Olympiad reports from CJ

[John Upham]

I have been asked tonight (by David Bentley) to relay reports by CJ of the Olympiad. Two reports to follow...

[John Upham]

From CJ :

via http://www.impalapublications.com/blog/

Ah the joys of Siberia! To paraphrase Joseph Priestley, I always look on the dark side so when something good happens, I'm pleasantly surprised. Khanty Mansiysk isn't too bad!

The Olympic hotel is brand new and I was the first person to stay in my room (I chose to believe that smell was fresh paint) and the town has more than a few points of interest. However,I'm known for having a somewhat flammable personality so I may stay away from the Gas and Petroleum Museum (ha, ha, ha, there goes the other rib). Anyhoo, having only arrived from Kiev yesterday evening, I haven't yet been to the playing hall (although its exterior is very impressive) but will rectify that today.

The England teams are in good spirits and enjoying the experience even if the occasional loss has dampened the mood of a couple of players. Nevertheless, the fact they're all friends helps heal temporary wounds and if you insist in losing a match, get it out of the way early. The only way is up.

CJ

Sent from CJ's iPhone

[John Upham]

From CJ :

via http://www.impalapublications.com/blog/

David Howell is not a team player. Everyone else toils for countless hours racking up 40, 50 or 60 moves and he thinks 16 is adequate before calling it a day. It was a win (with Black too) but where's the sympatico spirit with your team mates David?

A 3-1 victory, including a very nice endgame by Luke, over Turkey is a good result and advances the men to a match up with France. There'll be no jingoism from me but I'm reminded of a story when Woodrow Wyatt was checking into a Parisian hotel answering, when asked to spell his surname, 'Waterloo, Ypres, Agincourt, Trafalgar, Trafalgar'.

The women claimed a 2-2 draw with a good Argentina side which at several points looked as if it could have been alternately worse or better. It's always a result to hold a decent team so everyone should be happy and proud of themselves... except Mr Howell...

Ed: I met Woodrow Wyatt once when he spoke at my university. A Labour MP, yet always dapper and sporting a bow tie. Petronella Wyatt (a grand-daughter?) used to write for THE SPECTATOR. A co-incidence as well that last night I heard Peter Snow deliver a public address in relation to TO WAR WITH WELLINGTON: From the Peninsula to Waterloo (John Murray, 2010).

England Open results, Round 5, Saturday 25 September

France 2 - 2 England
1. Vachier-Lagrave, Maxime ½-½ Adams, Michael
2. Fressinet, Laurent 0-1 Short, Nigel
3. Tkachiev, Vladislav ½-½ McShane, Luke
4. Feller, Sebastien 1-0 Howell, David

Women
England 1:3 Iceland
1. Houska, Jovanka (w) 0-1 Ptacnikova, Lenka
2. Lauterbach, Ingrid 0-1 Thorsteinsdottir, Hallgerdur
3. Bhatia, Kanwal K 0-1 Fridthjofsdottir, Sigurl Regin
4. Hegarty, Sarah N 1-0 Finnbogadottir, Tinna Kristin

[Matt Mackenzie]

Just to inform CJ that by the time the late W L Wyatt got to speak at his Uni, he had long since ceased to be a Labour MP - or indeed anything whatsoever to do with the Labour party

I still remember his deranged "punditry" for the Times leading up to the 1997 GE. His final column before polling day informed us that John Major - who had apparently been a "superb" Prime Minister and fought a "brilliant" campaign - was about to be re-elected with an increased majority

[John Upham]

Just to inform CJ that by the time the late W L Wyatt got to speak at his Uni, he had long since ceased to be a Labour MP - or indeed anything to do with the Labour party

I still remember his deranged "punditry" for the Times leading up to the 1997 GE. His final column before polling day informed us that John Major - who had apparently been a "superb" Prime Minister and fought a "brilliant" campaign - was about to be re-elected with an increased majority

Matt,

I believe that

Ed: I met Woodrow Wyatt once when he spoke at my university. A Labour MP, yet always dapper and sporting a bow tie. Petronella Wyatt (a grand-daughter?) used to write for THE SPECTATOR. A co-incidence as well that last night I heard Peter Snow deliver a public address in relation to TO WAR WITH WELLINGTON: From the Peninsula to Waterloo (John Murray, 2010).

was possibly added by Ray Keene. CJ sent the reports via text to Ray who then published them to the Impala Publications blog with some editing, hence the Ed: prefix.

