The spring season ended exactly the way we hoped it would — with great chess, good people and one final night at Trondheim Spektrum.
(Rating based on chess.com or fuzz-rating)
BEGINNERS:
0 – 999
CHALLENGERS:
1000 – 1599
EXPERTS:
1600 – 2199
MASTERS:
2200 – 2999
The first number indicates the number of people, while the percentage shows the share of the total of 29 participants.
BEGINNERS
10 – 34 %
CHALLENGERS
11 – 38 %
EXPERTS
6 – 21 %
MASTERS
2 – 7 %
Newcomers
10 – 34 %
Students
9 – 21 %
This event looked a little different from the previous ones.
For the first time this year, we brought interviews back to FUZZ BLITZ LOUNGE, with Ingrid and Helene helping us capture the evening both on and off the board. Throughout the tournament they spoke with players, filmed stories, gathered reactions, and helped showcase the people behind the moves.
The atmosphere felt relaxed from the very beginning. Players arrived early, conversations flowed between rounds, and many stayed long after the tournament had finished. As always, the chess was important — but so were the people around it.
A special moment came during the break, when Duo Mágico performed three original compositions for the audience. For fifteen minutes, the tournament hall transformed into something else entirely. Players put their clocks aside, listened, chatted, and enjoyed a small musical pause before returning to the boards for the final rounds.
Music remained a part of the evening throughout. FUZZSJAKK CEO Gary Andrés Chinga handled the DJ duties, playing a selection of organic and melodic house that stayed in the background without ever taking attention away from the chess. The goal was simple: create a warm atmosphere for people to play, talk, and spend time together.
In many ways, that has become one of the defining characteristics of FUZZ BLITZ LOUNGE. Competitive games, certainly. But also conversations, familiar faces, newcomers finding their place, and a room full of people sharing the same evening around the chessboard.
If there was one player who defined the tournament, it was FM Gunnar Lund (2819).
The former FUZZ BLITZ LOUNGE champion returned for the season finale and delivered another flawless performance, scoring 8 out of 8 points and never looking seriously troubled along the way.
His path included victories over Håkon Sletnes Faber (2200), Live Skigelstrand (1891), Jonathan Lundstedt (1867) and Julian Moe-Tilset (1698) — all players who finished near the top of the standings.
Three FUZZSJAKK appearances. Three tournament victories.
A fitting way to close the spring season.
Making your FUZZSJAKK debut is one thing.
Finishing second overall is something else.
After losing to FM Gunnar Lund in round one, Håkon responded brilliantly, scoring 6 points from his remaining 7 games and climbing all the way to second place.
His wins over Sigurd Nordgård (1513), Jonathan Lundstedt (1867) and Raven Lyngstad (1651) proved decisive.
Not a bad way to introduce yourself to the FUZZSJAKK community.
One of the strongest performances of the night came from Stian Smith-Meyer (1525).
Competing in the Challenger Class, Stian scored 6 out of 8 points and finished 4th overall — ahead of several Expert-class players.
Victories against Sigurd Nordgård (1513), Magnus Bru (1336) and Julian Moe-Tilset (1698) helped secure both the Challenger title and one of the highest overall finishes of the evening.
A calm and consistent performance from start to finish.
Live Skigelstrand (1891) finished as Best Female Player, but that only tells part of the story.
She spent most of the evening competing on the top boards and earned impressive victories against Alf Wilhelm Lundberg (2000) and Håkon Sletnes Faber (2200).
Her final score of 5/8 was enough for 5th overall in a field that included several players rated above 1800 and 2000.
One of the strongest individual performances of the night.
Most chess tournaments pause for coffee.
This one paused for live music.
During the break, Duo Mágico performed three original compositions for the audience, creating one of the most memorable moments of the evening.
For a few minutes, clocks stopped, conversations paused, and attention shifted from the boards to the stage.
A small reminder of what FUZZ BLITZ LOUNGE is trying to be: not just a chess tournament, but an evening where chess, people and culture meet in the same room.
THANK YOU FOR THE SPRING SEASON
From January to May, the 2025 spring season brought together 192 entries across five tournaments at Trondheim Spektrum.
There were perfect scores, breakthrough performances, new friendships, old rivalries and countless games of chess.
Thank you to everyone who played, volunteered, helped, performed, supported and spent their evenings with us.
We’ll see you again after summer.
Mats Eide has now competed in 14 FUZZSJAKK events, and this marks his fourth tournament win — further establishing himself as one of the most consistent players in the format.
With a perfect 8/8 score, he claimed the FUZZ BLITZ LOUNGE title, winning every round and beating Truls Dybvik (2100) in the final on the large 3D board.
Prize:
800 NOK + one free event of choice at Spektrum
Best Game: Round 1
Mats Eide (2051) – Truls Dybvik (2100) — 1–0
One of the defining moments came already in Round 1, where Mats defeated one of the highest-rated players in the field, Truls Dybvik. A result that set the tone for the rest of his perfect run.
Truls Dybvik has now competed in 12 FUZZSJAKK events.
With 6/8 points, he secured 2nd place in this edition of FUZZ BLITZ LOUNGE — delivering strong performances throughout the tournament and staying in contention until the very end.
He also advanced to the final on the large board, where he faced Mats Eide in a rematch from the opening round.
Another solid result, and a performance that reinforces his level.
Prize:
DGT Board
Best Game: Round 6
Truls Dybvik (2100) – Julian Moe-Tilset (1708) — 1–0
One of Truls’ strongest performances came in Round 6, where he defeated Julian Moe-Tilset — a solid and experienced player in the field. A controlled win at a key point in the tournament.
The defining game of the night came in the final round.
Iver Flem, entering as one of the lowest-rated players in the field, faced Truls Dybvik — one of the tournament’s top performers. What followed was a sharp turnaround. A missed queen fork gave Iver the opening he needed, and once the initiative shifted, he committed fully.
The attack built quickly, and despite the rating gap, Iver never let the position slip. He converted the opportunity with confidence, securing one of the most surprising results of the night.
After the game, Truls summed it up simply:
“He played well. I missed a queen fork, and suddenly the attack was just there. I underestimated it.”
A result that captured both the unpredictability of the format — and the kind of moments that define a night like this.
Points out of a total of 8 possible