2017 European Ind Ch 29 May - 11 June (Minsk)

[LawrenceCooper]

Wins for both David and Gawain today to advance them to 5 and 4.5/6.

[JustinHorton]

What do the panel think a qualifying score is going to be?

Onischuk caved in to David very suddenly: in time-trouble he seemed to see something he thought was clever, but wasn't.

[Jonathan Rogers]

Wins for both David and Gawain today to advance them to 5 and 4.5/6.

Jobava won too, and all of them with Black. Nice day!

[LawrenceCooper]

Round 7 on 2017/06/06 at 15.30
Bo. No. Name Rtg Pts. Result Pts. Name Rtg No.
1 34 GM Kovalenko Igor 2657 5 5 GM Matlakov Maxim 2714 5
2 16 GM Cheparinov Ivan 2688 5 5 GM Fridman Daniel 2605 79
3 18 GM Howell David W L 2684 5 5 GM Melkumyan Hrant 2613 72
4 52 GM Kuzubov Yuriy 2637 5 5 GM Anton Guijarro David 2660 30
5 105 GM Mastrovasilis Dimitrios 2580 5 5 GM Dubov Daniil 2660 31
13 36 GM Jones Gawain C B 2654 4½ 4½ GM Pantsulaia Levan 2594 95
124 142 GM Alsina Leal Daniel 2530 2½ 2½ FM Tate Alan 2320 280

[Mick Norris]

What do the panel think a qualifying score is going to be?

Onischuk caved in to David very suddenly: in time-trouble he seemed to see something he thought was clever, but wasn't.

As I said upthread, 8 should qualify; 7.5 might need a good tiebreak

David doesn't currently have a good tiebreak, but being 10th will mean if he stays up there it will improve; so he is aiming for 3/5; I reckon if he wins tomorrow, he might be a in a group happy to exchange draws to qualify, although obviously I'd like to see him keep winning and actually become European Champion

Gawain has a slightly better tiebreak, but is still closer to the bottom than top of his scoregroup; he needs at least 3/5, possibly 3.5/5 from here

It is actually a bit complicated, as some of the players are already qualified; if Ivanchuk is qualified for the World Cup by rating (which I'm still not clear about), then Gawain gets the ACP slot

[Mick Norris]

Gawain has won to join 6 others so far on 5.5/7

David's game became very interesting from move 37

[Chris Rice]

Must be the old style time control as Melkyuman has just blundered big time vs David Howell.

EDITED: I had better take this back as the time control is 90 minutes for 40 moves plus 30 minutes for the rest of the game, with an increment of 30 seconds per move, starting from move one which leaves me completely clueless as to what on Earth Melkyuman was thinking. Guess he must have missed a tactic.

[JustinHorton]

Eyes popping out here

[LawrenceCooper]

David has to won to take the outright lead, albeit there are two other games where players could catch him.

[Christopher Kreuzer]

The pairings for round 8 give David Howell black versus his co-leader David Anton. 11 players (including Gawain Jones) on 5.5/7, with Gawain black versus Daniel Fridman. David's current live rating is 2702.6.

Has a UK chess player ever won or come close to winning this tournament?

Seems not: European Individual Chess Championship

[Mick Norris]

Bo. No. Name Rtg Pts. Result Pts. Name Rtg No.

1 30 GM Anton Guijarro David 2660 6 6 GM Howell David W L 2684 18

2 5 GM Matlakov Maxim 2714 5½ 5½ GM Shimanov Aleksandr 2642 46
3 50 GM Ivanisevic Ivan 2638 5½ 5½ GM Cheparinov Ivan 2688 16
4 31 GM Dubov Daniil 2660 5½ 5½ IM Mikaelyan Arman 2444 216
5 59 GM Demchenko Anton 2629 5½ 5½ GM Kovalenko Igor 2657 34
6 79 GM Fridman Daniel 2605 5½ 5½ GM Jones Gawain C B 2654 36
7 6 GM Jobava Baadur 2713 5 5½ GM Mastrovasilis Dimitrios 2580 105

Maybe a quick draw on top board?

Gawain is 9th on tiebreak, but there are 50 players with at least 5/7

[LawrenceCooper]

Bo. No. Name Rtg Pts. Result Pts. Name Rtg No.

1 30 GM Anton Guijarro David 2660 6 6 GM Howell David W L 2684 18

2 5 GM Matlakov Maxim 2714 5½ 5½ GM Shimanov Aleksandr 2642 46
3 50 GM Ivanisevic Ivan 2638 5½ 5½ GM Cheparinov Ivan 2688 16
4 31 GM Dubov Daniil 2660 5½ 5½ IM Mikaelyan Arman 2444 216
5 59 GM Demchenko Anton 2629 5½ 5½ GM Kovalenko Igor 2657 34
6 79 GM Fridman Daniel 2605 5½ 5½ GM Jones Gawain C B 2654 36
7 6 GM Jobava Baadur 2713 5 5½ GM Mastrovasilis Dimitrios 2580 105

Maybe a quick draw on top board?

I don't think either of them do quick draws so I'm expecting a hard fought game. Anton has won four in a row and David five.

Elsewhere Bacrot's default presumably has a story behind it, but not sure what that is.

[NickFaulks]

I don't think either of them do quick draws

Fridman does quick draws, though.

[Jonathan Rogers]

Wins for both David and Gawain today to advance them to 5 and 4.5/6.

Jobava won too, and all of them with Black. Nice day!

And again!

One popular line for Black against 1 b3 is 1...e5 2 Bb2 Nc6 3 e3 Nf6, intending to meet 4 Bb5 with 4...Bd6. According to the book of Jobova, White should play 4 h3 ....

[LawrenceCooper]

I don't think either of them do quick draws

Fridman does quick draws, though.

Yes, I could imagine he may be less ambitious than David's opponent.