World Teams 2019

[Christopher Kreuzer]

9am start on 13 March (UTC) for the penultimate round (R8). Then a start four hours earlier for the final round (R9) the next day. I can understand this for a tournament where people are travelling to get home after the final round, but surely for a tournament like this, you shouldn't have the final round at a different time to the other rounds? Anyway, good luck to England for the match against China (a draw might be enough for silver, but hope they go for a win if they get the chance). Anyone know when the team lists are published?

[NickFaulks]

yes, though if I remember right, it was on the part of Short who was a handful of points higher than Miles and unhappy to play on board three, in Dubai 1986.

Short had evidently changed his point of view by 1997, when he played on top board in the World Teams despite being rated below both Adams and Sadler.

[LawrenceCooper]

9am start on 13 March (UTC) for the penultimate round (R8). Then a start four hours earlier for the final round (R9) the next day. I can understand this for a tournament where people are travelling to get home after the final round, but surely for a tournament like this, you shouldn't have the final round at a different time to the other rounds? Anyway, good luck to England for the match against China (a draw might be enough for silver, but hope they go for a win if they get the chance). Anyone know when the team lists are published?

Four hours earlier does seem excessive even allowing for whatever grandiose closing ceremony they have planned.

I think the pairings appear four hours (or maybe more) in advance or at least that ties in with when chess-results is updated. From events I've been to (albeit with a lot more teams) you submit your board order by 9.30am, published at 10.00 and play at 15:00. For early starting last rounds you sometimes have to submit the night before.

[David Sedgwick]

9am start on 13 March (UTC) for the penultimate round (R8). Then a start four hours earlier for the final round (R9) the next day.

What is your source, please?

Both Chess-Results and the Regulations on the official site give the starting time as 1200 (0600 GMT), which is three hours earlier than the previous rounds.

[Christopher Kreuzer]

I was going by the round times on Chessbomb, which gave 05:00 UTC. Should have checked with the official site, which will be the correct times.

[Alex Holowczak]

9am start on 13 March (UTC) for the penultimate round (R8). Then a start four hours earlier for the final round (R9) the next day. I can understand this for a tournament where people are travelling to get home after the final round, but surely for a tournament like this, you shouldn't have the final round at a different time to the other rounds? Anyway, good luck to England for the match against China (a draw might be enough for silver, but hope they go for a win if they get the chance). Anyone know when the team lists are published?

Four hours earlier does seem excessive even allowing for whatever grandiose closing ceremony they have planned.

I think the pairings appear four hours (or maybe more) in advance or at least that ties in with when chess-results is updated. From events I've been to (albeit with a lot more teams) you submit your board order by 9.30am, published at 10.00 and play at 15:00. For early starting last rounds you sometimes have to submit the night before.

That remained the practice in Batumi, although with a modification. You could submit your board order until 10am online, when the website would automatically close the registration list. We would then download it off the website and import it into Swiss-Manager. We'd then look at it to make sure there were no glaring problems (e.g. a blank team, or a faulty download), and then publish.

The deadline to submit the team list for the final round in Batumi was midnight. I regarded it as a success that I was able to persuade Takis and my fellow TAP members of the merits of doing the publication from our hotel lobby and printing at the venue on the morning of the final round, rather than going back to the venue and doing that and the printing at midnight.

[Tim Harding]

Ding Liren v Adams
McShane v Yu Yangyi
Wei Yi v Howell
Jones v Bu Xiangzhi

Karjakin is back.

[David Sedgwick]

Interview with Malcolm Pein (before Round 7) at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P62h0wRA3sc

[Mick Norris]

Pete Doggers report on rounds 6&7

[Christopher Kreuzer]

Boards 1, 2 and 4 look level, but why is the computer so pessimistic about David's position on board 3?

[NickFaulks]

but why is the computer so pessimistic about David's position on board 3?

I've just tuned in. I know this is an old story and clock handling is a personal matter but, looking at where his pieces are after ten moves, why has it taken him an hour to get them there? It's not as though White has done anything shocking.

[Christopher Kreuzer]

Is Wei Yi particularly likely to be affected by playing someone in time trouble (i.e. being dragged into mutual time trouble)? Being younger, I am guessing not. China are quite capable of holding or pressing solidly on the other three boards and waiting for the result here. Let's hope something happens to change that.

[NickFaulks]

To be fair to David, he has produced an interesting idea and it has got Wei Yi thinking.

[Jonathan Rogers]

Early White edges on 1, 2 and 4 all neutralised by now, but the White advantage on board three is becoming clearer. Not that it is too large yet, mind you, and in fact I have yet to recall a really good game in a team match by Wei Yi.

[Christopher Kreuzer]

India struggling to draw against USA. One board has been drawn. They are losing on one and winning on another, but down in the remaining board.