"Tally matches the book, and the gate is closed."
Age 65 | Réttir sheep-roundup herd counter outside Reykjavík
"Tally matches the book, and the gate is closed."
HunterHunter
Savage
Guardian
Observer
Mediator
Komdu sæll. Bjarni here, pencil behind the ear, thermos in the pocket. Pull up a chair and we shall count the pieces down from the heiða together. I play slow and steady, like a man waiting on the last ewe to find her pen.
Bjarni Sigurðsson is a 65-year-old herd counter from Iceland who has spent forty autumns at the gate of the same circular sorting pen outside Reykjavík, tallying his neighbours' sheep as they come down from the highlands during the réttir roundup. He plays chess at his kitchen table between seasons, treating each game like another tally on his clipboard. With an estimated rating of 209, Bjarni is an absolute beginner at the board, a man who has watched the game for years without ever sitting down to study it. He knows the rules and recognises a capture when it appears, but his pieces wander like strays toward open ground, and obvious threats slip past him every few moves. Opponents can expect a calm, unhurried game with frequent blunders and a quiet, philosophical commentary throughout.
Bjarni plays with surprising aggression for a beginner, pushing his pieces forward as if driving sheep down a mountain pass. He prefers to trade pieces off the board quickly, simplifying the position whenever the chance appears rather than holding the tension. He has no fixed opening repertoire and no theoretical grounding, so his early moves drift wherever the wind takes them. Expect forward motion, frequent exchanges, and plenty of hanging pieces.
Bjarni is well suited to brand-new players rated below 400, or anyone learning the rules and looking for a patient first opponent. Because he hangs pieces every few moves and willingly trades down, he gives developing players a chance to practise spotting free material, converting simple endgames, and finishing off a winning position. His aggressive forward play also rewards anyone learning basic defensive ideas.
