39th Olympiad Khanty-Mansiysk 2010 (the chess)

[Maxim Devereaux]

A pity that Colombia have rested their GM. Sam Collins will have to wait another day.

[Roger de Coverly]

I am not sure what david is doing as he seems to be getting himself in trouble already as behind in development and blacks knight is eying up f4 and f5 possibly coming up.

Howell plays these Italian positions with the King in the middle a lot. In the current position (white has just played g3), a King on g1 would have allowed Nxg3. But as you say, it often looks as if disaster is imminent so it's not a style for players who prefer a safe king.

[James O'Fee]

Ed: CJ de Mooi once again from Khanty-Mansiysk;

Please publish all these on Impala and ECF Forum... people need to know how corrupt it is. If (IF) we can get a fully secret ballot, I still think we'll win but they'll fight against that (even though it's a FIDE statute) with everything they've got.

Now abolishing secret ballots is something even Campo failed to do as far as I know !

http://www.impalapublications.com/blog/

[Jonathan Rogers]

A pity that Colombia have rested their GM. Sam Collins will have to wait another day.

That could be very serious. I wonder whether the Irish had explained the situation to Columbia and politely requested that their GM might play, as would have happened in the 4NCL. Maybe the practicalities are just against that (if they are in a different hotel, language barriers even).

[benedgell]

Thought I'd post something positive about the England teams: Sarah Hegarty, I believe making her Olympiad debut, 5/6 so far.

[Jonathan Rogers]

On the chess, I have the happy feeling that we will be pushing them very hard with White (though I am not very happy with Gawain's position as Black)

[Jonathan Rogers]

Thought I'd post something positive about the England teams: Sarah Hegarty, I believe making her Olympiad debut, 5/6 so far.

Yes, it is the board five in each team who seems to be overperforming!

[benedgell]

I feel for Ingrid at the moment: it's horrible when you hit a really bad run of form in a team event like this.

[benedgell]

http://ugra-chess.com/liveboard?gameid=1000080574

g3 and f4 early on, and then Qd4 making sure just about everything can be forked.

[Ola Winfridsson]

That's very impressive and solid by Sarah!

[David Brock]

http://ugra-chess.com/liveboard?gameid=1000080574

g3 and f4 early on, and then Qd4 making sure just about everything can be forked.

Not being funny if that is the standard at the Olympiad I met well send my six year old daughter for selection for that team and she has only just started to play. It may look fun but not a great advertisement for the standard of chess in the womens event.

[benedgell]

It's not just the women's event:

http://ugra-chess.com/liveboard?gameid=1001070704

[benedgell]

Worth pointing out that in spite of me continually posting on some of the lesser- standard games from the Olympiad, it'd be a lot less fun if they were all GM standard.

[Jon D'Souza-Eva]

http://ugra-chess.com/liveboard?gameid=1000080574

g3 and f4 early on, and then Qd4 making sure just about everything can be forked.

Not being funny if that is the standard at the Olympiad I met well send my six year old daughter for selection for that team and she has only just started to play. It may look fun but not a great advertisement for the standard of chess in the womens event.

She is the weakest player in the weakest team (Seychelles). Judging by her play in this game and the one below, I'd probably put her on about board 8 (out of 12) in my county under 9 team (assuming she was aged under 9 and lived in Oxfordshire).

Here is her other game:
http://www.ugra-chess.com/liveboard?gameid=1000040574

[Ola Winfridsson]

http://ugra-chess.com/liveboard?gameid=1000080574

g3 and f4 early on, and then Qd4 making sure just about everything can be forked.

Not being funny if that is the standard at the Olympiad I met well send my six year old daughter for selection for that team and she has only just started to play. It may look fun but not a great advertisement for the standard of chess in the womens event.

Hehe, but to be fair, the open section has had its fair share of this in the past too, and it is an Olympiad after all. The following gem is said to have occurred sometime in the late 60s or early 70s: 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4?? b5 5.Bb3 c4 ...

Edit: Sorry, benedgell were quicker than me on the same theme. And I agree regarding one the great things about the Olympiad containing players of all levels.