Round 3 February 20, 2003
Five players share the lead on 2/3 after Round 3 of the Category XV Stormot Hroksins tournament in Reykjavik, and only half a point separates the top seven players.
Mickey Adams and Ivan Sokolov both scored their first win of the tournament, allowing them to catch joint leaders Alexei Shirov, Viktor Korchnoi and Bartlomiej Macieja. Their opponents both faced their second loss in a row.
Helgi Ass Gretarsson, the only winner in the first round, lost with White to Adams who gave a textbook demonstration of a bishop and pawn ending as Black. Hrokurinn Club member Ingvar Johannesson chose to demonstrate this highlight of the day´s play in his evening report on the tournament on the 10 O´clock TV news.
Etienne Bacrot lost again, this time with White against Ivan Sokolov. "I just misjudged the endgame which was very bad for me. I didn´t think the opening was so bad."
Stefan Kristjansson was pleased to have scored for the first time in the tournament with a draw against Viktor Korchnoi. In fact, the young International Master appeared to have the better of most of the game. Korchnoi thought his position was fine until an unexpected 26.Rh4. Stefan´s habitual time trouble allowed Viktor to rescue the half point on move 35 shortly before the first time control.
Bartlomiej 'Bartek' Macieja had to play out the full 6 hours to secure the draw against Hannes Stefansson. Bartek was left with eight moves to make in just 11 seconds (which is nothing compared with the 11 seconds he recently had for 12 moves against Volokitin in Bermuda where he eventually won). Bartek lost a pawn in the time scramble in a game he thinks was probably drawn before this, then had to hang on grimly for the full six hours while Hannes failed to wrap up what seems to have been a won rook ending.
Demonstrating in the commentary room Iceland´s highest rated grandmaster Johann Hjatarson liked the trick with which Shirov managed to play himself out of a difficult position a pawn down against Luke McShane. Shirov lost the pawn out of the opening and his compensation was unclear - he later confessed he was quite pessimistic for much of the game. An exchange of rooks left neither player able to press the queen and minor piece ending to a win.