Jon Ludvig Hammer
Encyclopedia
Jon Ludvig Nilssen Hammer (born June 2, 1990 in Bergen
) is a Norwegian chess
player who holds the title of Grandmaster (GM), the tenth Norwegian to do so. He completed all the requirements for the GM title in the beginning of 2009 and was awarded the title in March 2009.
Hammer's strong results at a fairly young age have marked him as among Norway's greatest chess talents, but his achievements have to some degree been overshadowed by Magnus Carlsen
. In 2007, Hammer completed all requirements for the International Master title. He gained his first GM norm
in Cappelle la Grande in 2007, the second in Denmark in 2008, and a third in European Club Championship for teams later that year. However, the short length of those tournaments meant he needed a fourth norm to gain the GM title.
Hammer won outright a jubilee tournament at Gjøvik
arranged at the end of 2008 and the beginning of 2009. In the final round against Mateusz Bartel
, Hammer would secure his grandmaster title with a draw
. In spite of this, he eschewed several opportunities for a perpetual check
, and successfully took aim at sole first place.
In the Norwegian Chess Championship
, Hammer's best result is from the 2008 championship, when he finished equal on points with Frode Elsness
, but he lost the September play-off to Elsness after losing the first game, and acquiescing to a draw in a worse position in the second.
In the 38th Chess Olympiad
in Dresden, Hammer represented Norway as the substitute player (number five on the team), played in all rounds except the first, and scoring +4 =4 -2.
His best result so far was his 2792 performance on Norway's top board during the 2009 European Team Chess Championship in Novi Sad
, where his +4=5 score made him one of the top individual scorers.
In 2011, Hammer suffered setbacks in the 'B'-section of the Tata Steel Chess Tournament, and the Aeroflot Open
. He rebounded with a good result in the Reykjavik Open, where he finished with 7 points out of 9, and in 5th place on tiebreaks. As the best Nordic player, Hammer became Norway's first Nordic Chess Champion
since Agdestein in 1992.
Hammer attended the Norwegian sports academy Norwegian College of Elite Sport, and was coached by Simen Agdestein
. Hammer has been described as taking chess very seriously, playing very often online, in tournaments, or practicing. In 2009, Hammer announced he would not pursue a professional chess career, and he now studies economics.
Bergen
Bergen is the second largest city in Norway with a population of as of , . Bergen is the administrative centre of Hordaland county. Greater Bergen or Bergen Metropolitan Area as defined by Statistics Norway, has a population of as of , ....
) is a Norwegian chess
Chess
Chess is a two-player board game played on a chessboard, a square-checkered board with 64 squares arranged in an eight-by-eight grid. It is one of the world's most popular games, played by millions of people worldwide at home, in clubs, online, by correspondence, and in tournaments.Each player...
player who holds the title of Grandmaster (GM), the tenth Norwegian to do so. He completed all the requirements for the GM title in the beginning of 2009 and was awarded the title in March 2009.
Hammer's strong results at a fairly young age have marked him as among Norway's greatest chess talents, but his achievements have to some degree been overshadowed by Magnus Carlsen
Magnus Carlsen
Sven Magnus Øen Carlsen is a Norwegian chess Grandmaster and chess prodigy who is currently the number-one ranked player in the world. In January 2010 he became the seventh player ranked number one in the world on the official FIDE rating list...
. In 2007, Hammer completed all requirements for the International Master title. He gained his first GM norm
Grandmaster norm
A norm in chess is one of the requirements to receive a title such as Grandmaster from FIDE.- Grandmaster norm :In order to qualify for the title of Grandmaster of chess, a title awarded by FIDE, the World Chess Federation, a player must achieve three or more grandmaster norms in events covering a...
in Cappelle la Grande in 2007, the second in Denmark in 2008, and a third in European Club Championship for teams later that year. However, the short length of those tournaments meant he needed a fourth norm to gain the GM title.
