Batumi Olympiad 2018

Tim Harding · 28-09-2018 4:59pm

Retd.LoyolaCpt wrote: »

Herself and Korobov are carrying my fantasy team! Both on 4/4 (I also have Girya and Batsiashvili on 3/3)

Not such a good day for you today then.

Ketevan Arakhamia-Grant won again. Scotland also won, so she might get a more testing game on Saturday but really no team in the middle/lower part of the draw has a player as strong as her so far as I can see. Very friendly person too.

Korobov rested; Girya drew and Batsiashvili lost. Who else have you got?

I didn't even know about this fantasy olympiad or I would have had a go.

Retd.LoyolaCpt · 28-09-2018 5:58pm

yeah, I'd a disaster - one player from each board in each section, with no more than 1 per country overall and an irish player. I think there is an official fantasy one but we made our own one on Monday morning - hence the irish player rule.

Amonatov 0.5
Harikrishna 0.5
O'Donnell 0.5
Shankland 0
Korobov -

Arakhamia-Grant 1
Batsiashvili 0
Lei Tingjie 1
Abdumalik 0
Girya 0.5

4/10

Tim Harding · 28-09-2018 7:26pm

Round 6 team pairings are now up. I am not sure when the line-ups have to be declared, in view of the rest day maybe not until tomorrow evening.

Ireland v Algeria in the Open and v Brazil in the Women's.

Four teams still on 100% MP in the Open, so it will be:
Azerbaijan v Czech Republic
Poland v Ukraine

In the Women's tournament only USA have 10 MP.

http://chess-results.com/tnr368908.aspx?lan=1&art=2&rd=6&flag=30

Tim Harding · 30-09-2018 11:20am

After yesterday's league excitement, it's back to armchair viewing from Batumi starting at noon.

In the OPEN, Ireland play Algeria in match 20 and Alex Baburin is rested for the first time.
We are outrated on the top three boards, but in the Olympiads that usually means little.
Alex Lopez and Conor O'Donnell play GMs, Stephen Jessel and David Fitzsimons play IMs.

The top matches between teams on 100% are Azerbaijan v Czech Republic and Poland v Ukraine.
Perhaps the most interesting top board match-up is in match 5 where Parham Maghsoodloo of Iran (who won the Junior World Championship last month with a round to spare) has White against Ding Liren, who has now gone about 60 (?) games unbeaten and hasn't lost a classical game in 2018.
Also there could be some fireworks in Nepomniachtchi v Anand, while Mickey Adams has White against MVL.

Turning to the Women's tournament, Ireland play Brazil in match 42 with White on odd boards.
Eibhia is rested. This could be a tough one.
The top matches are India (9 MP)-USA (10), Ukraine-China (both 9 MP), and Russia (8)-Armenia (8).

Tim Harding · 30-09-2018 3:40pm

Diana and Hannah have drawn; the women with Black have lost or are losing, so 1-3.

Alex Lopez has reached the time control with a clear advantage and a long fight ahead.
Stephen Jessel's position deteriorated in time shortage (so nothing new there) and he will have trouble saving it now.
The men with Black are probably losing.

cdeb · 30-09-2018 3:46pm

Respectable result for the women alright.

This game caught my attention at the lower end - Gambia v Mauritius. Another fool's mate - though she did at least notice the knight was attacked... I'm reminded of one of Ireland's games at the 2010 Olympiad where Ireland (black) won all four minor pieces - two of which were defended and white simply didn't recapture.

ishidaogo · 30-09-2018 4:10pm

Great first week by the men to get to Table 20.
Only losing to 2700+ players.
Hopefully week two will bring some wins over 2300 players

checknraise · 30-09-2018 4:11pm

I suspect Stephen felt he had to win to get a team result and took a couple of risks.

Ficheall · 30-09-2018 4:24pm

cdeb wrote: »

This game caught my attention at the lower end - Gambia v Mauritius. Another fool's mate - though she did at least notice the knight was attacked...

Well, at least they're learning from their team-mates' mistakes. The approach worked for Alpha-Zero, I guess...

