Batumi Olympiad

[JustinHorton]

The Uzbekistan-Russia match looks like going to the Uzbeks despite Gevorgyan having gone for a repetition when a win was available. But Nadirjanova should beat Pogonina now and Kurbonboeva will draw unless she gets spooked by the occasion.

[Stewart Reuben]

in 1998 at the Elista Olympiad, Kirsan gave me so many bottles of Vodka that I ended up with 2.5 quarts. None was of any use to me so I gave the lot to David Norwood, the English captain. I kept all the caviar.

So far today I met all 3 candidates for President and some other candidates for other positions. Nobody tried to bribe me. Boo!

[JustinHorton]

Nadirjanova should beat Pogonina now

Currently showing as agreed drawn, which I doubt

[John Moore]

Impressive win in the endgame by Mickey. Worth looking at since the standard way is to shove your b pawn and bring your King over to the Queenside giving up some or all of your Kingside pawns. Black must have done something wrong in the game. If someone could post the position, that would be helpful

[JustinHorton]

Uzbekistan have indeed beaten Russia

[John Moore]

And Ireland have got their second half-point against Russia. I'll leave Tim to describe the action!

[Angus French]

Impressive win in the endgame by Mickey. Worth looking at since the standard way is to shove your b pawn and bring your King over to the Queenside giving up some or all of your Kingside pawns. Black must have done something wrong in the game. If someone could post the position, that would be helpful

One thing I didn't understand is why Mickey's opponent played 49... hxg3. After that there was no chance of Black getting an outside passed pawn.

[Roger de Coverly]

Impressive win in the endgame by Mickey.

It's now possible to use the 7 man tables on an Android app.

Consulting this shows the critical position to be at move 52.

[SetUp "1"] [FEN "8/8/1R4k1/6p1/1P4K1/8/1r3P2/8 b - - 4 52"]

The move played 52. .. Kg7, which looks the most normal loses whilst 52. .. Kf7 draws. It's not so obvious why this prevents White's idea of safely winning the g5 pawn.


1. c4 e6 2. g3 d5 3. Bg2 Nf6 4. Nf3 dxc4 5. Qa4+ c6 6. Qxc4 b5 7. Qb3 Bb7 8. O-O Nbd7 9. d4 a6 10. Ne5 Qb6 11. Be3 c5 12. Nxd7 Nxd7 13. d5 exd5 14. Bxd5 Bxd5 15. Qxd5 Rd8 16. a4 Be7 17. axb5 axb5 18. Nc3 O-O 19. Qb3 Nf6 20. Rfc1 Rb8 21. Nd5 Nxd5 22. Qxd5 Rfd8 23. Qe4 Qf6 24. Bf4 Rbc8 25. Qb7 Bd6 26. Bxd6 Qxd6 27. Ra7 Qd5 28. Qxb5 Rb8 29. Qd3 Qxd3 30. exd3 Rxd3 31. Rxc5 g6 32. Rcc7 Rf3 33. Kg2 Rf6 34. Rab7 Rxb7 35. Rxb7 Rc6 36. Kf3 Rc2 37. Ke3 Kg7 38. h4 h5 39. Rb6 f6 40. Rb7+ Kh6 41. Rb6 Kg7 42. Rb8 g5 43. Rb4 Kg6 44. Kf3 Kf5 45. Rb5+ Kg6 46. hxg5 fxg5 47. b4 Rb2 48. Rb8 h4 49. Kg2 hxg3 50. Kxg3 Rb3+ 51. Kg4 Rb2 52. Rb6+ Kg7 53. f3 Rb3 54. b5 Kf7 55. Rb8 Kf6 56. Rf8+ Kg6 57. Rg8+ Kf6 58. Rxg5 Rb1 59. Rc5

[John Moore]

Thanks Roger

[John Moore]

Good game on the bottom board of the bottom match - Cibutso v Masiala!

[Jonathan Rogers]

Has anyone noted Scotland playing Netherlands? Though it has been a whitewash, and so not on a par with the Irish effort. They avoided two whitewashes today thanks to their Georgian-born player.

Not sure that Putin's get-to-know-you-all has helped the Russians. Not even Karjakin.

[John Moore]

Has anyone noted Scotland playing Netherlands? Though it has been a whitewash, and so not on a par with the Irish effort. They avoided two whitewashes today thanks to their Georgian-born player.

Not sure that Putin's get-to-know-you-all has helped the Russians. Not even Karjakin.

Nice to see Alex scoring his half with the Alekhine as well.

[LawrenceCooper]

England heading for 2.5-1.5 at the moment, with Gawain winning from 1 d4 d5 2 Bg5 and the others level. Not great, but better than the gold medallists who are in some trouble against Georgia 3. So has an edge, Caruana and Robson are level, but Shankland is a pawn down in an ending of queens and knights.

Final score 3.5-0.5 with both Adams & Howell converting their superior endings.

[JustinHorton]

Germany drawing with Georgia III the standout result in the women's event, as far as I can see, with Ukraine, Spain and Hungary all scraping their wins by the narrowest margin against, respectively, Turkmenistan, Bangladesh and the country currently known as FYROM.

[JustinHorton]

Wales beat Swaziland 3.5 - 0.5, the draw coming from Francis Rayner, against a player 600 points below him, in a position with a fair bit of play left.