English Chess Forum

Jonathan Rogers wrote: ↑

Fri Sep 18, 2026 3:05 pm

On the board above, Armenia have won by making three draws and Gabriel Sargissian winning. Never change, you brave Armenians.

It hasn't worked too badly for them in recent years tbf.

Lithuania v England is a match in which both captains could almost play for their side - perhaps especially in the case of former Hastings winner Rozentalis, though I guess he is well into his sixties now. Very nice chap, btw (forgive me if I said this before. I probably have. He is). Now aged 63, ...

Levin for Chess.com seems to have missed this, though he spotted El Salvador beating Cuba. Few countries can have suffered more from a chess "brain drain" than Cuba tbh. I raise you: Iran To an extent, but their offering here is still ranked 18th overall and has a top board rated 2737. Unlike them,...

Madagascar (99) beat Portugal (49) today. Admittedly, I only checked the match because one of my 4NCL team players was involved. Levin for Chess.com seems to have missed this, though he spotted El Salvador beating Cuba. Few countries can have suffered more from a chess "brain drain" than Cuba tbh.

Ivanchuk also loses (with White) to a 2385 rated Estonian.

I had not personally come across the term "tontine" before, so thank you for that

LawrenceCooper wrote: ↑

Thu Sep 17, 2026 2:09 pm

Scotland are playing Armenia. A solid draw for Freddy against Martirosyan on board one.

He is rated 2636, not bad.

Thomas Rendle wrote: ↑

Wed Sep 16, 2026 7:11 pm

Odd, he seemed to have almost 20 minutes on the clock - so something strange has happened.

Well chessgames.com now has it as a win for White (still not ChessBase tho)

Also notable in the Open - l'Ami and Shoppen both drawing their games for the Netherlands against China Hong Kong, Gledura losing (and Banusz drawing) for Hungary ahainst Malta, Dehtiarov drawing for Ukraine against Zimbabwe, Shirov likewise for Spain against Libya, Ivic for Serbia against South Su...

What is the figure in brackets?

When did the BCM switch over to algebraic, come to think of it?

(CHESS magazine had an algebraic edition from the late 1970s, before the full conversion when Pergamon relaunched it)

LawrenceCooper wrote: ↑

Wed Sep 16, 2026 12:18 pm

Israel-Pakistan ended 4-0 without a move being played.

Sigh, not this s*** again.

And in this case I suppose the requirement to do the draw in strict rating order removed any chance of "flexibility".

Correspondence chess has had a good and generally worthy innings, but isn't it now time to admit computers have made it basically obsolete?

(certainly at the highest competitive levels, as perhaps opposed to a "bit of fun")

JustinHorton wrote: ↑

Wed Sep 16, 2026 1:16 pm

That reminds me - I'm sure there's somebody with a reputation for turning up any playing deliberately bad games, maybe in the Women's section. Does anybody know who I'm talking about, and are they present in Samarkand?

Are we sure that they were *deliberately* bad?

Kevin Thurlow wrote: ↑

Wed Sep 16, 2026 7:50 am

It seems a little odd that Uzbekistan are allowed three teams.

Multiple teams for the host nation has been a thing since at least the 1980s, it was maybe three this time to make an even number overall (though I recall at least one event - in Russia - where there were four)