[John Upham]

From CJ :

via http://www.impalapublications.com/blog/

Nigel Short (sorry, Doctor Nigel Short MBE) is the oldest player in the world's top 100. In round 5 he crushed young Laurent Fressinet in a 29 move spectacular. This brings the veteran to 3/4 and on the way to regaining his 2700 rating.

A 2-2 result against a strong French team is a good result and another national neighbour awaits in the next round in Norway. A rest day separates us from that encounter so we wait to see who will be playing top board for that...

In the women's event, England outgraded Iceland on every board and Sarah Hegarty obliged with a quick win. However 2 games seemed to drift and one was decided by a rather unfortunate oversight and we somehow lost 3-1. However, Sarah continues to have a fine inaugural Olympiad even if her bowling skills were less impressive at the alley afterwards.

The evening was the legendary Bermuda party. Oh dear.

I don't consider myself to be (too) old but a nightclub where it's too dark to see, too loud to talk and too smoky to breathe really isn't my idea of fun. I'm sure some people loved it but I got out of there as soon as my aged decrepitude would allow.

The cultural delights of Khanty Mansiysk await tomorrow but in the meantime, I'll join Dr Short in a mug of Horlicks and shuffle off to bed.

Ed: England results, Round 5, Saturday 25 September

Open
France 2 - 2 England
1. Vachier-Lagrave, Maxime ½-½ Adams, Michael
2. Fressinet, Laurent 0-1 Short, Nigel
3. Tkachiev, Vladislav ½-½ McShane, Luke
4. Feller, Sebastien 1-0 Howell, David

Women
England 1:3 Iceland
1. Houska, Jovanka (w) 0-1 Ptacnikova, Lenka
2. Lauterbach, Ingrid 0-1 Thorsteinsdottir, Hallgerdur
3. Bhatia, Kanwal K 0-1 Fridthjofsdottir, Sigurl Regin
4. Hegarty, Sarah N 1-0 Finnbogadottir, Tinna Kristin

[John Upham]

From CJ :

via http://www.impalapublications.com/blog/

Ed: C.J. De Mooi, President of the English Chess Federation, writes from the Chess Olympiad in Siberia;

He's not dead, he's just pining for the fjords!

A thirty something Cornish man is being questioned about mugging a Norwegian teenager. A Mr Michael Adams (who claimed to be unwell after a fall) beat up Mr Magnus Carlsen in what's been called the English Attack.

Surrounded by 3 more peaceably minded team mates, Mr Adams' onslaught was vicious, brisk and unmerciful... all in the best traditions of the British Bulldog. A 2.5-1.5 win over a Norway team included Hammer and the World's best player is a great result, backed up by the English Women's whitewash of UAE. Sarah Hegarty was again first to finish and thoughts of board prizes, norms or even titles must be omnipresent now.

Overall, today was a great day to be English... but isn't it always?

[Alex Holowczak]

Just to inform CJ that by the time the late W L Wyatt got to speak at his Uni, he had long since ceased to be a Labour MP - or indeed anything whatsoever to do with the Labour party

I still remember his deranged "punditry" for the Times leading up to the 1997 GE. His final column before polling day informed us that John Major - who had apparently been a "superb" Prime Minister and fought a "brilliant" campaign - was about to be re-elected with an increased majority

To be fair, the winning party did have an increased majority in comparison to the previous government.