English Chess Forum

It has a mascot.

Georgia appear to have been putting a lot of effort to market the forthcoming Olympiad which is good to see. The "Million Moves" project which popularises chess in Georgia (an Azmai initiative) had an online tournament start this month between Tbilisi and Tokyo. It will be completed a few hours before the 43rd World Chess Olympiad begins. The organisers are expecting about 4000 visitors from 189 countries for the Olympiad.

"It has a mascot."

And I assume the lady looking vaguely like Sue Perkins was the model. It is a jolly fine mascot, not sure why a turtle though? I suppose Justin's just grateful it wasn't a penguin.

Well I did wonder how you would know it was a chess mascot if you weren't being told.

LawrenceCooper wrote: ↑

Tue May 29, 2018 9:10 am

https://www.englishchess.org.uk/captain ... iad-teams/

So it’s a non-ENG individual or Jon Speelman

EDIT: Oops Jon’s out, last 4ncl weekend will have scuppered him!

Richard Bates wrote: ↑

Tue May 29, 2018 9:41 pm

EDIT: Oops Jon’s out, last 4ncl weekend will have scuppered him!

Depends which rating list ?

If Nigel and Matthew aren't available, 2500 comes close to being a qualifier for being in the team.

Who is the likely board 5, assuming Luke is available and selected? Hawkins, Nick Pert or perhaps Fernandez?

Roger de Coverly wrote: ↑

Tue May 29, 2018 10:54 pm

Richard Bates wrote: ↑

Tue May 29, 2018 9:41 pm

EDIT: Oops Jon’s out, last 4ncl weekend will have scuppered him!

Depends which rating list ?

If Nigel and Matthew aren't available, 2500 comes close to being a qualifier for being in the team.

Who is the likely board 5, assuming Luke is available and selected? Hawkins, Nick Pert or perhaps Fernandez?

If it's supposedly important, why does it matter what list? I think both of the former two would do a good job, both well prepared, solid and known to be difficult to beat. Ideal for a reserve I would have thought. I would guess that Hawkins has more commitments if the tournament is during school terms.

Looks like a foreign captain for the men indeed. Maybe for the women's too. Interesting that the criteria have become so stringent all of a sudden - possibly overdue, of course.

2500+ is currently Speelman, Gordon, Parker, Pert N, Nunn, Hawkins; how many have played in international team tournaments?

I don't remember Hawkins or Parker playing for England; the latter would not be interested in captaining the team in Batumi anyway, possibly not the former either.

Surely Nunn too would not find this enjoyable. Speelman, with almost no opening repertoire, and a rather indifferent record as women's captain, would not be an obvious choice either, though he would perhaps be the only one of the above prepared to do it. (One might imagine Gordon doing it, but isn't he a professional man these days)?

But really the stringent criteria look like a way of preparing us for a foreign captain, perhaps one whom MP already has in mind - not necessarily a bad thing, I repeat.

Mick Norris wrote: ↑

Wed May 30, 2018 11:58 am

2500+ is currently Speelman, Gordon, Parker, Pert N, Nunn, Hawkins; how many have played in international team tournaments?

The notice does not stipulate that the applicant's rating must be active.

David Sedgwick wrote: ↑

Thu May 31, 2018 12:41 am

Mick Norris wrote: ↑

Wed May 30, 2018 11:58 am

2500+ is currently Speelman, Gordon, Parker, Pert N, Nunn, Hawkins; how many have played in international team tournaments?

The notice does not stipulate that the applicant's rating must be active.

Conquest, Haslinger, Hodgson, Kumaran and Stean.

Conquest then, if an English coach at all. Ticks all the boxes, including the important but unstated one "acceptable to all the players".

Jonathan Rogers wrote: ↑

Thu May 31, 2018 11:17 am

Ticks all the boxes, including the important but unstated one "acceptable to all the players".

That one will of course be easier this time.