Icelandic girls shine at Nordic Chess Championship

Icelandic national team players Iðunn Helgadóttir and Guðrún Fanney Briem were crowned Nordic chess champions yesterday, following standout performances at the Nordic Girls Championship held over the weekend in Fredericia, Denmark. Their impressive ambition and preparation drew considerable attention throughout the tournament.

Both players secured victories in their respective age categories. Iðunn Helgadóttir triumphed in the under-20 division with four wins from five games, while Guðrún Fanney Briem claimed the under-16 title with four and a half wins out of five.

Preparation key to success

Björn Ívar Karlsson, principal of the Icelandic Chess School and coach of the Icelandic team, praised the girls’ commitment, highlighting that their level of preparation was far above that of their competitors.

"Throughout the tournament, the girls meticulously prepared for every single game and opponent," Karlsson said. "Many games were effectively decided by the specific preparations made for each opponent, which is quite unique."

Despite facing higher-ranked opponents, the Icelandic players prevailed: Iðunn entered the tournament ranked seventh out of twelve in her category, and Guðrún third out of twelve.

The girls themselves agreed that thorough preparation played a major role in their victories.

"Many of our wins came from targeted preparation against specific opponents," Iðunn noted.

"We’ve been competing a lot recently and are in good form," Guðrún added, referring to their participation in the Reykjavík Open just days before the Nordic Championship. Both described the Nordic tournament as a fun and important event that strengthens girls’ and women’s chess and promotes international friendships.

Rising stars of Icelandic chess

Despite their young age, both Iðunn and Guðrún have already represented Iceland in the Women's A-team at the Chess Olympiad.

"They are exceptionally strong players," Karlsson said, emphasizing how rare it is for players so young to reach this level.

When contacted for comment, Karlsson had just returned from celebrating the team's success with ice cream. He added that the girls immediately resumed playing chess upon returning to their hotel: "They simply can't get enough."

Karlsson noted that Iceland’s success reflects the major boom in girls' and women's chess over recent years.

Building the future

Briem has been a prominent figure in Icelandic chess since a young age, appearing in a Morgunblaðið news feature in 2019 at just nine years old. At that time, efforts to promote girls’ chess were just beginning to gain momentum.

Jóhanna Björg Jóhannsdóttir and Veronika Steinunn Magnúsdóttir, both former members of the Icelandic women's national team, initiated weekly training sessions specifically for girls to encourage participation and foster community in what has traditionally been a male-dominated sport.

"Chess is an individual sport, but girls often prefer the social element of team activities," Jóhannsdóttir said at the time. The weekly gatherings aimed to give girls a sense of connection and support to continue in the sport.

Strong role models for the next generation

At the Nordic Championship, Iceland's team consisted of nine players across three age categories. Karlsson said they narrowly missed winning medals in the youngest division but stressed the importance of the experience for the newcomers.

"The younger girls now have great role models to look up to," he said, referring to Helgadóttir and Briem’s success.