Tromsoe Chess Olympiad 2014
The Rapid and Blitz World Championships in Dubai in June had high priority for me this year. I hoped the Dubai Chess &Culture centre would continue to be a successful venue for me 10 years after scoring my final GM norm down there.
A month later it has resided into the background, but at the time winning the Rapid and Blitz titles resembled the feelings after round 10 in the World Championship match against V.Anand in November last year! The tense, sometimes nerve-wracking swings within games and in the standings during the tournaments made it exhilarating and exhausting at the same time. I look forward to similar events in the future.
With the titles in my belt, it is good to have a variety of challenges ahead. Having dropped the 2012 Chess Olympiad, I’ve looked forward to playing on home soil in the Tromsoe Olympiad together with the great bunch of GM’s (Agdestein, Hammer, Johannessen and Lie) on the Norwegian team.
We did some chess training and team-building at the Krageroe resort last week where I successfully prepared for the World Championship match last August.
And, I’ve already achieved one of my ambitions during the Olympiad having trekked the Tromsdalstind (1238 meter above sea level) with my parents earlier today.
In my absence the Norwegian 1st team won 2.5 – 1.5 against Yemen in Round 1, and we will gradually meet stronger opponents in the days ahead. Finland is next.
Stay tuned!