Tim Harding · 30-09-2018 6:28pm

ishidaogo wrote: »

Great first week by the men to get to Table 20.
Only losing to 2700+ players.
Hopefully week two will bring some wins over 2300 players

Unfortunately some losses today to sub-2700 players but a great win for Alex Lopez against a 2501 GM so he may still have hopes of a norm.

I think 1/4 was a respectable result for both teams considering their opposition. It is really tough at this level playing Black even if your openings are solid. Maybe Conor played over-aggressively in the opening but credit to him for trying. You learn more from your losses.

As you say, Stephen would have realised a draw was no good for the team and had to try for more. It's the logic of team matches.

Tim Harding · 30-09-2018 7:35pm

Round 7 team pairings up.

OPEN Yemen v Ireland. They have two IMs and an FM but this looks like a winnable match, maybe by a big margin.
Poland v Azerbaijan in the meeting of the only two teams with 12 MP. Can young Duda win again or will Shak continue his ominous pursuit of Magnus's number 1 rating?

Then Croatia (10 MP) v USA (11 MP) and there are nine other teams on 10MP including quite surprisingly Egypt (who play India, who have only 9MP).

In our women's tour of Africa, Diana & co. next play Botswana who have two WIMs and one EFM rated in the 1700s which may mean their titles were gifted as a bribe in the shady world of Kirsan and Makro'. Or maybe they were stronger once.

Anyway this looks like a close match which we might win.
On the top table, Armenia play USA, both on 11MP.

Nine teams have 10MP and then in match 6, India (10MP) play Georgia-1 who have 11MP. Rather strange.

cdeb · 30-09-2018 8:02pm

Tim Harding wrote: »

In our women's tour of Africa, Diana & co. next play Botswana who have two WIMs and one EFM rated in the 1700s which may mean their titles were gifted as a bribe in the shady world of Kirsan and Makro'. Or maybe they were stronger once.

In fairness, women's titles are given out much readier than open titles; it could be for winning a continental title or even a decent Olympiad score. We have two 1700 titled players ourselves; not WIMs, but still below the nominal thresholds for the titles. I don't think those titles were corruptly achieved, so I don't think it's fair to accuse Botswana of the same thing

Past_Pawn_99 · 01-10-2018 12:08am

We will probably see a lot less of these lower rated players with titles now since the whole conditional title and minimum rating requirements was introduced last year.

For example if Eibhia or Mercedes achieve a WCM/WFM score here they will have to cross 1800/1900 respectively before the ICU can request for the title(s) to be awarded.

Tim Harding · 01-10-2018 8:49am

Good point. Their WIMs (one is not playing today) apparently got direct titles from a southern African women's zonal.

Day off for Hannah (who already has a title) as Mercedes and Eibhia are offered a chance to get points on the board.

Conor rested today; we are higher rated on every board in both matches, though only marginally in some.

Tim Harding · 01-10-2018 2:23pm

Crushing win for David Fitzsimons but the other games have a long way to go.

Women's match is also tight; board 4 looks very bad for us.

Gelfand blundered into a mate versus Navara in a double rook ending:
https://chess24.com/en/watch/live-tournaments/olympiad-batumi-2018-open/7/5/1

Apart from that and a few draws it is early days in the top matches.

HaraldSchmidt · 01-10-2018 4:04pm

Did Gearoidin really draw? It seems hard to believe her opponent would agree to that a piece up.

Tim Harding · 01-10-2018 4:25pm

HaraldSchmidt wrote: »

Did Gearoidin really draw? It seems hard to believe her opponent would agree to that a piece up.

A win for the opponent looks a lot more plausible but they don't upload the results to chess-results.com until the round is over, so we cannot be sure. Of course it makes a big difference between 2MP or only 1 MP for us.

We are 2-1 up in the Open with Stephen Jessel likely to win soon also.

Retd.LoyolaCpt · 01-10-2018 4:29pm

Might also be a "steward's enquiry" into Diana's game given black's last move. That may also have been a draw..

Tim Harding · 01-10-2018 4:34pm

Retd.LoyolaCpt wrote: »

Might also be a "steward's enquiry" into Diana's game given black's last move. That may also have been a draw..

