matt turner plays peter pooblsingham in round 2 what a joke!

[Ian Lamb]

tromso matt turner and peter poob the only two english players in the tourny with 120 entrance playing each other in round 2 with matt was black a draw but to pair each other i guess it was a computer draw!!!. here the game http://www.sjakk-live.com/ .

[Richard Bates]

I could have sworn i have read this somewhere before....

[Stewart Reuben]

I remember when Richard Britton I were paired together in Ovidu, Spain. The mainly professional other English players were quite indignant. Neither Richard nor I considered the matter of any importance. I thought with 600 players they had other things to think about.
Either you avoid pairings together such as players from the same country, relatives, or just rely on the pairing system. But never, ever pair Arabs or Iranians with Israelis unless you determine it is OK (Qatari are fine. UAE not at all). They just can't play. This is an unwritten rule for the Olympiads.
I used to do directed pairings particularly for the Lloyds Bank Masters and Hastings. That was to help enable people to have the opportunity to get title norms. Eventually I changed the regulations so that this was no longer necessary. It only took 25 years.
Stewart Reuben

[Alex Holowczak]

But never, ever pair Arabs or Iranians with Israelis unless you determine it is OK (Qatari are fine. UAE not at all). They just can't play. This is an unwritten rule for the Olympiads.

That's sad. I can see why it happens, but it's sad.

[JustinHorton]

Lawrence Trent was drawn against Stephen Gordon in a Spanish tournament last month. The opening was an Anti-Moscow Gambit which led everybody to believe a exciting struggle lay ahead ... except for me, as the half-hour draw I had predicted duly came to pass.

[Leonard Barden]

Student and teacher - Peter S Poobalasingam (2224) and GM Matthew J Turner (2517) from England. Last year they also met early and they then took a short draw which turned out well for both of them. Matthew ended as nr.3 and Peter got a stunning 9th place. The only difference this year was that they played a Scotch instead of English opening. It all was theory and pretty grim to watch - isn't the teacher supposed to give his student a lesson or two?


Caption to the Arctic Challenge round 2 blog, which has a picture of the Peter v Matthew game in progress.......

[Leonard Barden]

Swiss gambit didn't do much good, unfortunately. In round 3 Turner drew with a 2232-rated Norwegian and Pooba lost to a 2539 GM.

[Nigel Wright]

But never, ever pair Arabs or Iranians with Israelis unless you determine it is OK (Qatari are fine. UAE not at all). They just can't play. This is an unwritten rule for the Olympiads.

That's sad. I can see why it happens, but it's sad.

is that really how it is? that's bad...

i understand why, but surely someone should tell these countries that what happens on the chess board STAYS on the chess board! lol

[Stewart Reuben]

Nigel Wright >i understand why, but surely someone should tell these countries that what happens on the chess board STAYS on the chess board! lol<

FIDE is not the problem. It is Laws of a country. Graphically I was told by a Syrian Hakki many years ago, 'I cannot play an Israeli, if I did and went home, that would be the end of Hakki.' He made an expressive gesture as if cutting his throat.

There are some things more important than precise Swiss Pairings.

Several Arabs have told me they have nothing against Jews (of course they cannot be anti-semitic). They are anti-Zionist. I have been invited to Iran, even after I pointed out this might embarrass the invitor. The event virtually clashed with other activities. I don't know whether I would have gone otherwise. I know my family would have been unhappy.

Stewart Reuben