Olympiad

[Mick Norris]

England women play Jordan after losing to Australia

[Roger de Coverly]

In the latest hate newsletter published by the Kirsan team, the following appears:-

http://www.scribd.com/doc/236341583/FIDEFIRST-4-ENG

But just imagine the reaction of sponsors and fans if an association football team showed up 10 minutes late for a FIFA World
Cup final.

This does rather show up the sporting ignorance of whoever wrote this. The reaction would undoubtedly be to postpone the kick-off by ten minutes. The reaction wouldn't have been to not play the final and award the cup to the team that wasn't late.

If anything, chess in its traditional form was harsher on late arrivals than many sports by penalising the late arrival with loss of time on the clock.

[Jonathan Bryant]

In the latest hate newsletter published by the Kirsan team, the following appears:-

http://www.scribd.com/doc/236341583/FIDEFIRST-4-ENG

But just imagine the reaction of sponsors and fans if an association football team showed up 10 minutes late for a FIFA World
Cup final.

This does rather show up the sporting ignorance of whoever wrote this. The reaction would undoubtedly be to postpone the kick-off by ten minutes. The reaction wouldn't have been to not play the final and award the cup to the team that wasn't late.

If anything, chess in its traditional form was harsher on late arrivals than many sports by penalising the late arrival with loss of time on the clock.

IIRC Argentina turned up a few minutes late for the World Cup final in ’78. First I ever watched.

[Mick Norris]

https://chess24.com/en/olympiad2014/new ... s-olympiad

According to the draw, the Burundian women have been excluded now

Interested to see the comments about Sweden, as I know there are quite a few Burundians there (as indeed there are around Manchester)

[Richard Bates]

But just imagine the reaction of sponsors and fans if an association football team showed up 10 minutes late for a FIFA World Cup final, and the organisers hadn't put in place contingency plans to allow the final to proceed with the minimum of disruption.

[Mick Norris]

Bo. 10 England (ENG) Rtg - 29 Serbia (SRB) Rtg

13.1 GM Adams, Michael 2740 - GM Ivanisevic, Ivan 2613
13.2 GM Jones, Gawain C B 2665 - GM Markus, Robert 2602
13.3 GM Howell, David W L 2650 - GM Sedlak, Nikola 2554
13.4 GM Sadler, Matthew D 2653 - GM Indjic, Aleksandar 2539

[Mick Norris]

Bo. 69 Jordan (JOR) Rtg - 39 England (ENG) Rtg

30.1 WIM Dahdal, Lougain 1973 - IM Houska, Jovanka 2401
30.2 WIM Fuad Kamel Jamaliah, Natalie 2003 - WIM Maroroa, Sue 2120
30.3 WFM Alattar, Ghayda M. 1950 - WIM Chevannes, Sabrina L 2171
30.4 Razan, Alshaeby 1804 - Kalaiyalahan, Akshaya 2016

[Chris Rice]

Bo. 10 England (ENG) Rtg - 29 Serbia (SRB) Rtg

13.1 GM Adams, Michael 2740 - GM Ivanisevic, Ivan 2613
13.2 GM Jones, Gawain C B 2665 - GM Markus, Robert 2602
13.3 GM Howell, David W L 2650 - GM Sedlak, Nikola 2554
13.4 GM Sadler, Matthew D 2653 - GM Indjic, Aleksandar 2539

I see Peter Wells is now taking Mark Howitt's advice.

[Lewis Martin]

30.4 Razan, Alshaeby 1804 - Kalaiyalahan, Akshaya 2016

I hope she manages to win in this one, it has been a difficult experience (chess-wise at least) for her after a win-less run since the first round.

[Lewis Martin]

Howell thinking for 20 minutes so far on move 8 of his game....

[Roger de Coverly]

Howell thinking for 20 minutes so far on move 8 of his game....

A critical decision though for the style of the game. Whether to play d4 and go into Kings Indian territory or d3 and stay in the English.

[Lewis Martin]

Howell thinking for 20 minutes so far on move 8 of his game....

A critical decision though for the style of the game. Whether to play d4 and go into Kings Indian territory or d3 and stay in the English.

Granted, but surely in a situation like that, one decides which direction to go in based on a) what you know better b) what sort of style you like to play in or even c) what does your opponent finds more uncomfortable if you have knowledge of some of his games that you looked up or prepared for.

Clearly a) and b) are the more critical choices. Howell is a relatively experienced GM, but he needs to improve on this decision making I feel, for him to truly launch up to 2700. I don't know any 2700 player that does this.

It shouldn't really take this long to decide, particularly if the time is better invested into the middlegame or the endgame, where Howell is famous for time scrambles(!).

[Lewis Martin]

Heh, maybe spoken too soon. A glance at Radjabov's game vs Ding Liren, you can see that Teimour has taken 40 minutes for moves 8,9,10. I thought this kind of thing only happens to amateurs to take this long in the opening. It just seems bizarre to rattle out the first few moves in less than 5 minutes and then to suddenly take so long with the next few moves.

[Roger de Coverly]

A glance at Radjabov's game vs Ding Liren, you can see that Teimour has taken 40 minutes for moves 8,9,10. I thought this kind of thing only happens to amateurs to take this long in the opening.

Black's eighth move appears a novelty, normal being 8. .. Nbc6

1. e4 c6 2. d4 d5 3. e5 Bf5 4. Nf3 e6 5. Be2 c5 6. Be3 cxd4 7. Nxd4 Ne7 8. 0-0 a6

There are some alternatives at move 8 to castling, the immediate c4 being one of them and the more popular move. It's a line where you can just as well play 0-0 at move 6 and Be3 at move 7 or 8 or not at all.

[John Moore]

Some very sharp and interesting positions in England-Serbia. Should be an exciting next couple of hours. I rather like Mickey's position despite what the engines say.