Varsity Match

[John Moore]

Thanks John - but you still have Bernard's review of Nakamura's bullet chess rubbish where the New in Chess anthology should be

[Jon D'Souza-Eva]

Fritz suggests that the attack Agnese found was actually good for white had she found the right continuation. It's just a shame she had only 30 second (and no - I'm not exaggerating) for about 15 moves before the time control in such a sharp position).

I noticed Agnese playing on playchess.com a few months ago. She had a blitz rating of over 2400, which astonished me because when I've watched some of her league matches she plays more like someone graded around 120.

[Eoin Devane]

I noticed Agnese playing on playchess.com a few months ago. She had a blitz rating of over 2400, which astonished me because when I've watched some of her league matches she plays more like someone graded around 120.

Yes - I was similarly surprised! As it turns out, that wasn't actually Agnese, it was Thanasis (our board 2); he occasionally plays on there under various different names. Apparently he also has an accound under the name of "Yi-Ming Lai", so if you see Yi-Ming playing at 2400 level then you'll be relieved to learn it's not really him.

[Ben Purton]

No disrespect forumers but

1) 2400 on internet if not in 5-min pool, is nothing special
2) Smallville is incredible at bullet
3) I think Selina would have beaten the bottom board regardless

[Ben Purton]

If your 2400 5-min , your IM strength OTB almost guranteed.

[Eoin Devane]

3) I think Selina would have beaten the bottom board regardless

Would this have anything to do with her being a Shark?

Seriously though, I presume you've seen her game. She fairly outplayed Agnese in the Opening, but once Agnese started attacking her she looked really quite shaky. A couple of days before the match Thanasis looked through her game and surmised that her main weakness seems to be when it comes to defending her king. Based on the game, I'd say he was right, and that that seems to be the main area of her game that she needs to improve. As I said before, it's a shame Agnese dug herself into such a hole on the clock that she had no time to think through her attack.

[Neill Cooper]

For comparison here are the boat race teams and nationalities:
Oxford: Ben Myers (GB), Martin Walsh (Ire), Tyler Winklevoss (USA), Cameron Winklevoss (USA), Sjoerd Hamburger (Ned), Matt Evans (Can/GB), Simon Gawlick (Ger), Charlie Burkitt (GB), Adam Barhamand (cox; USA)
Cambridge: Rob Weitemeyer (Can), Geoff Roth (Can), George Nash (GB), Peter McCelland (Can), Deaglan McEachern (USA), Henry Pelly (GB), Derek Rasmussen (USA), Fred Gill (GB), Ted Randolph (cox - GB)

[Ben Purton]

One of the american lads was in a mag im reading.

Did you know he can bench 300lbs x 14. Thats pretty incredible for someone in young 20's who is not a power lifter.

Ben