All eyes, including ours, are currently on the European Championship. The rest day on Thursday gives us time to see what else is going on. While we will still be devoting ourselves to the World Youth Championship in Italy, this article is about the German Rapid Chess Championship, which was held last weekend for men and women.
One has to ask oneself why such a national championship is being held when the 5 best German players of each gender are playing for the European Championship in faraway Montenegro. The whole situation surrounding the German Master and the German Championship is very strange; this clash of dates simply shouldn't happen. The goal must be to bring the best players to the board when such a title is at stake. When I played in this championship in Göttingen in 2022, at least two of the national players, Blübaum and Svane, were there.
Of course, it is clear that there are reasons for the scheduling conflict and this should not be taken as criticism of the many volunteers and organizers. In the end, however, it does not matter how the result came about; in the interests of our sport, it should not be repeated.
In the women's competition, Lara Schulze achieved what she called a hat trick. The third German rapid chess championship in a row. A great performance by the Werder native, who was half a point ahead of her closest rival, Kateryna Dolzhykova.
The men's event was won by an almost forgotten German grandmaster, who was very young and strong. Leon Mons was one of the shooting stars of the chess scene, and a professional career was never an option for him. Instead, he pursued a middle-class life and studied. He proved at the German Rapid Chess Championship that he is still a force to be reckoned with.
With 6.5 points from 9 games, Mons won after the final score ahead of Julius Muckle and Yevhenii and Yelisieiev,
One has to ask oneself why such a national championship is being held when the 5 best German players of each gender are playing for the European Championship in faraway Montenegro. The whole situation surrounding the German Master and the German Championship is very strange; this clash of dates simply shouldn't happen. The goal must be to bring the best players to the board when such a title is at stake. When I played in this championship in Göttingen in 2022, at least two of the national players, Blübaum and Svane, were there.
Of course, it is clear that there are reasons for the scheduling conflict and this should not be taken as criticism of the many volunteers and organizers. In the end, however, it does not matter how the result came about; in the interests of our sport, it should not be repeated.
In the women's competition, Lara Schulze achieved what she called a hat trick. The third German rapid chess championship in a row. A great performance by the Werder native, who was half a point ahead of her closest rival, Kateryna Dolzhykova.
The men's event was won by an almost forgotten German grandmaster, who was very young and strong. Leon Mons was one of the shooting stars of the chess scene, and a professional career was never an option for him. Instead, he pursued a middle-class life and studied. He proved at the German Rapid Chess Championship that he is still a force to be reckoned with.
With 6.5 points from 9 games, Mons won after the final score ahead of Julius Muckle and Yevhenii and Yelisieiev,
