World Senior Teams 19 to 30 June 2022

[Nick Burrows]

[Tim Harding]

60 g4! a move of genius. England-1 are now in the lead in the tournament on tie-break.

I saw g4 but probably because of this rather unconvincing struggle: https://www.365chess.com/game.php?gid=3407818

There are some similar examples of the g4 break in Jesus de la Villa's book "100 Endgame Patterns You Must Know" - but in the pawn ending chapter; Adams had a knight v knight ending.

[NickFaulks]

So yet again Mickey saves the day, now it's on game points.

[Christopher Kreuzer]

Can anyone post the Mickey Adams game? I am struggling to find it.

EDIT: Thanks, Nick!

[Nick Burrows]

Can anyone post the Mickey Adams game? I am struggling to find it.

[Event "FIDE World Senior Team 50+ Championship 2022"] [Site "Acqui Terme"] [Date "2022.06.23"] [Round "?"] [White "Adams, Michael"] [Black "Kaidanov, Gregory"] [Result "1-0"] [Board "1"] [Input "DGT6945"] [Owner "CIRCOLO SCACCHI CORSICO"] [WhiteClock "1:30"] [BlackClock "1:30"] [Clock "B/0:00.00"] 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Nf6 4. d3 Bc5 5. a4 O-O 6. Bg5 h6 7. Bh4 Be7 8. Nc3 d6 9. Bxf6 Bxf6 10. Nd5 Nb8 11. O-O Be6 12. Ne3 Re8 13. a5 c6 14. Bxe6 Rxe6 15. c3 Na6 16. Qc2 Qd7 17. Rad1 Ree8 18. h3 g6 19. Rfe1 Bg7 20. Re2 Rad8 21. d4 exd4 22. Nxd4 Nc5 23. Nf1 h5 24. Nf3 Qe7 25. Rde1 Ne6 26. h4 Qf6 27. e5 dxe5 28. Rxe5 Nc7 29. Rxe8+ Rxe8 30. Rxe8+ Nxe8 31. Ne3 Qe7 32. Qd3 Qd6 33. Qe2 Nc7 34. Nc4 Qd7 35. Ng5 Nd5 36. g3 Bf6 37. Ne5 Bxe5 38. Qxe5 Qc7 39. Qe4 a6 40. Kg2 Nf6 41. Qd4 Ne8 42. b4 Qd6 43. Ne4 Qe7 44. Kf3 f6 45. Qe3 Nd6 46. Nc5 Kf7 47. Qxe7+ Kxe7 48. Kf4 Nb5 49. Nxb7 Nxc3 50. Nc5 Nd5+ 51. Ke4 Nxb4 52. Kd4 Kd6 53. Kc4 Nc2 54. Nxa6 Na3+ 55. Kb4 Nc2+ 56. Kc3 Na3 57. Nb4 c5 58. Nd3 g5 59. a6 Kd5 60. g4 Nb5+ 61. Kd2 hxg4 62. h5 Ke6 63. Nxc5+ Kf7 64. Ne4 Kg7 65. Kd3 Na7 66. Ng3 Nc8 67. Nf5+ 1-0

[Christopher Kreuzer]

Yes, 60.g4 is very nice. When the rooks came off on move 30, White did have a space advantage (with a starring role played by the a-pawn), but it is very instructive seeing how Mickey gradually capitalised on that (could Kaidanov have improved on 59...Kd5? Am asking because the knight forks this allows seem to be vital in the whole g4 line working...).

A nice touch after 62.h5 is that if Black instead of 62...Ke6 plays either 62...c4 or 62...f5, then I think White plays 63.Nc5, and one of White's a- or h-pawns queens. Well, that is the line after 62...c4. Not sure about 62...f5. I think after that, White has to play 63.Nxc5 and Black has to play 63...Ke5, but I can't get further than that (I suspect the White king and knight would move to the kingside and win the game there, as the Black knight would be permanently stuck holding back the White a-pawn).

[Nick Burrows]

Short is facing an Alekhines Defence.

[David Sedgwick]

Over 50: England 3 v England 4

Fegan, Chris (w) 2003 - Kane, Robert (b) 1753
White, Nigel (b) 2001 - Winter, Kevin (w) 1684
Homer, Stephen J (w) 1935 - Merriman, Rob (b)
Ingham, H William (b) 1852 - Ball, Matthew P (w) 1606

Note the Board 1 pairing

[Nick Burrows]

Short & Arkell draw, Adams & Hebden are better

[LawrenceCooper]

Short & Arkell draw, Adams & Hebden are better

Adams has won so 2-1 up.

Quickly followed by a Hebden win so a 3-1 win.

[JustinHorton]

Round 4 on 2022/06/23 at 15.00
Bo. 3 Germany 1 Rtg - 2 England 1 Rtg ½ :3½
1.1 GM Knaak, Rainer 2479 - GM Nunn, John D M 2568 0 - 1
1.2 IM Chevelevitch, Evgueni, Dr. 2369 - IM Littlewood, Paul E 2342 0 - 1
1.3 FM Kiefer, Gerhard 2212 - IM Povah, Nigel E 2201 0 - 1
1.4 Kierzek, Matthias 2224 - Snape, Ian L 2127 ½ - ½

On the face of it this was a fantastic performance, wasn't it?

[John Moore]

England beat Italy 2.5-1.5. Mickey ground out another win from what looked like a drawn position. Nigel seemed to be lost for a long time and eventually was. Mark won a very messy game. John Emms always looked comfortable, if not slightly better, with Black. Mickey's win vitally important since the USA beat Iceland 2.5-1.5.

[NickFaulks]

England beat Italy 2.5-1.5. Mickey ground out another win from what looked like a drawn position.

Hope he isn't using up any of the magic dust that will be needed in India.

[David Shepherd]

Link to commentary https://www.twitch.tv/ecf_commentary (resumes at 4:30pm).

[Nick Burrows]

Critical day in the Over 50's:

1/1 GM Horvath, Jozsef (w) 2429 - GM Kaidanov, Gregory (b) 2557
1/2 GM Varga, Zoltan (b) 2398 - GM Shabalov, Alexander (w) 2495
1/3 GM Horvath, Peter (w) 2396 - GM Novikov, Igor (b) 2558
1/4 IM Krizsany, Laszlo (b) 2377 - GM Ehlvest, Jaan (w) 2517

2/1 GM Adams, Michael (w) 2690 - GM Sturua, Zurab (b) 2530
2/2 GM Short, Nigel D (b) 2617 - GM Giorgadze, Giorgi (w) 2584
2/3 GM Emms, John M (w) 2481 - GM Bagaturov, Giorgi (b) 2413
2/4 GM Arkell, Keith C (b) 2390 - GM Gaprindashvili, Nona (w) 2270