culture Festival featured four subsidiary events in the Weekender on the opening weekend, plus a 9-round international Open, a rapid, and a blitz, in addition several other non-tournament events in an ambitious programme.
Full reports have been added to the Tournament pages here for the four subsidiary events in the Weekender on the opening weekend: respectively the Expert, Championship, Major, and Challenger events.
A full report has also been added for the 9-round International Open. In theory, title norms were possible, though in the event none were achieved.
The event resulted in a clear win for the top seed and only grandmaster Felix Blohberger of Austria, on an unbeatean 7½/9. As noted in the Europe Échecs report on the event, though, his win wasn’t clear until his victory in the final round. Adam Collins had an excellent result in finishing clear second on 7/9, followed by the visiting IMs Alexander Krastev and Emil Risteski, both of whom lost to Blohberger, in joint 3rd-4th on 6½/9, with the former taking third prize on tie-break.
The selection of interesting games in the report includes some entertaining one-sided massacres, which are often a feature of large open events. There was also a marathon 133-move game between Augustín Fernández Manrique and Collins, where the latter finally squeezed out a win in the queen ending; these are very difficult to play.
Here is one combinatorial moment from the second round game between Alfonso Alvarez Jiminez (Spin) and Jon Konig (England).
44… ?
Black had built up a clearly winning position, but had started to lose the thread shortly before the diagrammed position arose. Now 44… axb6 was essential, when Black stays in the game, e.g., 45. Bxg4 Nxg4 46. 46. a7 Qxc3 47. Qd2 Qe5 48. a8=Q Qg3+ 49. Kf1 Nh2+ 50. Qxh2 Qxh2, with an interesting Q + B + N + P v. Q + B + 4P ending.
The game continuation was 44… Nxe3?. This was much better for White even after the natural capture on e3, and he soon converted his advantage. However, he missed the startling immediate win with 45. Bh5+!!, a clearance sacrifice for the knight to enter f3. After 45… Kxh5 (45… Kh7 46. Qxg5 is crushing), 46. Qxg5+ (engines find the immediate 46. Nf3 to be even better) 46… Kxg5 47. Nf3+, etc., queens come off and White will promote on the queenside.