You don't think Black put her rook en prise (forgetting the queen no longer defended it) and resigned on the spot?

Maybe you can contact Ioana and ask her what really happened in these games?

Retd.LoyolaCpt · 01-10-2018 5:11pm

Captains can't have phones in the playing hall like everyone else. Just heard from Diana once she got back to hotel that her opponent did indeed panic so she won.

Tim Harding · 01-10-2018 5:24pm

And Geraoidin's result?

Retd.LoyolaCpt · 01-10-2018 5:26pm

haven't heard but I'd guess it was a draw. Gearoidin wouldn't give up there. More likely her opponent just thought she couldn't make progress

Retd.LoyolaCpt · 01-10-2018 6:03pm

Confirmed by chess-results: http://chess-results.com/tnr368909.aspx?lan=1&art=3&rd=7&fed=NEP&flag=30&zeilen=99999

I think its Chile for the ladies and possibly Turkmenistan for the open team.

Tim Harding · 01-10-2018 7:43pm

Confirmed. Chile women bd 4 and reserve seem to be doing well.
Turkmenistan have only played their reserve once.

Caruana v Mamedyarov is a juicy prospect for tomorrow: the two guys vying to catch Magnus! A win for Fabiano would bring him very close to top in the live ratings, I think?
The drawn matches at the top today helped USA who are probably in pole position now if they can win tomorrow's match.

Ukraine came very close to winning both Black games against China today but somehow Wei Yi and Li Chao hung on.

Russia had another bad match. Maybe they are sorry now they didn't bring Svidler instead of Jakovenko.

Armenia are now in sole lead in the women's tournament but I expect them to be beaten by Ukraine tomorrow.

Tim Harding · 02-10-2018 10:32am

Alex Lopez and Gearoidin rested today.

Yes, our women's team did win yesterday's match, somewhat luckily, by 2.5-1.5.

Top games to watch: Caruana-Mamedyarov (and indeed the whole of the US-Azeri match); also Ding Liren v Anish Giri.

Tim Harding · 02-10-2018 4:16pm

Our women's team lost 4-0 alas.

The live boards were frozen for ages in the men's match. They have just been updated showing Conor and David have lost, Stephen has drawn, and Alex Baburin is trying to hang on a pawn down in the ending.

In the top match, USA badly need Shankland to win because Wesley So is losing, Nakamura drew and Caruana's advantage is perhaps only nominal. If they lose the match, the defence of their title is in serious jeopardy.

UPDATE: Caruana may be getting somewhere now?

Tim Harding · 02-10-2018 5:35pm

Caruana won nicely and Shankland just completed the US win over Azerbaijan which looked unlikely two hours ago.

Some interesting endings today.
B+P v B occurred in two top games. Mickey Adams demonstrated good technique to hold against Gelfand. Yu Yangyi blew a won position against Erwin L'Ami.

Luke McShane found a way to win for England after his opponent went wrong in a tricky rook ending.

Ireland unfortunately only scored half a point from eight games today.

cdeb · 02-10-2018 6:59pm

A double-header of sorts for our teams tomorrow - the IPCA (physically disabled team) for the men, and the IBCA (blind team) for the women.

Tim Harding · 02-10-2018 8:32pm

It can be very distracting to play such opponents, though in part it depends on whether they have assistants to make their moves. They probably do in the olympiad? Or at least the blind players will?

Tim Harding · 02-10-2018 8:34pm

I think tomorrow (October 3) is the big day to decide the new President and ICCF executive.
Are Ireland sticking with their declared intention to vote for Arkady Dvorkovich? Or perhaps we shall never know if it's a truly secret ballot.

Nigel Short is almost certain to come third on the first ballot, but apparently that doesn't mean (unlike the French parliamentary system) that the third placed candidate is eliminated unless he chooses to be.

Tim Harding · 03-10-2018 9:47am

Baburin and Mirza rested today; the women are out-rated on every board and it would have been the same even if Diana had played. It looks a winnable match for the Open team, though.

