Vlastimil Hort Wins Third Chess Train Tournament
The third Chess Train tournament, organized by the Prague Chess Society and Czech Railways, was won by the legendary Czech grandmaster Vlastimil Hort. This year the train had chosen the trail Prague – Regensburg (Germany) – Innsbruck (Austria) - Salzburg (Austria) – Český Krumlov (Czech Republic).
The third edition of the Chess Train tournament took place from Friday the 11th till Tuesday the 15th of October 2013. Again, it was a wonderful opportunity for chess fans to play five days of rapid chess in a specially launched train and to see several beautiful towns – this year ancient Regensburg, Innsbruck sunk in the Alps, thereafter Mozart's Salzburg and also two of the most beautiful Czech towns: Český Krumlov and Prague.
The tournament was a Swiss event of 11 rounds. The rate of play was 20 minutes + 10 seconds increment per move. And... all of the games were played in the train! This was the route and schedule:
October 11th –from Prague to Regensburg
October 12th – from Regensburg to Innsbruck
October 13th – from Innsbruck to Salzburg
October 14th – from Salzburg to Český Krumlov
October 15th – from Český Krumlov to Prague
Vlastimil Hort vs Jan Plachetka, in a riding train!
Chess is for young and old
The train includes a restaurant wagon for a pleasant lunch
Shopping in Regensburg, Germany
Medieval Regensburg with stunning gothic cathedral and smiling angel, the oldest stone bridge to the north of the Alps, homely tavern famous for its grilled sausages (they are the invention of Regensburg) – and then mountain baroque of Tyrol. (From the Chess Train Facebook page.)
A stunning view over Innsbruck, Austria
Friday’s snow blizzard was replaced by azure sky and thus the Chess train was greeted by fairy Alps. Sharply cut snowy peaks under blue sky. For that reason many of the chess players went out, immediately after arrival, to visit Hafelekarspitze (2334) by cableway departing from the centre of Innsbruck. Some of us in patent-leather shoes or even in sandals and finally everyone was knee-deep in snow. (From the Chess Train Facebook page.)
Curious spectators
Innsbruck's fairy-tale mountains in the background
On Sunday, the most beautiful part of the way in its 3 years history was waiting for the Chess train. The travel from Innsbruck to Salzburg along the lakeside of Zell am See. (From the Chess Train Facebook page.)
Bird's eye view over Salzburg, Austria...
... where Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart was born
Meanwhile, the chess tournament went on while travelling between the cities!
The pretty town of Český Krumlov, Czech Republic
Lots of opportunities to enjoy a drink or two
A true chess train!
GM Vlastimil Hort won the tournament, finishing on 8,5/11 and a better tiebreak than the untitled American player Alex Cherniack. Hort received a glass trophy in the shape of a locomotive from Antonin Blazek, CEO of the Research Institute of the railway.
All photos © Anežka Kružíková courtesy of the Prague Chess Society
Chess Train 2013 | Final standings
| Rk. | SNo | Name | FED | Rtg | Pts. | TB1 | TB2 | TB3 | |
| 1 | 1 | GM | Hort Vlastimil | GER | 2439 | 8,5 | 64 | 77,5 | 58,25 |
| 2 | 6 | Cherniack Alex | USA | 2249 | 8,5 | 61,5 | 75 | 56,25 | |
| 3 | 15 | Benčo Pavel | CZE | 2183 | 8 | 64,5 | 78,5 | 54,25 | |
| 4 | 4 | FM | Hoepfl Thomas | GER | 2308 | 8 | 63,5 | 77,5 | 53 |
