World Cadet Chess Championship 2018

National developments, strategies and ideas.
John Higgs
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Re: World Cadet Chess Championship 2018

Post by John Higgs » Thu Nov 08, 2018 8:07 pm

John Higgs is in West Sussex - the reports are sent to me not always with a lead author. When supplied the name will sit at the foot of the report.
"I'm not the one who got it wrong. I'm the only one who got it right". Carrie Mathison.

John Higgs
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Re: World Cadet Chess Championship 2018

Post by John Higgs » Fri Nov 09, 2018 7:16 pm

Round 4 - spot the England player:
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"I'm not the one who got it wrong. I'm the only one who got it right". Carrie Mathison.

John Higgs
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Re: World Cadet Chess Championship 2018

Post by John Higgs » Sat Nov 10, 2018 8:55 am

Since there were no takers for the above, the England player was George Clarkson v Haowen Xue (China).
"I'm not the one who got it wrong. I'm the only one who got it right". Carrie Mathison.

John Higgs
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Re: World Cadet Chess Championship 2018

Post by John Higgs » Sat Nov 10, 2018 12:55 pm

Round 4 report

It was back to rain in Spain on 5th day, Thursday. The Rain God is busy here in Santiago, the weather is one of the most talked about things after may be e4 or d4 or c4 or Nf3.

The England team was put to severe test, here at WCCC. Most of the players were playing stronger opposition and it was the time to put your skills to test. Overall it was not such a bad score, fights at board did not reflect the final score.

Unfortunately, the result of 0/1/0.5 does not tell us about the fight the players put, the energy they spend and the time they put in preparations. Most of the players were spending lot of energy on the board and that was a scene I would never forget. Hats off to all the players, we can only admire their commitment and will. A coach or parent or even the country cannot ask for more from a sporting individual.

England 5.5/14. The team still achieved some fantastic individual performances showing great effort with majority of the team still playing after four hours showing great resilience.

Highlights

Julia U12 Open. On 3/3 she continued her excellent run to hold a difficult draw with black against a strong Russian opponent. The game lasted over five hours and Julia showed great determination to defend a position where her opponent was creating many tactical threats. Julia remains amongst the leaders in her section on 3.5/4 and takes great confidence in remaining unbeaten.

George U10 open, On 3/3 facing a very strong opponent some 500 points higher rated, this was always going to be tough game! Coach, parent and player decided playing for a draw was a very wise approach and preparation went very well as it was played out live on Chess24.com. George faced some early problems but handled them very well to achieve equality before securing a small edge as the middlegame surfaced, a timely draw offer with an equal position saw his opponent be happy with the draw leaving George with a great half point with Black, versus one of the top seeds placing him on 3.5 out of 4 with more live board action to come tomorrow!

James U12 open. Facing an opponent rated 2100 from Spain James produced a strong attacking performance with Black seizing the initiative from the outset which he gradually translated into victory after four and half fours. This was an excellent win to beat a very active player from Spain who was rated 500 points higher than James.

Shreyas U10 Open. After a difficult opening Shreyas recovered fantastically to outplay his opponent in a very instructive endgame. Shreyas moves on to 3/4 and has great momentum getting closer to the leaders after a loss in round one.

U12 Girls Anum. Her preparation saw her apply direct pressure with Black, not an easy feat at this level, her middlegame saw her secure a Bishop Pair, but swapped this advantage a bit too early. Even that was a comfortable plus in the end, it was all going fine but in the 5th hour of the game there was a endgame blunder which allowed her opponent to draw. She was the last warrior in the battle field yesterday from England.

Niamh. Her preparation secured a small advantage which translated to a very secure super Knight. Could she then improve her remaining pieces – yes, excellent technique ensured she brought home another full point for England. After a tough start she has bounced back with 2/2.

Abigail showed remarkable effort and resilience to play her fourth game lasting longer than four hours. She made a brave decision to look for win when a draw was possible. Unfortunately the plan did not work out and she was narrowly beaten. It is so impressive to see the kids work hard on the board for more than 4 hours. Abbi way to go!

Jessica faced a tough game against a WFM from America, She was narrowly beaten in some middle game combinations which became favourable for her opponent. Another great effort from Jessica on the live boards.

U12 Boys. Adam had a good game drawing against a higher rated Spanish opponent with white.

