2026 Chess Olympiad

[LawrenceCooper]

I'm getting uncomfortable flashbacks to my first match as England captain in 2009 where the score was 1-1 about three hours in:

Round 1 on 2009/10/22 at 15:00
Bo. 18 England (ENG) Rtg - 38 Monaco (MNC) Rtg 3 : 1
18.1 GM McShane Luke J 2615 - GM Efimov Igor 2433 0 - 1
18.2 GM Conquest Stuart C 2563 - FM Van Hoolandt Patrick 2229 1 - 0
18.3 GM Williams Simon K 2545 - Ribbegren Karl Johan 2158 1 - 0
18.4 GM Gordon Stephen J 2535 - Iclicki Willy 2052 1 - 0

https://s1.chess-results.com/tnr24908.a ... 0&SNode=S0

[Thomas Rendle]

No real predictions for the Olympiad, but who do we think will be the dark horses / surprise package? Turkiye would be mine for the Open.

For the women's I'll go for a small surprise and Kazakhstan to win the event.

[LawrenceCooper]

Israel-Pakistan ended 4-0 without a move being played.

[Roger de Coverly]

Some very low standards of play in the first round at the tail end. For example a game starting 1. d4 d5 2. c4 Be6 3. Nc3 Nc6 4. cxd5 and Black is already losing material.

[JustinHorton]

That reminds me - I'm sure there's somebody with a reputation for turning up any playing deliberately bad games, maybe in the Women's section. Does anybody know who I'm talking about, and are they present in Samarkand?

[Ian Thompson]

That reminds me - I'm sure there's somebody with a reputation for turning up any playing deliberately bad games, maybe in the Women's section. Does anybody know who I'm talking about, and are they present in Samarkand?

Mrs. Moustache is not in the Seychelles team this year.

[JustinHorton]

Boo (though it's probably for the best)

[JustinHorton]

Vitiugov currently (last move White's 25th) struggling

[Jonathan Rogers]

a little while later though, he is doing well. It could be 4-0; Daniel still has work to do, but that's the way he plays ...

Gukesh on board three for India. Just sayin'.

[Kevin Thurlow]

Efimov has been known to lose concentration.

I forgot Turkiye vs Jordan. Guernsey - Jersey is a regular battle, (and when it happens, the most important match in the event), but despite the legendary rivalry, the players do get on pretty well.

[Matt Mackenzie]

It seems a little odd that Uzbekistan are allowed three teams.

Multiple teams for the host nation has been a thing since at least the 1980s, it was maybe three this time to make an even number overall (though I recall at least one event - in Russia - where there were four)

[Jonathan Rogers]

Five in 2010(!)

[Matt Mackenzie]

That reminds me - I'm sure there's somebody with a reputation for turning up any playing deliberately bad games, maybe in the Women's section. Does anybody know who I'm talking about, and are they present in Samarkand?

Are we sure that they were *deliberately* bad?

[LawrenceCooper]

Five in 2010(!)

Yes, I remember us facing Russia 3 who had Rublevsky rated 2676 (or thereabouts) on board 3.

[Matt Mackenzie]

Israel-Pakistan ended 4-0 without a move being played.

Sigh, not this s*** again.

And in this case I suppose the requirement to do the draw in strict rating order removed any chance of "flexibility".