2016 Olympiad - Baku

[JustinHorton]

Slovenia have beaten Spain despite being outgraded on every board

[JustinHorton]

And Nigel wins. What a sensational result.

[MJMcCready]

Great result.

[Matt Mackenzie]

Was anybody - anybody - expecting that?

I know China have been less impressive thus far than two years ago, but that is still sensational.

I don't think many would have predicted the two "veterans" to bring home the bacon either?

[John Moore]

Matt - I think that insofar as any bacon was to be brought home, it was always more likely to be Mickey and Nigel. But let's not quibble. A tremendous result. Possibly China will be regretting the quick draw by repetition on board 2 with the White pieces but I do wonder, as I said upthread, whether they thought three draws and targeting Nigel on board 4 was the way to play this. If so, they were sadly disillusioned.

[Jonathan Rogers]

Was anybody - anybody - expecting that?

I know China have been less impressive thus far than two years ago, but that is still sensational.

I don't think many would have predicted the two "veterans" to bring home the bacon either?

As you know, I had thought four draws would be a good result, but if you told me we would win and asked me to guess who would do it, I would have looked at the "veterans" first. They are/have been world class over a long time period and I had thought thay they would be the players the Chinese would worry about most.

I am delighted for the team. They obviously look like a top ten team now! And they may feel the decision to have Short on bottom board is now vindicated, but let's see what happens next - it only works if we continue to hold on boards 2 and 3.

Incidentally, does Short's win today remind anyone else of his eighth game win v Gelfand in their match in 1991 (it should do)?

[MJMcCready]

Wonder who we will get next? Tough draw coming, that's for sure.

[Simon Brown]

Credit to Peter as well - or rather Malcolm as he is actually the Captain - or both, who knows. Anyway, dropping your form player is a brave call.

Has any statistician worked out who we may get tomorrow?

[Christopher Kreuzer]

Incidentally, does Short's win today remind anyone else of his eighth game win v Gelfand in their match in 1991 (it should do)?

http://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessgame?gid=1048114

That game?

[JustinHorton]

Incidentally, does Short's win today remind anyone else of his eighth game win v Gelfand in their match in 1991 (it should do)?

Mostly reminds me of nearly every game where I have a kingside attack, but here's that eighth game for comparison

[John Moore]

Credit to Peter as well. Dropping your form player is a brave call.

Has any statistician worked out who we may get tomorrow?

Complicated by Croatia-Azerbaijan still going on!

[JustinHorton]

In which Palac was beating Radjabov, but isn't any more

[PeterFarr]

If people are interested in results with big rating upsets, look no further than England women v Syria women.

[JustinHorton]

Strewth

[John Moore]

Right here's where I make a fool of myself again - having missed England out of the teams on 10 points yesterday. I don't really know how this will work because the USA are on 13 points and one of the 12 points teams has got to be upfloated to them.

Anyway, the following teams are on 12 points:- India, Latvia, Russia, Georgia, England and the Ukraine. Sorry, Azerbaijan-Croatia was misleading because those teams were only on 9 points but playing on a higher board because the home nation. USA have played Ukraine and India so they must play one of Latvia, Georgia, Russia or England.

Not very helpful but perhaps Alex H will come to the rescue as he did yesterday.