Batumi Olympiad

[Christopher Kreuzer]

So if USA and China draw, and Poland and Russia win, how long do we potentially wait for to find out the order after the tie-breaks are calculated? Until the end of the round?

[JustinHorton]

Thing about David's position is that I always hate these from the White side, it always looks like you're about to be overwhlemed even though the computer says you're better and the books have advantage for White. I can never play against the Dutch, for instance.

[JustinHorton]

Similarly, the computers are all very relaxed on Adibhan's account, in a position after 28 Rb1 where I'd be terrified.

[JustinHorton]

Goryachkina is winning Shen's queen

[Thomas Rendle]

28.Bd1!? a visually appealing move in David's game. Certainly more so than the risky looking 28.hxg4 which I'd be surprised if was played. 28.Bb3 another (more) likely option...
(Edit: what do I know?)

[JustinHorton]

Jennifer Wu, who has played every round unbeaten though outgraded six times, looks likely to fall at the last.

[JustinHorton]

Right now Ukraine are big favourites to win the Women's, which would relieve Anna Ushenina.

[JustinHorton]

Russia 2-1 with Fressinet v Kramnik level, so in the Open it looks like a couple of hours wandering the playing hall for China, Russia and the USA.

[Thomas Rendle]

Some positions are more level than others! Plenty of play left in Fressinet-Kramnik, I wouldn't be surprised at all if once side was in trouble at move 40!

[JustinHorton]

Germany looking decent value to retain their unbeaten record

[JustinHorton]

Draw on board three in Russia v China which as Russia have massively won positions in two of the other games, should be the end of that.

[Kevin Thurlow]

I recall a few years ago that the gold medal was decided on tie-break and bottom board on table 75 (or some such) was surrounded by the top two teams as their tie-break depended on the result of that game, which was probably pretty intimidating for the lowly rated players.

Of course, when I was a lad, the Olympiad was split into preliminary all-play-all sections, then teams qualified for a series of all-play-all groups and tie-breaks were very rarely necessary. The event went on a while, but you did at least get closer matches in the final sections, without the Swiss bounce.

If you don't want tie-breaks, go back to that system.

That's the trouble these days, it's all 20-20 cricket, penalty shoot-outs in football, tie-breaks in tennis, drinks breaks etc. What is the world coming to?

[JustinHorton]

Armenia by the way are not going to beat Georgia, so they may be left to curse the end of their round ten match.

[Roger de Coverly]

I agree: simple widely understood systems have much to commend them.

Keep the existing complex system to rank teams for pairings and use board points solely for ranking where there are ties on match points in the final placings.

[Thomas Rendle]

David now winning so England edging closer to their best result in years.