USA (15MP) is top match in the Open, with the Americans needing at least a drawn match against the impressive Poles (14MP) to preserve their lead. Robson sits it out again. Very big matches among the chasers on 13 MP: Azerbaijan-China, India-Armenia, Germany-France and
England-Norway. (Norway are only on 12.)

Action starts at noon.

Retd.LoyolaCpt · 03-10-2018 3:17pm

Dvorkovich elected - 103-78 with Short pulling out last minute.

Ladies had a great win 2.5-1.5

Tim Harding · 03-10-2018 3:22pm

Great result for the ladies indeed! Not looking good for the Open team.

Malcolm backed the wrong horse, I fear.
We await Nigel's next column in New In Chess.

cdeb · 03-10-2018 4:29pm

Real struggle for the Open team - though they are stronger on all four boards, they're 2-0 down and hanging on a pawn down in endings which they surely have no chance of winning, though a draw may be holdable. So at best 3-1; probably 3½-½

Retd.LoyolaCpt · 03-10-2018 4:41pm

2 or 3 players on the Open team have been sick for the last few days - takes its toll! Hopefully Lopez can torture his opponent into submission over the next 30 moves. Good hold by David in the end

Tim Harding · 03-10-2018 4:57pm

Retd.LoyolaCpt wrote: »

2 or 3 players on the Open team have been sick for the last few days - takes its toll! Hopefully Lopez can torture his opponent into submission over the next 30 moves. Good hold by David in the end

Sorry to hear some of the players have been unwell; this must have affected performances.
Alex's game is down to N+2 v N+1 with no passed pawn but the defence can be tricky, especially as his opponent has much less time.
Alex is blitzing back; not sure if that's the best strategy... I suppose you stop and think if you sense the opponent has made a mistake.

Tim Harding · 03-10-2018 5:15pm

Caruana trying to win R+B v R but probably won't, in which case Poland beat USA and go into the sole lead!

https://chess24.com/en/watch/live-tournaments/olympiad-batumi-2018-open/9/1/1

There are wins today for Armenia and China, and probably England, in the chasing group, so all the medals are up for grabs in the Open with two rounds to go.

cdeb · 03-10-2018 5:23pm

Tablebase draw, but it's a tricky ending from both sides - although I think white has done the hard work and can just sit still; it helps that there's only one side to defend.

I imagine Caruana will push to the 50-move mark; has no reason not to. Move 117 is the deadline for Caruana to win.

Tim Harding · 03-10-2018 5:53pm

Just drawn. Online engine and commentators on the English Forum say Caruana blundered at the start of the ending, 65...Bg4 when he had a forced mate with 65...Rd1+ instead. He didn't have to go for the h-pawn.
If so, White's 63 g3+ was a bad mistake but Duda got away with it and defended the pawnless ending very well.

Tim Harding · 03-10-2018 6:05pm

So it is Poland leading on 16 MP with two rounds to go
On 15 MP there are USA, Armenia, China and England.

Poland already played Armenia so it's probably China for them tomorrow.
If they downfloat the lowest seed again then USA will play Armenia and England would play Russia.

Maybe that is not forced though; depends on their pairing software.

On 14 France, Germany, Russia, Croatia

Tim Harding · 03-10-2018 6:57pm

Round 10, Open. Ireland v Tunisia
Top pairings as I guessed above, also France-Croatia and Vietnam-Germany

Women's: Ireland-Ecuador

Tim Harding · 04-10-2018 8:56am

Eibhia is rested today for Round 10 as the Ladies take on Ecuador. Only Gearoidin on 4 is higher rated than her opponent, but after yesterday we believe anything is possible.

In the Open, David Fitzsimons is rested today. We are higher rated on every board against Tunisia in the Open.

Big games to watch:
Ding Liren v Duda (who has just drawn, from dodgy positions, against Aronian and Caruana);
Aronian v Caruana (and Robson gets a game today);
Karjakin v Adams; Nepo' v McShane; Kramnik v Howell; Vitiugov v Gawain Jones;
Mamedyarov v Ivanchuk;
Giri v Harikrishna (Vishy rested)

This is the last round at the noon start time. I am not sure whether it's 8am or 9am IST that the final round begins tomorrow.

reunion · 04-10-2018 3:40pm

Baburin just missed Rxd3 on move 36 which would have turned the game around!