Jacob was unfortunate to lose a tight tactical game against a strong Canadian player making an unexpected error in complex position.

Giulio. His preparation went okay and Giulio then chose a slightly different path which resulted in a cramped situation for his own pieces. His opponent turned the screw and found a very ingenious Bishop sacrifice which lead to a devastating attack which meant more ways to keep Giulio’s pieces bottled up which even Houdini himself could not have escaped. Suddenly Giulio did what Houdini could not and got back to full equality, sadly the efforts took its toll and the opponent found another way and bagged the win.

U10 Boys. Nischal battled for long time against a strong Indian player with the black pieces and emerged with a positive draw.

U10 Girls. Roxolana faced a higher rated Spanish opponent and lost a close game with the black pieces. She is now on 2/2 and remains very positive moving into round 5.
Keerthana played a very underrated opponent from China and lost a complex game after a hard battle.

Hats off to all players for trying hard, you are doing the right thing! Keep going!
"I'm not the one who got it wrong. I'm the only one who got it right". Carrie Mathison.

John Higgs
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Re: World Cadet Chess Championship 2018

Post by John Higgs » Sun Nov 11, 2018 8:36 am

Round 5 report

Day six: Friday 9th November saw another orange weather alert at Santiago. WCCC 2018 will be remembered by the weather, along with the good chess our players are playing in the hall. We could hear the hiss of the wind all day long in the venue. Most of the players were drenched with rain while coming to the venue and had to dry themselves up before they could start the game. The round started at normal time though, and this time the organisers did not suspend the play.

The round began in the middle of a huge storm in Santiago which lasted for several hours with weather conditions close to those on Tuesday, when the chess was cancelled. It was largely a tough day for the England team who scored 4.5/14.

One feature of the event so far has been the large number of late games for the English in the Girls U12 event where most of the girls have been regularly going into the last hour of play when the majority of competitors have finished. Great credit to Abigail, Anum, Jessica, Julia and Niamh for battling so hard and to their parents for braving the waiting areas in gale force wind with limited refreshment!

Highlights

Julia's excellent run continued as she secured a strong draw with black, The game became very complicated in the middlegame and Julia successfully navigated through the complications which at one point looked challenging, to draw with the 7th seed from Albania. Julia remains amongst the leaders on 4/5.

Great day in the U10 Girls! Roxolana and Keerthana bounced back from round four defeat to beat players from Canada and Italy respectively. Keerthana played a fantastic game, her best game so far of the tournament. I heard one of the coaches say that it was almost a perfect game with very minor mistake, and they would have been proud to play a game like that! What a compliment and what a time to play such a game!

George U10 open played an incredibly complicated game against the number one Russian player.The early middlegame featured some tremendous complications where there were chances for both sides. The complications resolved in his opponents favour but George again showed great ingenuity on the live boards keeping spectators interested.

U12 Girls. Abigail showed fantastic resilience to draw another very long game after five hours. Her fifth game beyond four hours, she was the last England player to finish. Jessica fought very hard in a complex position but was narrowly beaten in a tight ending. Anum, against a strong Chinese player, worked hard to obtain a position where an advantage seemed likely but made a small miscalculation which gave her opponent a decisive advantage. This was so far her shortest game, hopefully the things will improve after a good night sleep.

Niamh had back and forth battle where the advantage changed hands several times and unfortunately her opponent eventually took final advantage and Niamh lost after five hours. In the endgame, even the England spectators were trying to find a draw, but it seemed to be a difficult position to hold.

U12 Open. Jacob launched a strong attack in the middle game which gave him a strong material advantage which he converted into a positive win. This was a welcome relief on a tough day, Keep it up Jacob! James made a positional mistake in the opening and chose to enter complications instead of accepting a long term disadvantage. The complications did not work out and he lost to a higher rated opponent in the middlegame. Giulio lost a complicated game against an underrated player from China with White. He had a promising position in the middlegame, but a lapse in concentration meant he suddenly lost the advantage. Adam lost a difficult game against a higher rated Spanish opponent with black.

U10 Boys. Shreyas got into trouble in the early middlegame and fought valiantly to stay in the game. Number of exchanges were made in the middlegame and at one point it looked like that there may be an opportunity for perpetual check. Unfortunately the checks ran out and Shreyas lost to a later tactical exchange.