Hammer won outright a jubilee tournament at Gjøvik
Gjøvik
is a town and a municipality in Oppland county, Norway. The administrative centre of the municipality is the town of Gjøvik.In 1861, the village of Gjøvik in the municipality of Vardal was granted town status and was separated from Vardal to form a separate municipality...
arranged at the end of 2008 and the beginning of 2009. In the final round against Mateusz Bartel
Mateusz Bartel
Mateusz Bartel is a Polish chess player who holds the title of International Grandmaster . He won the under-18 European championship in 2003....
, Hammer would secure his grandmaster title with a draw
Draw (chess)
In chess, a draw is when a game ends in a tie. It is one of the possible outcomes of a game, along with a win for White and a win for Black . Usually, in tournaments a draw is worth a half point to each player, while a win is worth one point to the victor and none to the loser.For the most part,...
. In spite of this, he eschewed several opportunities for a perpetual check
Perpetual check
In the game of chess, perpetual check is a situation in which one player can force a draw by an unending series of checks. Such a situation typically arises when the player who is checking cannot deliver checkmate; while failing to continue the series of checks gives the opponent at least a chance...
, and successfully took aim at sole first place.
In the Norwegian Chess Championship
Norwegian Chess Championship
The Norwegian Chess Championship is an annual tournament held in Norway during the month of July, in order to determine the national chess champion. The tournament is held at different venues each year as part of the Landsturnering...
, Hammer's best result is from the 2008 championship, when he finished equal on points with Frode Elsness
Frode Elsness
Frode Elsness is a Norwegian chess player who holds the title of International Master, as well as the 2008 Norwegian Chess Championship. Elsness plays for the chess club in Moss. He has represented Norway three times in the Chess Olympiad, 1996 , 2000 and 2004...
, but he lost the September play-off to Elsness after losing the first game, and acquiescing to a draw in a worse position in the second.
In the 38th Chess Olympiad
38th Chess Olympiad
The 38th Chess Olympiad, organized by the Fédération Internationale des Échecs and comprising an open and women's tournament, as well as several events designed to promote the game of chess, took place between 12–25 November 2008, in Dresden, Germany and was won by Armenia.The 2010 Olympiad is...
in Dresden, Hammer represented Norway as the substitute player (number five on the team), played in all rounds except the first, and scoring +4 =4 -2.
His best result so far was his 2792 performance on Norway's top board during the 2009 European Team Chess Championship in Novi Sad
Novi Sad
Novi Sad is the capital of the northern Serbian province of Vojvodina, and the administrative centre of the South Bačka District. The city is located in the southern part of Pannonian Plain on the Danube river....
, where his +4=5 score made him one of the top individual scorers.
In 2011, Hammer suffered setbacks in the 'B'-section of the Tata Steel Chess Tournament, and the Aeroflot Open
Aeroflot Open
The Aeroflot Open is an annual open chess tournament played in Moscow and sponsored by the airline Aeroflot. It was established in 2002 and quickly grew to be the strongest open tournament. The first event had around 80 grandmasters, while in the second event 150 grandmasters participated...
. He rebounded with a good result in the Reykjavik Open, where he finished with 7 points out of 9, and in 5th place on tiebreaks. As the best Nordic player, Hammer became Norway's first Nordic Chess Champion
Nordic Chess Championship
The first Nordic Chess Championship took place in Stockholm in 1897.-Winners:The winners in the Nordic Championship in 1934 and 1936, Aron Nimzowitsch and Erik Lundin, got the Nordiske kongresmestre title, as the champion 1930, Erik Andersen, defended his title with 3-3 against Gideon Ståhlberg at...
since Agdestein in 1992.
Hammer attended the Norwegian sports academy Norwegian College of Elite Sport, and was coached by Simen Agdestein
Simen Agdestein
Simen Agdestein is a Norwegian chess grandmaster and ex-football star. He has won seven Norwegian chess championships, including the 2005 title....
. Hammer has been described as taking chess very seriously, playing very often online, in tournaments, or practicing. In 2009, Hammer announced he would not pursue a professional chess career, and he now studies economics.
External links
- Hammer's personal blog