| 5 | 5 | FM | Bretšnajdr Vladimír | CZE | 2272 | 8 | 63 | 77 | 54 |
| 6 | 10 | Roemling Sven | GER | 2225 | 7,5 | 62,5 | 76 | 48,25 | |
| 7 | 9 | Folk Petr | CZE | 2226 | 7,5 | 59,5 | 72,5 | 48,5 | |
| 8 | 7 | FM | Mac Intyre Paul | USA | 2246 | 7,5 | 58,5 | 71 | 45,5 |
| 9 | 14 | FM | Upton Timothy J | SCO | 2183 | 7,5 | 54,5 | 66,5 | 45,5 |
| 10 | 11 | Burnett Andrew | SCO | 2203 | 7,5 | 53 | 64,5 | 43,25 | |
| 11 | 2 | GM | Plachetka Jan | SVK | 2362 | 7 | 65 | 79 | 47,75 |
| 12 | 3 | FM | Hindermann Felix | SUI | 2309 | 7 | 60 | 72,5 | 44 |
| 13 | 25 | Handl Martin | CZE | 2089 | 7 | 58,5 | 70 | 40,25 | |
| 14 | 16 | Desmarais Chris | USA | 2169 | 7 | 52 | 63,5 | 38,75 | |
| 15 | 13 | WFM | Folková Martina | CZE | 2195 | 7 | 50,5 | 61,5 | 38 |
| 16 | 23 | Guelke Volker | GER | 2100 | 7 | 50 | 62 | 38,75 | |
| 17 | 35 | Van Gils Martin | NED | 1984 | 6,5 | 59,5 | 72 | 38,75 | |
| 18 | 30 | Popper Tomáš | CZE | 2023 | 6,5 | 58,5 | 71 | 38,5 | |
| 19 | 24 | Hlavsa Petr | CZE | 2094 | 6,5 | 56 | 69,5 | 37,75 | |
| 20 | 38 | Stern Geoffrey | LUX | 1968 | 6,5 | 56 | 68,5 | 37,25 | |
| 21 | 26 | Hájek Jiří | CZE | 2068 | 6,5 | 55,5 | 68 | 36,75 | |
| 22 | 22 | Němec Igor | CZE | 2104 | 6,5 | 54 | 66,5 | 37 | |
| 23 | 8 | WIM | Mrvova Alena | SVK | 2242 | 6,5 | 53 | 64,5 | 36,75 |
| 24 | 19 | Hruška Jan | CZE | 2114 | 6,5 | 52,5 | 65 | 34,25 | |
| 25 | 27 | Záleský Karel | CZE | 2060 | 6,5 | 51 | 63,5 | 33,5 | |
| 26 | 20 | FM | Mikulas Dusan | SVK | 2112 | 6,5 | 49 | 60 | 33,25 |
| 27 | 18 | Sekanina Jiří | CZE | 2118 | 6,5 | 45,5 | 55,5 | 32 | |
| 28 | 12 | Jolowicz Matias | GER | 2201 | 6 | 57 | 70,5 | 35,25 | |
| 29 | 21 | Coutinho Sidnei Bissacot | BRA | 2110 | 6 | 56,5 | 69 | 32 | |
| 30 | 28 | Vavřinec Tomáš | CZE | 2024 | 6 | 53 | 66 | 32 | |
| 31 | 43 | Schmidt Frank | GER | 1936 | 6 | 51,5 | 61,5 | 29,25 | |
| 32 | 32 | CM | Petras Milan | CZE | 2002 | 6 | 48,5 | 60,5 | 29,25 |
| 33 | 41 | Šlechta Karel | CZE | 1947 | 6 | 47,5 | 59 | 30,5 | |
| 34 | 86 | Moreno David | MEX | 0 | 6 | 41,5 | 51 | 28 | |
| 35 | 44 | Kruijf Caspar | NED | 1928 | 5,5 | 58,5 | 68,5 | 32,5 | |
| 36 | 37 | Mižák Ján | CZE | 1970 | 5,5 | 57 | 67,5 | 30,5 | |
| 37 | 34 | Macura Emil | CZE | 1986 | 5,5 | 55,5 | 67 | 29,25 | |
| 38 | 60 | Gilstring Skare | SWE | 1800 | 5,5 | 55,5 | 64 | 27,75 | |
| 39 | 39 | Gouma Ronald | NED | 1950 | 5,5 | 54 | 62,5 | 25,25 | |
| 40 | 53 | Lee Bryan G | ENG | 1850 | 5,5 | 53 | 64 | 28,25 | |
| 41 | 49 | WFM | Modrová Hana | CZE | 1902 | 5,5 | 52,5 | 64,5 | 27,5 |
| 42 | 40 | Van Der Giessen Ada Leona | NED | 1948 | 5,5 | 51,5 | 60 | 25,5 | |
| 43 | 48 | Hloušek Zdeněk | CZE | 1909 | 5,5 | 51 | 62,5 | 28,25 | |
| 44 | 52 | Kouba Libor | CZE | 1869 | 5,5 | 51 | 61,5 | 25,75 | |
| 45 | 58 | Scherer Martin | GER | 1805 | 5,5 | 49,5 | 61,5 | 28,75 | |
| 46 | 59 | Trochta Vojtěch | CZE | 1804 | 5,5 | 48,5 | 57 | 21,75 | |
| 47 | 45 | Haelsig Guenter | GER | 1922 | 5,5 | 47 | 59 | 22,5 | |
| 48 | 29 | Pavlíček Petr | CZE | 2023 | 5,5 | 47 | 58,5 | 26,25 | |
| 49 | 84 | Haerdle Benjamin | GER | 0 | 5,5 | 46,5 | 58,5 | 24 | |
| 50 | 31 | Špaček Michal | CZE | 2012 | 5,5 | 46,5 | 57,5 | 24,75 | |
| 51 | 55 | Milián Milan | CZE | 1824 | 5,5 | 45,5 | 56,5 | 26 | |
| 52 | 42 | Popelka Pavel | CZE | 1940 | 5,5 | 45 | 56,5 | 25,25 | |
| 53 | 36 | Bajcár Tomáš | CZE | 1981 | 5,5 | 42 | 52 | 24,25 | |