Nishchal continued a solid run in the tournament achieving another draw with a strong player from Poland. Nischal enjoyed the middlegame with two nice Bishops and was calling the shots most of the game. In the end an opposing passed pawn made things equal.

That is all from Santiago, hopefully we will bring more chess with good weather.
"I'm not the one who got it wrong. I'm the only one who got it right". Carrie Mathison.

John Higgs
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Re: World Cadet Chess Championship 2018

Post by John Higgs » Mon Nov 12, 2018 7:01 am

Round 6 report

Day 7 was relatively pleasant while coming to the venue. There was no rain, at least when we arrived at the hall. In the evening however, the rain Gods again got busy. We almost felt like we had a shower while we walked from hall to the buses outside, while going back.

In general the parents have fallen into mundane routine by now, rain or no rain. Coming to the venue, waiting for hours together outside and tuning into the Whatsapp group has become a kind of schedule. It seems within no time we are half way through, even with such a bad weather. The routine has made time fly. The England delegation is enjoying the time here, the group is wonderful, irrespective of some issues here and there.

Coming to the results, much stronger round today with the team scoring 9/14 to bounce back well after a tough round five.

Highlights

Julia, U12 girls, maintained her unbeaten run with a great draw against the first seed from France on the live boards, and moved to 4.5/6 remaining amongst the leaders . It was a very long game, longest for the English team.

For second day running both U10 girls won both their games. Keethana played a strong attack sacrificing a rook and bishop to achieve checkmate. Roxolana beat a French opponent with black and is well positioned on 4/6.

U12 Girls. Abbey played strong game , maybe best for her in the event to achieve a nice win. Jessica launched a fine kingside attack to achieve an excellent victory. Niamh was unlucky to lose a difficult game and is ready to bounce back after a tough set of games. Anum played well with black to beat a determined opponent from Spain. It was a quick win.

U12 Open. Jacob showed great inventiveness in the opening to reach a strong position where he moved on to win and should be back on live boards in round 7 with 4/6. James played aggressively in the opening to fall into well know opening trap which has caught out many good players and was not able to recover against a higher rated opponent. Adam played a strong game before small misjudgement in the middlegame cost him the initiative and he went to lose to a higher rated Spanish opponent. Giulio won a quick confident game against an opponent from Thailand.

U10 Boys. Shreyas got back in his winning ways to beat a talented CM from Mongolia. George played a very long exciting game where he was narrowly beaten in the closing stages by a strong American opponent. Nischal maintained a very solid run to draw with a German CM. It looked scary in the end, but draw was the correct result.

The Team is looking forward to carrying the momentum into round 7. Everything is possible, 14/14 may be? Who knows?

This report is written by all respective coaches and some parents.
"I'm not the one who got it wrong. I'm the only one who got it right". Carrie Mathison.

John Higgs
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Re: World Cadet Chess Championship 2018

Post by John Higgs » Mon Nov 12, 2018 5:46 pm

Good luck to all 14 England juniors - round 8 today at 4.30pm local time.

A number of our players are on live boards:

https://chess24.com/en/watch/live-tournaments/
Last edited by John Higgs on Mon Nov 12, 2018 8:01 pm, edited 1 time in total.
"I'm not the one who got it wrong. I'm the only one who got it right". Carrie Mathison.

John Moore
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Re: World Cadet Chess Championship 2018

Post by John Moore » Mon Nov 12, 2018 6:10 pm

I have watched some of the games and have been impressed with the play generally. Thank you for the very comprehensive reports.

Shreyas Royal seems to be playing more quickly than he does against adult opponents - well at least he played more slowly against me at Southend this year. But, of course, he may find opponents who may be vastly underrated. Well done to all our players, trainers and supporters but perhaps a special word for Julia Volovich (who I had never heard of!) who looks to play very calmly and sensibly and is, of course, doing very well.

Chris Rice
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Re: World Cadet Chess Championship 2018

Post by Chris Rice » Mon Nov 12, 2018 6:18 pm

John Moore wrote:
Mon Nov 12, 2018 6:10 pm
I have watched some of the games and have been impressed with the play generally. Thank you for the very comprehensive reports.

Shreyas Royal seems to be playing more quickly than he does against adult opponents - well at least he played more slowly against me at Southend this year. But, of course, he may find opponents who may be vastly underrated. Well done to all our players, trainers and supporters but perhaps a special word for Julia Volovich (who I had never heard of!) who looks to play very calmly and sensibly and is, of course, doing very well.
Julia was close to beating me at the British Major Open at Hull. Couldn't believe afterwards how young she was. We've got a real talent there.

