FIDE Online Olympiad 22 July to 30 August 2020

[Leonard Barden]

Third place pool C v runner-up pool D is correct according to the rules.

[David Sedgwick]

"Both the Indian players were enjoying a positional advantage when misfortune struck. It is learnt, a request for continuation of the two games from the same position and time was not agreed by the opposite team."

I'm a bit shocked that the Indians even made the request. These days on the servers basically you lose the signal you lose the game, end of. .

That is the normal practice at events for lesser mortals such as me and even you. However, things are different at the highest level and Vidit and Koneru will have played in such events.

[LawrenceCooper]

Ukraine lose the top three boards and the match to Kazakhstan and drop from first to third:

Ranking crosstable
Rk. Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 TB1 TB2 TB3
1 Azerbaijan * 5 2½ 2½ 4 3½ 5 3½ 5½ 5½ 14 37,0 0
2 Hungary 1 * 4 3½ 2 4 4 3½ 4 6 14 32,0 0
3 Ukraine 3½ 2 * 2½ 3 4½ 5½ 5½ 5 4 13 35,5 0
4 Kazakhstan 3½ 2½ 3½ * 2½ 3 4 6 4 5 13 34,0 0
5 Spain 2 4 3 3½ * 3½ 2½ 4½ 4½ 6 13 33,5 0
6 Netherlands 2½ 2 1½ 3 2½ * 4 4½ 3½ 5½ 9 29,0 0
7 Slovakia 1 2 ½ 2 3½ 2 * 4½ 4½ 3½ 8 23,5 0
8 France 2½ 2½ ½ 0 1½ 1½ 1½ * 4 6 4 20,0 0
9 Norway ½ 2 1 2 1½ 2½ 1½ 2 * 4 2 17,0 0
10 South Africa ½ 0 2 1 0 ½ 2½ 0 2 * 0 8,5 0

[Jonathan Rogers]

France (plausibly) in eighth? That must have been the toughest group!

[Chris Rice]

Mick, I thought if we finished 3rd, we would play the second placed team in Group D but I have no idea where I saw that.

Group winners straight to the quarter finals on Friday; second and third go into the preliminary round playoff on Thursday

As there is a reasonable chance we will finish third in Pool C I looked up on the schedule who we would be likely to play in the preliminary round Duel IV and it would be the runner up in Pool D which is possibly going to be USA or Poland.

[Leonard Barden]

France (plausibly) in eighth? That must have been the toughest group!

Look at their names and see what a weak French team they put out.

Meanwhile back at the front line after 15 minutes play and as feared we are already significantly worse on boards 5 and 6....

[Chris Rice]

"Both the Indian players were enjoying a positional advantage when misfortune struck. It is learnt, a request for continuation of the two games from the same position and time was not agreed by the opposite team."

I'm a bit shocked that the Indians even made the request. These days on the servers basically you lose the signal you lose the game, end of. .

That is the normal practice at events for lesser mortals such as me and even you. However, things are different at the highest level and Vidit and Koneru will have played in such events.

Its very upsetting to lose rating points because we are lesser mortals David.

[David Sedgwick]

Its very upsetting to lose rating points because we are lesser mortals David.

But not necessarily so upsetting to gain them because our opponents disconnect.

[Leonard Barden]

Unexpected swing to England in the last few minutes! Adams v Aronian drawn, board six still down the drain, but others improved and Armenia not sure winners at the moment.

Later.....spoke too soon! Wadsworth briefly recovered, but two bad moves in a row have put him back to -2 again...

[Leonard Barden]

Oh yes! Could be 3-3.

[Thomas Rendle]

Oh yes! Could be 3-3.

Only if Armenia get very lucky here...

[Jonathan Rogers]

But akshaya won! I think her opponent was playing for brilliancy ... match should be ours now!!

[Leonard Barden]

Oh miracle of miracles! Busted Akshaya recovers to score her first win of the tournament!

[Paul Cooksey]

I think we probably still need to beat Romania though

[Jonathan Rogers]

Interesting how the mens team often raises its game more readily against the very top sides - this time so has the team as a whole, though one should not overlook just how easily Adams held Aronian as Black, dull though the game was.

Jovanka must be doing very well all round, including our crunch matches.

Still, we presumably need a win and a draw against teams of comparable strength, but what a difference this will make to morale.