Round 1

Jan van Dijk - Alexander Baliakin 0-2

14-20! 29.31-27?

Van Dijk underestimates the forthcoming attack on piece 27.

22x31 30.36x27 20x29 31.33x24 11-17! 32.47-41 2-7!

This is more accurate than 17-22 33.41-36 22x31 34.36x27 2-7 35.39-33 7-11 36.35-30 8-12 37.30-25 12-17 38.33-29, although the endgame after 17-22 39.29-23 18x20 40.25x14 22x31 41.14-10 11-17! 42.32-28 21-27! doesn't look safe for white either.

33.38-33

Note that the defense 33.39-33 is impossible due to the combination 15-20 34.24x15 4-10 35.15x4 7-11 36.4x22 17x50.

17-22 34.41-36 22x31 35.36x27 7-11!

A breakthrough on the left white wing is unavoidable now.

36.33-28 26-31 37.37x17 11x31 38.39-33 16-21 39.44-39 6-11 40.39-34 11-17 41.45-40 8-12 42.24-19 21-27 43.32x21 17x26 44.33-29 31-37 45.42x31 26x37 46.29-23 18x29 47.34x23 37-41

Round 2

Wouter Sipma - Jan van Dijk 2-0

9-13(?)

It was safer to play 20-25 in order to build a fork formation after 36.45-40 14-20. In the game the development of the black piece on 15 becomes problematic.

36.45-40! 20-25 37.40-34 14-20 38.34-30 25x34 39.39x19 13x24 40.43-39

The position is still a draw, but it is tricky for black because of the passive formation 15/20/24.

11-17 41.39-34 7-12 42.33-28 20-25 43.32-27 8-13 44.37-32 13-19?

The decisive mistake. It was necessary to play 6-11 45.27-21 11-16. Then 46.32-27 is harmless because of 24-29! 47.34x23 13-18 with a draw.

45.38-33! 6-11 46.27-21! 11-16 47.32-27 15-20 W+

Round 3

Casper Remeijer - Jan Groenendijk 0-2

16.38-33?

Now Groenendijk decides the game using an unconventional Coup Philippe.

16-21! 17.26x17 24-30 18.35x24 20x38 19.42x33 25-30 20.34x25 23-29 21.33x24 19x30 22.25x34 18-22 23.27x18 13x35 and black won the piece on 17.

Round 4

Bart Terwel - Jan van Dijk 1-1

19.37-32!

This is the start of an instructive strategy against the black right wing.

8-12!?

Van Dijk doesn't mind that his right wing gets obstructed, but this turns out to be quite dangerous.

20.34-29 3-8 21.42-37 1-6 22.48-42!

White denies his opponent the exchange after 22.40-34 17-22 23.28x17 12x21 24.16x27 18-23 25.29x18 13x42 26.48x37.

20-25 23.29x20 15x24 24.50-44! 4-10 25.40-34 24-30

After 10-15 white plays 26.34-29! and black has nothing better than 18-22 27.29x20 15x24 28.28-23 19x28 29.32x23 with a winning advantage for white.

26.35x24 19x30 27.45-40 30-35 28.34-29?

After all the hard work Terwel fails to deal the final blow. Using 28.28-23! 18x29 29.34x23 white could bring the positional threat 30.37-31 36x27 31.32x21 into play. Obviously black can't allow this lock of his right wing. But 17-22? doesn't help because of 30.37-31! 36x27 31.32x21 13-19 32.40-34 19x28 33.21-17 12x21 34.16x18 8-12 35.33x22 12x23 36.38-33! and the black piece on 23 can't be defended. And also 13-18 30.39-34 18x29 31.34x23 17-22 32.37-31 36x27 33.32x21 is not possible because of the combination 11-17 34.23-19 14x23 35.33-28 23x32 36.38x18 12x23 37.21x5.

In the game Van Dijk freed the pieces on his right wing using the exchange 17-22! 29.28x17 11x22.