22th European Team Chess Championship 2019

[Ian Thompson]

(two games already drawn).

Lucky that Blohberger didn't find 37... Nf6 when my computer is giving him an advantage of about +15.

[Christopher Kreuzer]

England look likely to lose anyway, as Gawain Jones is lost if the coverage is accurate (and Richard Pert may have missed a chance to win on move 54, but these rook endings are tricky).

EDIT: Though Pert has chances again now!

[LawrenceCooper]

England look likely to lose anyway, as Gawain Jones is lost if the coverage is accurate (and Richard Pert may have missed a chance to win on move 54, but these rook endings are tricky).

EDIT: Though Pert has chances again now!

I'm fairly sure that it's Nick

[Mick Norris]

Rook endings are especially tricky when you are short of time, but looks like Nick is going to prevail

[Jonathan Rogers]

Austria dropped their one IOM participant for this match, but we had to play two of ours - and both could have lost.

So i wonder whether we will see more of Nick in these early rounds than we might otherwise have expected; perhaps the first three rounds at least so that ecah of Luke, Gawain, and David can take a day's rest. Today's result may suggest that this would be best.

[LawrenceCooper]

Austria dropped their one IOM participant for this match, but we had to play two of ours - and both could have lost.

So i wonder whether we will see more of Nick in these early rounds than we might otherwise have expected; perhaps the first three rounds at least so that ecah of Luke, Gawain, and David can take a day's rest. Today's result may suggest that this would be best.

That's the second time we've agreed today

[Christopher Kreuzer]

Sorry, I meant Nick, not Richard, not sure why I said that!

[David Robertson]

The European Team Chess Ch. begins in Batumi, Georgia! I don't actually recall being asked if I was available to play for England (and, more to the point, nor does my inbox), but I am sure Nick Pert (Elo 2557) will make an excellent replacement.

[Chris Rice]

Interesting TN in the Russia-Denmark game. Black's 8th to which Dubov commented later: "It’s not team preparation – it’s my preparation. I think my team captain was surprised. They actually sort of asked me to calm down and not play some ridiculous lines... If [8…d5!] works then it’s a groundbreaking discovery"

Bjerre, Jonas - Dubov, Daniil 0-1

European Team Championship 2019 round 011. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 a6 4. Ba4 Nf6 5. O-O Be7 6. Re1 b5 7. Bb3 O-O 8. a4 d5 9. exd5 Na5 10. Nxe5 Nxb3 11. cxb3 Bb7 12. Nc6 Bxc6 13. dxc6 Bc5 14. d3 Bxf2+ 15. Kxf2 Qd4+ 16. Be3 Ng4+ 17. Kf3 Nxe3 18. Rxe3 Rae8 19. Re2 Qf6+ 20. Kg3 g5 21. Rf2 Qd6+ 22. Kh3 Qh6+ 23. Kg4 Qh4+ 0-1

[Christopher Kreuzer]

Nice game. Apparently 14.d4 giving the pawn back was needed.

[Mick Norris]

I see Alekseenko & Matlakov lost as Russia drew; maybe we'll get Denmark next

[Andy Stoker]

I agree that Nigel Short should have been asked - am I missing something obvious?! But he can't half be a wasp. Odd he hadn't noticed before (?)

[Mick Norris]

round 2 pairings

England v Denmark, Austria v Russia

Women

England v Belgium

[Roger de Coverly]

Nice game. Apparently 14.d4 giving the pawn back was needed.

I'm unconvinced that engines give reliable verdicts in positions where Black gives up a pawn for initiative and structure, when asked for a quick verdict anyway. They usually mark down the main Marshall lines for example. But I'm getting the 14. d4 line recommended with a verdict of a small plus for White.

Keep an eye out for other future games in this line. It has a certain appeal to play the Marshall .. d5 against a move 8. a4 designed as an Anti Marshall.

[JustinHorton]

I'm sure there was a similar pseudo-Marshall innovation in the Lopez a few years ago but I can't quite remember what it was, let alone what happened to it