Olympiad starts Thursday. We have a precent decent team out with 2 juniors lower down, so could do anything.
Its interesting. Betting is available on loads of things at the event @ www.paddypower.com
England are 25/1 to win the title
They have an England top board betting in which
Adams Evens
Short 5/4
Howell 11/5
G Jones 7/1
Conquest 8/1
Russia and china are favourites at 5/2 and 9/2 respectable
2006 saw an amazing Aremenian win. Sadly K Asrian, who almost single handedly won the olympiad with a gold medal winning 2800+ performance, died at 28 years of age.
Really if there is anything which should spark the ECF to do something in chess, some youngsters have died in chess. When do the old men at the ECF want to actually do something. When things like Karens death happen, a young , bright person.
But His legacy is he won the Olympiad 2008 for his country and numerous junior titles.
Lets take my coaches friend http://www.serbiachess.net/2008/dusan_p ... ic_eng.htm
He is dying , but hes a GM, a great player. One of the best junior players a few years ago.
Both these people have achieved and done more in there respective countries for chess, than the ECF members could hope to do, in theroy the chess sets, was your legacy, in 50 years time, if chess is alot bigger. People are going to ask where did it all come from, people talk about wasting John Robinson money, the sets would set a lecgacy in schools. How much extra does it cost to have little names around the side of every board of people who made a big contribution to the idea? Thats what its all about, Alexander the great tried to conquerer the world so his name would be timeless, guess what , he got his wish, my second middle name is named after him, alot of people are. Your an ECF board of an era, like a government your legacy at the moment is hinderers of chess, at least do something
On a more positive less morbid note, GO ENGLAND!!!!!! and Goooooo De la pena? of Andorra who Ive got a bet on to win gold for board 1 @ 33/1
Ben
