World Teams 2019

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Leonard Barden
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Re: World Teams 2019

Post by Leonard Barden » Fri Mar 08, 2019 2:48 pm

Email received just now in response to my urgent query to Fide press officer GM Yannick Pelletier about the end of Nepo v Adams

I've just checked the scoresheet.
31.Bb1 was played with a draw offer.

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David Shepherd
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Re: World Teams 2019

Post by David Shepherd » Fri Mar 08, 2019 3:38 pm

Whatever the engines say - I don't think it is that straightforward in the Adams game - I think after Rb8, Re2 it would still require black to play very accurately. Of course black is better but it would be easy to let the advantage slip, particularly as the time control approached. Overall it is a good result.

Leonard Barden
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Re: World Teams 2019

Post by Leonard Barden » Fri Mar 08, 2019 5:12 pm

Chessbomb (which may not be accurate) shows Adams with 21 minutes for 9 moves in a not specially complex position. It would be normal, especially in such an important match, to play on if your team mate is in a clearly inferior position at least until if and when the match situation has improved. That's why people here sought other explanations.

Jonathan Rogers
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Re: World Teams 2019

Post by Jonathan Rogers » Fri Mar 08, 2019 5:46 pm

The explanation is that Adams is not himself after two losses. We know this. An uneventful draw with White yesterday hardly boosted him. He was still set on securing a draw today and was not able to adapt. Still disappointing, but even a world class player is not necessarily a super hero.

I am just as intrigued by Gawain's non-game as White. Given his recent good results, why not play bit at least? (There might be the simple explanation that he is a bit unwell, of course).

Still, the team is doing well overall. Presumably we are favourites in all matches except China and (perhaps) India? But, a thought - the team's good position might also be paralysing the team a bit. They can see how remarkably weak the event is, compared with previous versions, and must be thinking that - despite playing the event for the first time this century and indeed with much the same team they have had during much of this unsuccessful century - they seem highly likely to finish in the top four and must have a good chance to make a medal. So maybe that is making them (too) risk adverse? But this can be taken too far - wins and perhaps some risks to make them, will still be needed against those weaker teams.
Last edited by Jonathan Rogers on Fri Mar 08, 2019 5:59 pm, edited 1 time in total.

NickFaulks
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Re: World Teams 2019

Post by NickFaulks » Fri Mar 08, 2019 5:53 pm

Jonathan Rogers wrote:
Fri Mar 08, 2019 5:46 pm
wins and perhaps some risks to make them, will still be needed against those weaker teams.
Based on today's performance, the Swedes may not be a pushover.
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J T Melsom
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Re: World Teams 2019

Post by J T Melsom » Fri Mar 08, 2019 6:09 pm

The explanation from Jonathan Rogers seems the most likely. Normal match strategy might not be uppermost in the mind of a player on a relatively poor run of form. But we are only speculating. In other sports you would ask the player or failing that the team manager/captain for reaction. Is the team not contactable for such purposes?

NickFaulks
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Re: World Teams 2019

Post by NickFaulks » Fri Mar 08, 2019 9:04 pm

J T Melsom wrote:
Fri Mar 08, 2019 6:09 pm
Is the team not contactable for such purposes?
Do you really want the PR spin? I'm willing to live with the story that a 2-2 draw with Russia is a satisfactory result ( which it certainly is ) and move on to tomorrow's round without obsessing about what might have been.
If you want a picture of the future, imagine a QR code stamped on a human face — forever.

J T Melsom
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Re: World Teams 2019

Post by J T Melsom » Fri Mar 08, 2019 9:13 pm

Sometimes in these circumstances you get more than PR spin and it might be more illuminating than some of the speculation which otherwise dominates the discussion. I'm not obsessing about it at all, but if I were a chess journalist I'd be interested in what Adams was thinking at the time etc.

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David Shepherd
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Re: World Teams 2019

Post by David Shepherd » Fri Mar 08, 2019 10:49 pm

J T Melsom wrote:
Fri Mar 08, 2019 9:13 pm
But if I were a chess journalist I'd be interested in what Adams was thinking at the time etc.
Leonard's article here https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2019/ ... ampionship

J T Melsom
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Re: World Teams 2019

Post by J T Melsom » Fri Mar 08, 2019 10:57 pm

Thanks - good to see a substantive report, but having described the match situation in some detail as observed from afar, it feels incomplete to me.

Richard Bates
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Re: World Teams 2019

Post by Richard Bates » Fri Mar 08, 2019 10:58 pm

J T Melsom wrote:
Fri Mar 08, 2019 9:13 pm
Sometimes in these circumstances you get more than PR spin and it might be more illuminating than some of the speculation which otherwise dominates the discussion. I'm not obsessing about it at all, but if I were a chess journalist I'd be interested in what Adams was thinking at the time etc.
How about “if only I could consult a computer”?

J T Melsom
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Re: World Teams 2019

Post by J T Melsom » Fri Mar 08, 2019 11:09 pm

Did Adams see the line would be a good question. The only expert to have commented on the game position on this thread was Jack Rudd who suggested the continuation was not obvious. So it seems to be a case where the computer and the player's experience might differ, something compounded by Adams being out of sorts.

NickFaulks
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Re: World Teams 2019

Post by NickFaulks » Fri Mar 08, 2019 11:16 pm

Richard Bates wrote:
Fri Mar 08, 2019 10:58 pm
How about “if only I could consult a computer”?
Or perhaps *a draw with Black against one of the world's most dangerous players, let me at it". I see nothing to be gained by asking him that right now, but at some point in the future I might.
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David Shepherd
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Re: World Teams 2019

Post by David Shepherd » Fri Mar 08, 2019 11:26 pm

J T Melsom wrote:
Fri Mar 08, 2019 11:09 pm
Did Adams see the line would be a good question.
Did Adam's see what line?
Last edited by David Shepherd on Fri Mar 08, 2019 11:32 pm, edited 1 time in total.

J T Melsom
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Re: World Teams 2019

Post by J T Melsom » Fri Mar 08, 2019 11:31 pm

The computer line that has featured so prominently in the article and in the thread. The obvious answer is 'probably 'no' or he'd have played it, but that may not be the full answer - he may have felt that it was far from straightforward as one of your earlier posts suggested and was happy to draw what in any event was a good result. There are some events where players are interviewed and might have answered, In this case we just don't know, which to my mind is a pity.

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