Who will win in Tromso?

[Lewis Martin]

It might also help with the business of getting one of your players an FM or CM title.

Probably a more separate question to the above topic discussed, but is it true that if you get an IM (or GM) norm in the Olympiad, then this counts as 2 norms? How then, does this satisfy the minimum of 27 games?

[IM Jack Rudd]

It might also help with the business of getting one of your players an FM or CM title.

Probably a more separate question to the above topic discussed, but is it true that if you get an IM (or GM) norm in the Olympiad, then this counts as 2 norms? How then, does this satisfy the minimum of 27 games?

I think the Olympiad norm is counted twice when making up the 27 games.

[Stewart Reuben]

I forgot the regulations. They don't look like the way I wrote them in 2002.
Olympiad

GM
Min 9 games GM norm –
20 game norm;
Min 9 games GM performance – i.e. 2600+ but not at least 3 GMs.
13 game norm

IM
Min 9 games IM norm –
20 game norm;
Min 9 games IM performance – i.e. 2450+ but not at least 3 IMs.
13 game norm

FM
65% in min 9 games - title

CM
50% in min 7 games - title

The original table looks better. Jack confused me by stating it counted as 2 norms. That is not correct. It counts as 20 games in the Olympiad. Thus, a norm in the European Club Cup of 7 games plus the Olympiad norm is enough.

The women's is the same pattern.

As usual, if you have obtained the norm, subsequent play cannot damage it. Thus a player has 3.5/7. He has the CM title even if his percentage later frops below 50%.

[IM Jack Rudd]

*plots way to get 9/9 against an 1800 field*

[John Moore]

Armenia, Russia, France for me - with England finishing top of the home countries.

[Stewart Reuben]

Jack >*plots way to get 9/9 against an 1800 field*<

That would give you a TPR of 2600. It would not get a prize. So what? It's only a 13 game norm.

Robert Gwaze scored 9/9 on board 1 for Zimbabwe. He stopped playing in order to be sure of the Gold Medal. I asked him, why he hadn't continued in order to try to secure a GM norm? He said 4 of his opponents were unrated. That is why they changed from raw score to TPR.
I think that's pity. Why not award both types of prizes and set suitable regulations. Then the weaker teams can get a look in.
FIDE still allow playing in any order. They do not have the equivlent of the 4NCL rule.

[Arshad Ali]

The team that wins will be the one that remains focused on the game and doesn't gripe in futile fashion about the abysmal condition of the toilets.

[Stewart Reuben]

Or the quality of the coffee. I met Manuel Weeks who left the venue to buy some coffee for his players. This has resulted in a proposed change in the Tournament Rules concerning a captain leaving the venue and then returning.

Today I introduced The Gambians to the joys of preparing for your opponents by using chessbase. They were playing Barbados. Their coach - Lorin D'Costa.
The Olympiads have many joys. Dr Jana Bellin, Jon Speelman, Phil Ehr, David Openshaw and Alex Holowczak are, or have been, here. Andrew Paulson arrived yesterday.

[Roger de Coverly]

Today I introduced The Gambians to the joys of preparing for your opponents by using chessbase.

I'm not sure what it proves, but ChessBase and Malcolm Pein were marketing this over twenty five years ago. In those days Atari STs were the most portable computers, so one of those in a rucksack and a demo of why you should buy Chessbase 1. or 2. whatever.

In practice, it wasn't a lot of use for preparing for particular opponents as there weren't any games available.What you could do is test whether your ideas had been tried before and how well they worked.

[Roger de Coverly]

. Andrew Paulson arrived yesterday.

I suppose it remains an issue as to what extent, if any, Agon has any influence over future FIDE events.

[Stewart Reuben]

Roger >I suppose it remains an issue as to what extent, if any, Agon has any influence over future FIDE events.<
I rather think Agon is a goner. Andrew may have some influence in FIDE. Certainly Kasparov rather snarled when Andrew and I accidentally encountered him yesterday.

[Lewis Martin]

This thread seems to have gone off track. It is a rather exciting Olympiad from a neutral's point of view, we have leaders go back on forth, as well as some surprise results.

So far, unfortunately it looks long gone for England. It'll have to be something of a miracle for us to get 3rd.

China look very strong indeed for the title. France and Ukraine are slowly coming to the fore, but is it too late for them? Azerbaijan of course are still in it.

We might have to entertain the possibility that Russia won't get a medal!

[MartinCarpenter]

Haven't they failed to do that before in recent history? Genuinely mysterious how they could do so badly relative to their strength for so long.

[Leonard Barden]

China's current gold medal standing is the more impressive since, for reasons unknown, they omitted three of their 2700s-Wang Hao, Bu Xiangzhi and Li Chao-in favour of three sub-2700s.

[Mick Norris]

China's current gold medal standing is the more impressive since, for reasons unknown, they omitted three of their 2700s-Wang Hao, Bu Xiangzhi and Li Chao-in favour of three sub-2700s.

I read that they dropped players for performing below par in previous team events, and preferred younger alternatives, which is interesting if true