John Moore
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Re: World Cadet Chess Championship 2018

Post by John Moore » Mon Nov 12, 2018 6:20 pm

Edited as being unintentionally rather rude.

John Moore
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Re: World Cadet Chess Championship 2018

Post by John Moore » Mon Nov 12, 2018 6:31 pm

All joking aside about Chris's ability at chess, the play is remarkably good across the board. I wonder how I as an average 180 would manage if I was catapulted in one of this events.

Nick Burrows
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Re: World Cadet Chess Championship 2018

Post by Nick Burrows » Mon Nov 12, 2018 6:56 pm

John Moore wrote:
Mon Nov 12, 2018 6:31 pm
All joking aside about Chris's ability at chess, the play is remarkably good across the board. I wonder how I as an average 180 would manage if I was catapulted in one of this events.
You buy shorts and a blazer, I will provide paperwork, then you can try next year..

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David Shepherd
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Re: World Cadet Chess Championship 2018

Post by David Shepherd » Mon Nov 12, 2018 7:21 pm

Julia won again today and is now on 6.5/8 in 3rd place. I think next round she will be white against the tournament leader who is on 7.5/8. Both players are clearly in very good form and have similar ratings, so Julia should have a good chance.

John Moore
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Re: World Cadet Chess Championship 2018

Post by John Moore » Mon Nov 12, 2018 7:58 pm

Nick Burrows wrote:
Mon Nov 12, 2018 6:56 pm
John Moore wrote:
Mon Nov 12, 2018 6:31 pm
All joking aside about Chris's ability at chess, the play is remarkably good across the board. I wonder how I as an average 180 would manage if I was catapulted in one of this events.
You buy shorts and a blazer, I will provide paperwork, then you can try next year..
:lol: :lol:

John Higgs
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Re: World Cadet Chess Championship 2018

Post by John Higgs » Tue Nov 13, 2018 8:10 am

Round 7 report

Santiago de Compostela is a UNESCO World Heritage City. Our hotel is perched outside town on one hillside, and the funky modern venue is perched on another hillside outside town, with buses shuttled us between the two. So for the dedicated England kids and parents, all of the historic city centre is still unseen. Your reporter today though, exploited the break in the weather and found a beautiful stone city, full of hikers with backpacks, waterproofs, staffs and scallop shells undertaking a watery pilgrimage along the Camino.

Back to the chess pilgrims! After yesterday’s strong showing, the pairings were tough. We scored 7/14, not bad. Today was the shortest day for England team in the playing hall. All rounds were wrapped up in roughly 4 hours.

The U12 boys, we had 2 wins and 2 loses. James won quickly to cheer his grandfather Peter who is taking over parental duties. Giulio continued his strong bounce back with his second win on the trot. Sadly though Jacob and Adam lost tough encounters.

In the U10 boys, Shreyas drew a long game against a Ukrainian who leads the event in FIDE points gained. Today also a dreaded England – England pairing occurred in the U10s. Nischal and George fought out a gentlemanly draw after flexing their French theory. The game balanced overall.

Yesterday the girls scored 6.5/7, so today was going to be a lot harder. However, Keerthana in the U10 girls continues strongly with another win this time from a nice kingside attack. Tomorrow she faces her strongest opponent yet as she closes in on the live boards. Roxolana however lost to a higher rated opponent.

In the U12 girls, Julia continues her fine form – undefeated in the tournament so far – winning this time against a higher rated WCM. Third equal overall now and facing another WCM tomorrow. Jessica also won again in a complex rook endgame exhibiting very good technique. Abby and Anum however unfortunately lost this round. Niamh had a very long game which ended in a draw.

We also had a very special guest visit today. Andrew Horton, who becomes an IM on Monday, and who played in U14 and U16 Worlds not so many years ago, is on a gap year in Spain from Durham University. He dropped in to the parents area and took on our coaches at blitz today! I’m confident we’ve got the talent participating in this event, to bring on the next generation of titled players like Andrew!

We are now moving to the business end of the tournament, a final push and we can get good scores. Players please keep going, we are almost there, you can see the finishing line now.
"I'm not the one who got it wrong. I'm the only one who got it right". Carrie Mathison.