Squads for European Team Championships

[Jonathan Rogers]

"something goes right for England!" shocker and the draws on those other boards were duly delivered!

Another win tomorrow and it will have been quite a decent event. Nor would it be a bad one, if we drew against one of the top sides. Note that one can only appreciate such things if one started with a realistic assessment of our chances in the first place.

[Christopher Kreuzer]

Ukraine beat Hungary (pity, as I was rooting for Hungary who had been doing so well), and Germany beat the only other team still in the running (Israel), so it will be a final round clash between Ukraine and Azerbaijan for the title. Whatever happened to Armenia?

Anyone want to work out who ends up ahead if Ukraine beat Azerbaijan in round 9 and Russia also win in the last round? Azerbaijan only need to draw, should they be able to do that?

(Actually, I was mis-remembering that Armenia won this event lots of times, they in fact have only won it once, in 1999, and Azerbaijan have won it two times more recently, in 2009 and 2013. Maybe I was thinking of the World Team event?).

Pop quiz question: only three countries outside the Soviet Union or former Soviet states, have ever won this event. All three are from Western Europe. Which three countries are they?

[Alex Holowczak]

Anyone want to work out who ends up ahead if Ukraine beat Azerbaijan in round 9 and Russia also win in the last round? Azerbaijan only need to draw, should they be able to do that?

That's dependent on a number of variables:
(1) The precise result of Ukraine and Azerbaijan (gamepoints come into it)
(2) The number of gamepoints Russia score in their match
(3) The results of all of the matches of teams who they played earlier in the competition

Maybe I'll do a spreadsheet for you when I get home.

[Jonathan Rogers]

Ukraine beat Hungary (pity, as I was rooting for Hungary who had been doing so well), and Germany beat the only other team still in the running (Israel), so it will be a final round clash between Ukraine and Azerbaijan for the title. Whatever happened to Armenia?

Anyone want to work out who ends up ahead if Ukraine beat Azerbaijan in round 9 and Russia also win in the last round? Azerbaijan only need to draw, should they be able to do that?

(Actually, I was mis-remembering that Armenia won this event lots of times, they in fact have only won it once, in 1999, and Azerbaijan have won it two times more recently, in 2009 and 2013. Maybe I was thinking of the World Team event?).

Pop quiz question: only three countries outside the Soviet Union or former Soviet states, have ever won this event. All three are from Western Europe. Which three countries are they?

It's the Olympiads where the Armenians have excelled (and not at all, the Azeris). Cannot explain that. The Azeris did beat Armenia earlier in this event, despite Aronian beating Shak.

Your pop question: England in 1997, Holland about ten years ago and German about six years ago? In at least two of these cases, in spite of barely concealed tensions between some of the players.

[John Moore]

"In at least two of these cases, in spite of barely concealed tensions between some of the players".

Well, Mr Rogers, you must share - not for my benefit, but for those who don't know!

[Jonathan Rogers]

Well, Miles and Short were both in the 1997 team, nuff said - and apparently the German situation was well known to those in the know; even that Dirk guy from New In Chess alluded to it. Gustafsson is said to have joked that they won it because various team members were determined to get a higher personal score than other players in the team whom they disliked intensely!

[JustinHorton]

that Dirk guy from New In Chess alluded

Dogs bark, cats meow, Dirk alludes

[Bryn Hill]

No Miles in ‘ 97.

[Jonathan Rogers]

Thank you for the correction. I should double check more often.

Hmmm, well maybe having disunited teams is not such a recipe for success after all. Although I still wouldn't rule out the possibility of tensions within the English team in 1997...

[LawrenceCooper]

Round 9 sees the women finish against Lithuania with top board likely to play a big part in deciding the destination of the board 1 medals: http://chess-results.com/tnr304485.aspx ... =30&wi=984

[IM Jack Rudd]

I see Akshaya is gaining 50 rating points. Her rating graph must look even more absurd than mine.

[LawrenceCooper]

The open team (currently placed 7th-11th) finish with Hungary.

[Christopher Kreuzer]

Pop quiz question: only three countries outside the Soviet Union or former Soviet states, have ever won this event. All three are from Western Europe. Which three countries are they?

Your pop question: England in 1997, Holland about ten years ago and German about six years ago?

Close enough. Netherlands twice (2001 and 2005) and Germany once (2011).

Bonus questions:

- Which years did the England Open team (twice) and the England Women's team (twice) come third?
- Which year was the tournament held in England, and where?
- Who knew that the event used to be played over 10 boards!

(The list of players for the years 1957 to 1989 include some rather obscure players - it would be interesting to see a full list of players who played for England in those years, probably on Olimpbase, yes, it is here.)

[Roger de Coverly]

- Which year was the tournament held in England, and where?

Bath 1973. It was that extremely rare event for chess that attracted more spectators than the venue (Guildhall) could reasonably accommodate. Teams were 8 to play from a squad of 10. The Soviet Union turned up with all the household names. You might pass someone who looked a bit like Petrosian in the street, and realise it was actually him in the flesh.

[JustinHorton]

Batsford book included an interesting interview with Anatoly Karpov, if I recall