Lewis Chess Legends 2024

Visit www.lewischesslegends.com for full coverage, results, photos, and upcoming editions of the Lewis Chess Legends.

The chess adventure at the Archbishop’s Palace in Trondheim has come to an end for now. After a year of preparations culminating in nine rounds of the Nordic Championship and the Lewis Chess Legends, there are some wonderful memories that stand out especially well.

It’s incredibly energizing to meet so many amazing people from different countries and backgrounds, all united by a shared passion for chess.

For me, the highlight was when the youngest members of the club got to meet the profiles IM Eric Rosen from the USA and IM Irene Kharisma Sukandar from Indonesia before the tournament began. Even though they had plans for the evening, they smiled and immediately agreed when asked to meet the Hell juniors. It’s easy to be starstruck when meeting such personalities, but with the kindness and warmth they showed towards the youngest players, the evening by the Nidelven River can only be described as magical.

The opening ceremony began with welcoming remarks from Bjørgvin Thorsteinsson, Director of the Nidaros Cathedral Restoration Works; Anniken Vestby, President of the Norwegian Chess Federation; and Kent Ranum, the Mayor of Trondheim. They extended a warm welcome to everyone attending the Nordic Championship and Lewis Chess Legends 2024 in Trondheim.

Now, let’s dive into the tournament action! In the first round, Alexander Øye-Strømberg from Hell Chess Club had the opportunity to play against the Nordic chess queen, GM Pia Cramling from Sweden. Alexander seized the moment and eventually launched a successful king-side attack. He was the only Hell player to secure a victory against a GM; however, Pia avenged herself against two other players from the host club and finished as the Nordic Women’s Champion 2024.

All games from the event were broadcast live on Lichess, where every round from the historic Archbishop’s Palace in Trondheim can still be replayed move by move.

The featured game is presented below — ready to be enjoyed, completely untouched by commentary 🙂

Legendary

The history and origins of the Lewis Chess Pieces, combined with the unique Archbishop’s Palace by Nidaros Cathedral, were perfectly complemented by the magnificent playing venue—the coronation room (Herresalen). We firmly believe that many chess legends will battle countless times here in the years to come, in the sport where women and men compete face to face and side by side.

A special thanks to photographer Lars R. Bang, whose striking images captured the essence of Lewis Chess Legends 2024 and serve as a lasting visual record of the event. We also extend our gratitude to Amanda Sotberg, Sven-Erik Knoff, and Anniken Vestby for their many beautiful contributions behind the camera — together, their work brought the tournament’s atmosphere to life in every frame. More photos on the official tournament page.

The lecture on the Lewis Chessmen by Odd Halvor Moen was held in one of the voult-rooms with an entrance from the courtyard. As the talk touched on the museums in Edinburgh and London, it turned out that there was both a Scotsman and an Englishman in the audience! Phoebe Witte interviewed the lecturer about the Lewis Chess Pieces, and this will be available shortly. Odd Halvor owns the king and queen pieces shown in the photo, which were crafted during the Stone Carving Festival at the Archbishop’s Palace back in 2019. These massive pieces were displayed at the main entrance during the tournament. A big thank you to Odd Halvor for yet another entertaining and informative lecture on this cultural treasure in Trøndelag!

«Gens Una Sumus» is the motto of FIDE (the World Chess Federation). It’s Latin for «We are one family.» Arbiters and volunteers rolled up their sleeves to ensure that the first edition of the Lewis Chess Legends was a success. The chief arbiter was IA Erling Skjelstad, originally from Stjørdal and now living in Trondheim. IA stands for International Arbiter, a formal requirement for organizing such a tournament. The President of the Norwegian Chess Federation, IA Anniken Vestby, gave the welcome speech at the opening ceremony and also served as an arbiter and photographer during the event. IA Baran Sharif came all the way from Tehran, navigating a challenging journey since the airspace over Iran was closed just as she was about to depart. With her solid arbitration and indispensable contributions, she truly left her mark on the tournament.

Tore Kristiansen is also a chess arbiter but is especially known as one of the country’s best in setting up and managing digital chessboards, which he brought from neighboring clubs in Møre & Romsdal, Molde Chess Club, and Kristiansund Chess Club. We also borrowed chess equipment from SebraSjakk and TSF, local chess clubs in Trondheim.

Harald Christian Sagevik from Avas AS handled all the technical needs, with special focus on IM Irene Sukandar, who streamed all the rounds live on our partner platform, Lichess. H.C. has extensive experience in the festival industry and is rightly credited as a concept developer. And then there was the excellent hosting by Bjørgvin Thorsteinsson and Mads Flagestad—it was simply fantastic to organize a chess tournament with people who possess such deep expertise. Club members and parents pitched in with setup and takedown, staffing the secretariat, driving to and from the airport, accommodating guests, and publishing games online. When they noticed gaps in my planning, they made sure to fill them.

Special thanks go to Theo Wait, Director of Operations at Lichess, whose support and streaming infrastructure made it possible for the entire event from the Archbishop’s Palace in Trondheim to be broadcast live and reach a global audience. And last but not least, my wife and children, who have supported me with thousands of hours of organizing chess in Trøndelag since we started in 2008.

Out of 114 participants, 31 were from Hell Chess Club, and 11 players came from other clubs in Trøndelag. Besides Hell Chess Club, Oslo Schakselskap had the most participants in the tournament. The vibrant community and the enthusiastic young players in our own club are, of course, the driving force behind organizing such an event for me.

