FIDE Chess.com Online Nations Cup

[John McKenna]

Anand - Nepo was interesting today...

Thanks, Kevin.

That was a 17-mover and more like a blitz game than a rapid.

On the sad lack of English players in the mix it would seem difficult to find the right spot for any. The highest rated is Luke McShane (2698 rapid) followed by Michael Adams (2689) that is too low for the male players in the (geographical) Europe team. And, since there is such a team that could disbar male Europeans for the Rest of the World team.

Oxford's Hou Yifan is the nearest to being an honourary English rep.

It would be interesting to know the current georaphical location of all the teams' members - if nothing else it might indicate who is likely to be most in, or out, of sync with the time zone the event is being staged in.

[NickFaulks]

How is it that Europe are fielding Aronian, an Azerbaijani and a Georgian player?

Perhaps because those countries are in Europe?

[Chris Rice]

How is it that Europe are fielding Aronian, an Azerbaijani and a Georgian player?

Perhaps because those countries are in Europe?

Understandable you are not sure. Depends who you ask. Perhaps they want to be aligned with Europe, probably they are part of Asia, certainly part of Eurasia. But I'm British, if you ask someone from one of the countries in that area you could well get a different answer.

[NickFaulks]

Depends who you ask.

Why would you ask anyone other than FIDE?

[Chris Rice]

Anand - Nepo was interesting today...

Thanks, Kevin.

That was a 17-mover and more like a blitz game than a rapid.

Very interesting, had a quick look at it on Chess24 and noticed that after 14...d4 Stockfish gave three continuations 15 Be2 (0.38), 15 Bb5 (0.13), 15 e5 (0.06) indicating quite clearly that it had the position as equal. Anand then plays 15 f5 and immediately the evaluation goes to +6! Anand could well have had this as prep as its certainly early enough and its clearly brilliant but if a lesser mortal had played it....

Anand, Viswanathan - Nepomniachtchi, Ian
FIDE Chess.com Online Nations Cup 2020 round 05

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nc3 d5 4. cxd5 Nxd5 5. Bd2 Bg7 6. e4 Nxc3 7. Bxc3 c5 8. d5 Bxc3+ 9. bxc3 Qd6 10. Qd2 O-O 11. f4 e6 12. Nf3 exd5 13. Bc4 Be6 14. O-O d4 15. f5 Bxc4 16. e5 Qd7 17. f6 1-0

[Paul Cooksey]

Wasn’t the best or the luckiest day to say the least, but many credits to @vishy64theking for a brilliant novelty & cunning opening trap. After rather logical 13...Be6 black is already lost. #NationsCup #fide #chess

[MartinCarpenter]

That's actually the sort of blow you could imagine a lesser mortal randomly stumbling over and spotting - the calculation needed isn't precisely overwhelmingly hard.

Quite another thing to spot it in advance and purposefully plan round it etc!

[JustinHorton]

More likely you'd play it overlooking that you'd left your bishop en prise. Oh God what have I done, oh no, maybe one distracting pawn attack on the queen then I'll resign, OK go for the cheap mate attempt with f6....

.... hang on

[Mick Norris]

China reach the final where they will play either Europe or USA

TWIC

Pete Doggers

[Chris Rice]

So why wasn't Magnus playing for Europe? Well a tweet from chess.com tells the tale. Chess.com (Nick Barton) thought he was asking for too much money.

Magnus not happy responded with:

"Thanks for putting up a very entertaining event, and letting me know that I will be invited to events in the future! Now that you have outed me as greedy, I will ask for at least triple what I would have asked this time, though."

[Mick Norris]

RoW 2-2 Russia (all games decisive!); India 1.5 - 2.5 China (win for Yu); USA 1.5 - 2.5 Europe (win for Dzagnidze)

China (17) v USA (11)
Europe (12) v RoW (3)
Russia (6) v India (5)

[Mick Norris]

Europe drew but USA beat China, which I think means they meet again in the final tomorrow; Russia won too

[Tim Harding]

How is it that Europe are fielding Aronian, an Azerbaijani and a Georgian player?

Perhaps because those countries are in Europe?

I am surprised nobody has corrected Chris: Aronian is of course from Armenia, not Azerbaijan.

Both Armenia and Georgia are in a liminal area, technically Asian in the strict geographical sense but culturally and politically leaning more to Europe nowadays.
The United Nations classifies them (and Azerbaijan) as Asian nations but all three are in UEFA (for soccer) and Eurovision.

[NickFaulks]

Both Armenia and Georgia are in a liminal area, technically Asian in the strict geographical sense but culturally and politically leaning more to Europe nowadays.
The United Nations classifies them (and Azerbaijan) as Asian nations but all three are in UEFA (for soccer) and Eurovision.

None of this matters. Within FIDE they are in Europe.

[John McKenna]

How is it that Europe are fielding Aronian, an Azerbaijani and a Georgian player?

Perhaps because those countries are in Europe?

I am surprised nobody has corrected Chris: Aronian is of course from Armenia, not Azerbaijan.

SNIP

I read Chris' "Aronian, an Azerbaijani and a Georgian" as a list of 3 players - an Armenian (Aronian), an Azerbaijani (Radjubov) and a Georgian (Dzagnidze).

If for FIDE's purposes all three nations are European then why is Radjabov playing in the Rest of the World team?

Confusion also arises due to one Muzychuk sister playing for Europe while the other is playing for the Rest of the World??

Perhaps players from certain countries have dual regionality!