Tim Harding · 04-10-2018 3:46pm

Oh no! Horrific blunder by Alex Baburin when he was on the verge of going into a won queen endgame (not 36 e4?? but 36 Rxd3 Qxd3 37 Nxe8). Alex Lopez lost earlier so this looks like 1 or 1.5 for us instead of a possible won match.
Stephen has reached the time control in a probably won rook ending.

It looks like the ladies are going to suffer a whitewash.
The only good thing is that a loss today can set up winnable matches for the last round and an ultimately higher placing.

Gawain has drawn with Vitiugov but England will probably lose to Russia in the end.
China have beaten Poland 3-1 and the USA are winning their match so it looks like a USA v China showdown tomorrow, with Poland and Russia in with the best chance of bronze.

Tim Harding · 04-10-2018 3:47pm

reunion wrote: »

Baburin just missed Rxd3 on move 36 which would have turned the game around!

Not a question of turning it around. Alex was better throughout and the Rxe5 exchange sac was the start of a winning combination but he somehow got confused and played Rxd3 a move too late.

Tim Harding · 04-10-2018 4:53pm

Stephen Jessel must have won though chess24 is currently showing the reverse result.
Unfortunately he is still standing to lose a couple of rating points in this event and badly needs a win tomorrow.

Tim Harding · 04-10-2018 6:14pm

Last round starts tomorrow 0800 IST. Team pairings will probably be available in an hour or so.
In the Open it must be USA-China, and probably France v Russia, Poland v India (who are 1MP behind).
Poland have played so many strong teams already (including the other four in the top five) that tiebreaks will probably give them a good chance of silver or bronze if they don't lose tomorrow. They have been the heroes of this event and will be very disappointed if they come away with nothing.
If USA and China draw then the tiebreaks could be very close again.
Captains have until 2400 local time (2100 here) to submit their last round team compositions, else 1-4 have to play.
So we should see the board pairings online before bedtime.

cdeb · 04-10-2018 7:36pm

The Maldives for the men; bit of a surprising draw as they're 153rd seed and don't have anyone higher than 1870. Their board 3 is in excellent form - 2200 performance - but this should be a 4-0. Three defeats in a row has seen us plummet down the standings, and it looks like we'll be a fair bit off our seeding of 66th (we're currently in 106th)

The Women have a winnable tie against Japan, seeded a few places below them. A win and they should beat their seeding of 87th; they currently stand 103rd.

USA v China for gold in the Open, but Poland's tie-break is better than both, so they should win by beating India if the US and China draw.

It's Russia v China on 1 in the Women's section; China have a one-point lead and a good headstart on tie-break and I think would likely win outright in the event of a match draw.

Tim Harding · 04-10-2018 10:02pm

Board pairings up. Alex Lopez and Eibhia are sitting this one out.

It's certainly very disappointing that the Open team which is possibly the strongest Ireland ever sent to an Olympiad has lost three successive matches and the top three are all losing rating points.
I guess when they get back we shall find out about the mystery illness which seems to have undermined the performance.

The top Open match tomorrow should be great: 8am start remember!
The teams on 15MP have an outside chance of bronze if India beat Poland but tiebreaks probably won't favour the teams in matches 4-6.
Still, we can recall how two years ago it came down to Sonneborn-Berger for first and one late-finishing game in a lower match decided first place. Heavy wins can make a difference.

England, from that point of view, at least have the most favourable pairing in that Kazakhstan, while undeniably string, look a lot less formidable than the alternatives.

Perhaps the most remarkable thing about the results is that Germany have not lost a match: won 5, drawn 5.

Tim Harding · 04-10-2018 10:07pm

It's been pointed out on the English forum that in the Open, the blind team (IBCA) play the deaf team (ICCD) perhaps for the first time.
I believe Gerry Graham could be involved in that match as an arbiter.

Batumi Olympiad 2018

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