| 54 | 46 | Hájek Jaroslav | CZE | 1914 | 5,5 | 38,5 | 46,5 | 20,75 | |
| 55 | 50 | Struckhof Ralf | GER | 1896 | 5 | 53 | 65,5 | 26,75 | |
| 56 | 54 | Truksa Václav | CZE | 1850 | 5 | 52 | 63,5 | 24,75 | |
| 57 | 33 | Musil Vítězslav | CZE | 1989 | 5 | 50,5 | 62,5 | 25,75 | |
| 58 | 51 | Mihál Sergej | CZE | 1877 | 5 | 50 | 61,5 | 23 | |
| 59 | 67 | Drahovzal Milan | CZE | 1721 | 5 | 49 | 60 | 25,25 | |
| 60 | 81 | Cheng Ben | USA | 0 | 5 | 45,5 | 55,5 | 22,75 | |
| 61 | 56 | Horák Miroslav | CZE | 1807 | 5 | 42,5 | 52 | 21,25 | |
| 62 | 68 | Kunc Alois | CZE | 1695 | 5 | 39,5 | 46,5 | 16 | |
| 63 | 62 | Van De Gevel Ed | NED | 1777 | 4,5 | 59,5 | 72,5 | 30,25 | |
| 64 | 47 | Navrátil Jiří | CZE | 1911 | 4,5 | 51,5 | 62,5 | 19,5 | |
| 65 | 57 | Erlandsson Calle | SWE | 1805 | 4,5 | 49 | 59 | 21,25 | |
| 66 | 66 | Ševčík Milan | CZE | 1724 | 4,5 | 48 | 58 | 20,25 | |
| 67 | 63 | Jirásek David | CZE | 1744 | 4,5 | 46,5 | 56,5 | 19,25 | |
| 68 | 65 | Růžička Tomáš | CZE | 1735 | 4,5 | 45 | 54 | 18,25 | |
| 69 | 71 | Srnec Michal | CZE | 1650 | 4,5 | 44 | 54 | 18,75 | |
| 70 | 78 | Loman Jon | SWE | 1000 | 4,5 | 43 | 53 | 19,75 | |
| 71 | 70 | Šeráková Taťána | CZE | 1662 | 4,5 | 42 | 52 | 18,5 | |
| 72 | 61 | Pihlgren Gunnar | SWE | 1800 | 4 | 49,5 | 60 | 21,5 | |
| 73 | 85 | Mixa Josef | CZE | 0 | 4 | 42 | 49 | 12 | |
| 74 | 74 | Shakessi Hossein | FRA | 1622 | 4 | 40 | 46,5 | 14 | |
| 75 | 73 | Glacner Karel | CZE | 1622 | 4 | 39 | 46 | 10 | |
| 76 | 72 | Samec František | CZE | 1628 | 4 | 39 | 45,5 | 10 | |
| 77 | 79 | Admiraal Ruurd | NED | 0 | 4 | 39 | 45 | 11 | |
| 78 | 77 | Bára Josef | CZE | 1288 | 4 | 31,5 | 37,5 | 7 | |
| 79 | 64 | Palla Rostislav | CZE | 1735 | 3,5 | 45 | 52 | 15 | |
| 80 | 69 | Wahlberg Jockum | SWE | 1670 | 3,5 | 44,5 | 55 | 14,75 | |
| 81 | 76 | Pitula Adam | POL | 1342 | 3,5 | 43,5 | 52 | 15,75 | |
| 82 | 75 | Baker Joseph | USA | 1600 | 3,5 | 43 | 52 | 14,5 | |
| 83 | 87 | Patrná Zlatuše | CZE | 0 | 3 | 36,5 | 43 | 4 | |
| 84 | 80 | Braun Gerhard | GER | 0 | 3 | 31,5 | 37,5 | 4 | |
| 85 | 17 | Lamser Jan | CZE | 2169 | 1 | 37 | 45 | 4,5 | |
| 86 | 83 | Gyurák Martin | CZE | 0 | 1 | 36,5 | 42,5 | 0,5 | |
| 87 | 82 | Folková Markéta | CZE | 0 | 0,5 | 35,5 | 42 | 1,75 |
You can find all results are here at Chess-Results. A photogallery is here, and there is also a Facebook page.
The first chess train took its journey in October 2011 from Prague to Vienna, Budapest, Bratislava, Krakow and back to Prague. Last year, the second chess train followed the route Prague – Dresden – Wroclaw – Piestany – Vienna - Prague. Here's the video report ChessVibes did in 2011:
Peter Doggers joined a chess club a month before turning 15 and still plays for it. He used to be an active tournament player and holds two IM norms. Peter has a Master of Arts degree in Dutch Language & Literature. He briefly worked at New in Chess, then as a Dutch teacher and then in a project for improving safety and security in Amsterdam schools. Between 2007 and 2013 Peter was running ChessVibes, a major source for chess news and videos acquired by Chess.com in October 2013. As our Director News & Events, Peter writes many of our news reports. In the summer of 2022, The Guardian’s Leonard Barden described him as “widely regarded as the world’s best chess journalist.”
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