Batumi Olympiad

[Chris Rice]

Juga will perform Oh Capablanca at Batumi. I don't think I'm going out on a limb here to claim this is the one of the best songs about chess ever written. In addition, the YouTube video could easily be the opening credits from a Bond film.

[JustinHorton]

My favourite remains the Half Man Half Biscuit number here.

[Mick Norris]

Alan Tate may make progress (again!) to the IM title

Alan currently off to a good start in Anogia, his round 4 game is in progress chess24live

[Alistair Campbell]

Alan Tate may make progress (again!) to the IM title

Alan currently off to a good start in Anogia, his round 4 game is in progress chess24live

Good spot - a bad result today, but overall a decent tournament and 20 points closer. I hope he can keep the form up next week, is it?

[Mick Norris]

Yes, that last round loss will have cost Alan quite a few rating points Result

[LawrenceCooper]

Yes, that last round loss will have cost Alan quite a few rating points Result

It looks like it also clinched an IM norm for his opponent.

[Nick Burrows]

Preview: https://chess24.com/en/read/news/usa-fa ... -in-batumi

[Roger de Coverly]

Preview

England open team 9th seed, perhaps a bit higher than might have been expected with neither Short nor Sadler playing. Or is the seeding just based on the top 4?

[NickFaulks]

Or is the seeding just based on the top 4?

I haven't checked, but that would be normal.

[Nick Burrows]

I'm expecting a just above par performance from England. John Nunn as captain is a big boost. I think Nick Pert & Mickey will be solid, Gawain and especially David will perform well. Luke unpredictable.

2 strong dark horses are Poland and Iran.

My prediction to win - China.

[Roger de Coverly]

All the teams are listed at

https://batumi2018.fide.com/en/team

England going for the board orders of

Adams
Howell
McShane
Jones
Pert

and

Houska
Ciuksyte
Head
Kalaiyalahan
Maroroa

[LawrenceCooper]

All the teams are listed at

https://batumi2018.fide.com/en/team

England going for the board orders of

Adams
Howell
McShane
Jones
Pert

and

Houska
Ciuksyte
Head
Kalaiyalahan
Maroroa

Normally captains have until the technical meeting the night before round one to make changes to their board order.

[David Sedgwick]

Normally captains have until the technical meeting the night before round one to make changes to their board order.

But not this time. The deadline was yesterday.

http://www.fide.com/component/content/a ... ement.html.

At Malcolm Pein's instigation I emailed the two England captains ahead of the deadline to ensure that they had submitted their final board orders. Both confirmed that they had.

The most up to date information can be found at http://chess-results.com/tnr368908.aspx?lan=1&art=8 and at http://chess-results.com/tnr368909.aspx?lan=1&art=8.

However, I am not 100% sure that those lists have been updated for the final submissions.

[Roger de Coverly]

However, I am not 100% sure that those lists have been updated for the final submissions.

Those board orders are different from those at batumi2018.fide site

[LawrenceCooper]

Normally captains have until the technical meeting the night before round one to make changes to their board order.

But not this time. The deadline was yesterday.

http://www.fide.com/component/content/a ... ement.html.

At Malcolm Pein's instigation I emailed the two England captains ahead of the deadline to ensure that they had submitted their final board orders. Both confirmed that they had.

The most up to date information can be found at http://chess-results.com/tnr368908.aspx?lan=1&art=8 and at http://chess-results.com/tnr368909.aspx?lan=1&art=8.

However, I am not 100% sure that those lists have been updated for the final submissions.

Thanks for spotting that and pointing it out. It will teach me to locate the relevant part of the FIDE handbook and treat it as gospel https://www.fide.com/FIDE/handbook/ches ... ations.pdf