European Team Chs in Warsaw

[LawrenceCooper]

Round 5:

9 10 GERMANY 8 4 : 5 9½ ENGLAND 5

1 GM NAIDITSCH Arkadij2727
2 GM MEIER Georg 2623
3 GM KHENKIN Igor 2612
4 GM BARAMIDZE David 2614
5 GM FRIDMAN Daniel 2600

[LawrenceCooper]

Round 5 women:

16 31 Finland 4 1 : 0 0 England 23

1 WIM Tuominen Tanja 2105
2 WFM Savola Laura 2076
3 WFM Puuska Heini 1982
4 Rautanen Sari 1956
5 WCM Nazarova Anastasia1727

[Mick Norris]

I see it is Wales v Scotland in the Open

[Mike W. Richardt]

GERMANY - ENGLAND
NAIDITSCH, Arkadij 2727 - GM ADAMS, Michael 2752
MEIER, Georg 2623 - GM SHORT, Nigel D 2680
BARAMIDZE, David 2614 - GM JONES, Gawain C B 2648
FRIDMAN, Daniel 2600 - GM HOWELL, David W L 2644

I usually would cheer for both teams and I think in this case I would do the same but a draw doesn't really cut it.

Ok, in this case I home that Germany (my home country) wins!!! *sorry*

[LawrenceCooper]

Round 5 women:

Bo. 31 Finland Rtg - 23 England Rtg 0 : 0
16.1 WIM Tuominen, Tanja 2105 - IM Ciuksyte, Dagne 2355
16.2 WFM Puuska, Heini 1982 - WGM Corke, Anya S 2276
16.3 Rautanen, Sari 1956 - WFM Grigoryan, Meri 2039
16.4 WCM Nazarova, Anastasia 1727 - WFM Bhatia, Kanwal K 2039

[John Cox]

Golly. The game NN-Lyell from the last ladies' match deserves wider publicity. In fact I would say it was truly a contest for the ages. I don't think I've ever seen five minor pieces blundered during the course of a single game before, although obviously if I did see it then almost certainly the occasion was a ladies’ international team tournament of some kind. It's a shame Eddie Gufeld didn't live to see this day.

Indeed the game NN-Ciuksyte ran it close. By my calculations Black first fell into an opening trap known since the time of the dinosaurs; there then followed a fallow period of some thirty moves during which neither player blundered anything, and then White dropped a piece and dipped temporarily to -7 or so, after which Black replied with a volley of piece, exchange and finally queen.

Still, the blunders in that game didn’t have the one-move purity achieved in the other game. And needless to say none of them could match my own 19-point swing in the course of a single move in Rhodes.

The women are certainly justifying the decision not to bother with a coach for them, or alternatively showing how disastrous the decision not to bother with a coach for them was, depending on your point of view. Powerful evidence for something or other, anyway.

[Martin Crichton]

actually Luke McShane was -26 against some opponent a few years ago (Luke was still 2650+)...the guy missed several mates and lost on time! I think he was about 2300 (from memory)...the occasion obviously got to him big time...wonder if he gave up chess after that?
I think it was an invitation event in Norway..?

[Matt Mackenzie]

Do you really need a "coach" to stop making basic elementary blunders, though?

[John Cox]

Do you really need a "coach" to stop making basic elementary blunders, though?

Yes, you do. The chance of making a “basic elementary blunder” is considerably increased when you are under pressure from the opening and fall into time trouble as Dagne did.

[David Shepherd]

Yes

1) Many of the mistakes happen when the players are in time pressure, a coach can improve the speed that the opening is played and so improve this aspect
2) A coach can help avoid opening traps
3) A coach can spot players weaknesses so help improve the position you get (mistakes come more often when a player is under pressure)
4) A coach can make a player more confident which is likely in turn to improve speed of play and cut down time trouble mistakes
5) A coach will help with the prep, which will take some of the strain off the player and make them less tired and so mistakes less likely
6) A coach can help ensure the player does not over work with their preparation and tire themselves for the game

[Matthew Peat]

I seem to recall that the German men's team won the last Euro championships without the services of a coach or proper payment from their Federation.

[LawrenceCooper]

I seem to recall that the German men's team won the last Euro championships without the services of a coach or proper payment from their Federation.

On the contrary I recall huge credit being given to the coaching provided by Rustam Kasimdzhanov. This compared somewhat favourably to England's lack of funding meaning they had to make do with me as a captain

"Sponsors were found to secure the participation of the "A-team" at the European Team Championship, and to hire Rustam Kasimdzhanov – former FIDE World Champion, but maybe more widely known as regular second of current world champion Vishy Anand – as opening coach."

http://www.chessvibes.com/reports/the-g ... ampionship

[Matthew Peat]

I seem to recall that the German men's team won the last Euro championships without the services of a coach or proper payment from their Federation.

On the contrary I recall huge credit being given to the coaching provided by Rustam Kasimdzhanov. This compared somewhat favourably to England's lack of funding meaning they had to make do with me as a captain

"Sponsors were found to secure the participation of the "A-team" at the European Team Championship, and to hire Rustam Kasimdzhanov – former FIDE World Champion, but maybe more widely known as regular second of current world champion Vishy Anand – as opening coach."

http://www.chessvibes.com/reports/the-g ... ampionship

I stand corrected.

I wonder what arrangements the German team have this year as Baramidze seems to have forgotten his Dragon (which can't have been a massive surprise) theory against Jones.....

[Mick Norris]

I seem to recall that the German men's team won the last Euro championships without the services of a coach or proper payment from their Federation.

The German players had a big row with their Federation, which they felt was spending money on Officials that could have been better spent on players/coaching - as Loz says, not necessarily the last Euros

[AustinElliott]

Anyone got any insight into Nigel Short's playing 23. h3 rather than defending his b-pawn? Seemed a bit odd.