English Chess Forum

JustinHorton wrote: ↑

Wed Sep 30, 2026 11:17 am

How curious

Ah, it was Joseph. A notably unconventional character.

Matt Mackenzie wrote: ↑

Sun Sep 27, 2026 12:37 pm

Apart from Najdorf all entrants were indeed from the USSR and satellite countries (Pachman's break with the regime came the following year)

Yugoslavia was hardly a satellite, but I see what you mean.

Christopher Kreuzer wrote: ↑

Sun Sep 27, 2026 3:17 pm

Spectacular demonstration of ELO at 100% compared to not 100%.

This is of course a perversion of the system, which was never intended to be used in this way.

JustinHorton wrote: ↑

Sun Sep 27, 2026 2:43 pm

Re: the Open team, four players lost rating points (Mickey only marginally). Only two of the Women players did (Elmira even more marginally).

She was of course heading for +20 until the horrible end to her final game ( when the match was already won ).

I was a bit surprised Malcolm supported Turlov. More or less surprised than when Short supported Dvorkovich in 2018? I'd say about the same. Regarding "Alex Holowczak to be nominated Chair or Secretary of the Arbiters Commission", that one is predictably running into heavy weather from the Fair Pla...

Christopher Kreuzer wrote: ↑

Sun Sep 27, 2026 10:28 am

I got the impression from Nick's "the elephant trap" that this was a well-known King's Indian trap.

No. I may have been suggesting that the main line KID is little more than a bag of tricks, all similar and yet all different. If White avoids them all, he wins, but that's easier said than done.

NickFaulks wrote: ↑

Sun Sep 27, 2026 9:22 am

I'm sure it would surprise neither player that Stockfish gives Black zero compensation for his pawn, but we all know that Gawain can do magic in these positions.

Sure enough, White walks straight into the elephant trap. You have to give Gawain credit for that, because it happens so often.

Richard Bates wrote: ↑

Sun Sep 27, 2026 9:26 am

What is the claimed justification for scheduling the final Olympiad round (so) early? Just so they can have a closing ceremony on the same day and save money?

It's always been that way, and not just to save money. The teams generally aren't keen to hang around.

It did follow naturally from the 20th, which was the real problem.

I'm sure it would surprise neither player that Stockfish gives Black zero compensation for his pawn, but we all know that Gawain can do magic in these positions.

Jonathan Rogers wrote: ↑

Sun Sep 27, 2026 8:40 am

Gawain is playing the KI

The only previous game in my database to have reached the position after 15.a5 is Firouzja - Jones in 2021, a game I do not understand at all.

https://chesstempo.com/game-database/ga ... 5039937/96

John Moore wrote: ↑

Sat Sep 26, 2026 6:03 pm

The Philippines have their lowest rated player on Board 1 which is annoying at the more serious level in the Olympiad.

She has gained 35 rating points so far, so presumably they think she is quite good.

I'm surprised to see that nobody has posted the result.

https://www.fide.com/timur-turlov-elect ... t-of-fide/

I wasn't there, but am informed that after the first round the ECF switched its support to Turlov.

John Upham wrote: ↑

Fri Sep 25, 2026 1:19 pm

Where do whales go to check their weight?

Where do you go to weigh a pie?








Somewhere over the rainbow.

On a brighter note, Bodhana goes into today's game knowing that a draw will be a WGM norm and a win will be an IM norm. I really hope she is taking no interest in this, even though others surrounding her are. She is obviously going to get these titles and they are just unimportant milestones along ...