Unfortunately, the awards ceremony proceeded without the tournament winner, IM Jung Min Seo from Sweden. They were likely caught off guard, as they had booked their flight for the same time as the scheduled awards ceremony. Nevertheless, many attended the ceremony, which featured a draw for two luxury watches from Von Doren among those present.

A special thanks to watchmaker Von Doren for generously sponsoring several timepieces — including the “Grandmaster” collection — which added an elegant and meaningful touch to the event.

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WGM Irene Kharisma Sukandar – Chess Player, Commentator & Educator, Lewis Chess Legends 2024

During the Lewis Chess Legends 2024, WGM Irene Kharisma Sukandar provided live commentary for every round on the official Lichess YouTube channel. Her insightful analysis and engaging presentation offered viewers a front-row experience from the historic Archbishop’s Palace in Trondheim, blending expert understanding with clarity and warmth.

Irene is an Indonesian Woman Grandmaster, multiple-time national champion, and one of Asia’s most respected chess educators. Beyond competitive play, she is known for her accessible teaching style and dedication to promoting chess as an inclusive and inspiring sport.

Below is one of her live broadcasts from the event. You can find links to all rounds further down the page.

🎥 Lewis Chess Legends 2024 – Live Commentary by WGM Irene Kharisma Sukandar

🗣️ Related Interviews on the Lichess Channel

• Full Interview with IM Eric Rosen – Round 5 Lewis Chess Legends (11 min)
• Full Interview with GM Pia Cramling – Round 4 Lewis Chess Legends (16 min)
• Full Interview with GM Jon Ludvig Hammer – Round 4 Lewis Chess Legends (10 min)

Follow WGM Irene Kharisma Sukandar:
• 🎥 YouTube – Irene Sukandar – Full tournament commentaries and chess lessons
• 🟣 Twitch – irenesukandar – Live analysis, training sessions, and interactive streams
• 📸 Instagram – @irene_sukandar – Photos, travel highlights, and behind-the-scenes updates

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Phoebe Witte – Chess Player, Creator & Streamer

Throughout the Lewis Chess Legends 2024 tournament, Phoebe Witte provided commented game-streams and video highlights, giving her followers a unique behind-the-scenes look at the event inside the historic Archbishop’s Palace in Trondheim. Her warm and creative approach to chess storytelling makes the game both accessible and inspiring to new audiences.

Follow Phoebe Witte:
• 🎥 YouTube – Phoebe Witte – Tournament vlogs, commentary, and highlights
• 🟣 Twitch – phoebewitte – Live chess streams and community interaction
• 🎬 TikTok – @pheebsie_ – Short-form clips, humor, and behind-the-scenes moments
• 📸 Instagram – @phoebewittechess – Photos, travel updates, and tournament snapshots

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IM Eric Rosen – Chess Player & Online Creator

During the Lewis Chess Legends 2024, Eric Rosen participated in the event and his presence added further depth and colour to the competition. As an International Master known for his educational videos and live streams, Rosen combines practical over-the-board performance with a strong online chess-content presence.

Based in St. Louis, USA, Rosen holds the title of IM (awarded in 2015) and has built a substantial following on Twitch and YouTube. His content often blends instructive elements, friendly commentary, and engaging interaction with the broader chess community.

Follow IM Eric Rosen:
• 🎥 YouTube – Eric Rosen – Long-form videos, game analysis, live stream highlights
• 🟣 Twitch – imrosen – Live chess streams, viewer games, interactive commentary
• 📸 Instagram – @iamericrosen – Photos, tournament snapshots, personal insights

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Reports and Results
IM Erik Gullaksen from bergensjakk.no:
Round 1 | Round 2 | Round 3 | Round 4 | Round 5 | Round 6 | Round 7 | Round 8 | Round 9 | Berserker Blitz 2024

More photos from the event can be found on the official tournament page at Lewis Chess Legends.

Media Coverage
Adresseavisen only for subscribers: Hammertime in the Archbishop’s Palace

The event was featured by Nidaros Cathedral’s official website, highlighting the historical link between the Lewis Chessmen and the Archbishop’s Palace in Trondheim.

The event was also featured by Tromsøsjakk, which published an article about Lewis Chess Legends 2024 in Trondheim. Read it here.

The event was featured in a press release published by NTB Kommunikasjon, highlighting the international scope and cultural setting of the tournament at the Archbishop’s Palace in Trondheim.

Live games and archives
All tournament games were broadcast in real time on Lichess and are also available for replay on 365Chess.com, where you can explore the complete game collection from Lewis Chess Legends Open 2024.

Perspective
Linda H. Johnsen attended the event and shared her impressions and photos from Lewis Chess Legends 2024 on her blog: Lewis Chess Legends.

Event previews, coverages and brief mentions:
Dansk Skak Union preview, Dansk Skak Union coverage, FIDE Tournament Information, ChessNews.kz, Suomen Shakkiliitto, Skák.is, Jamt-Schack, chess-games.com, ChessTech, Chessable, joason Blogg.no, Chessaround and Von Doren.

Results from Lewis Chess Legends 2024 and Berserker Blitz 2024. More photos from the event can be found on the official tournament page at Lewis Chess Legends. Live Chess Broadcast on Lichess.

As the pieces are packed away and the halls of the Archbishop’s Palace fall silent again, one can’t help but wonder — will the Lewis Chess Legends return to Trondheim someday?
Until then, follow the story at www.lewischesslegends.com.

Written by FA Torbjørn Dahl, Hell Chess Club