European Individual Chess Championship 2021

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Matt Mackenzie
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Re: European Individual Chess Championship 2021

Post by Matt Mackenzie » Fri Aug 27, 2021 12:08 am

A 2536 beating a 1953 isn't really an "upset" so I presume either result or players were the other way around?
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Chris Rice
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Re: European Individual Chess Championship 2021

Post by Chris Rice » Fri Aug 27, 2021 12:41 am

Matt Mackenzie wrote:
Fri Aug 27, 2021 12:08 am
A 2536 beating a 1953 isn't really an "upset" so I presume either result or players were the other way around?
Apologies, the result was correct but shouldn't have been included. Deleted now.

David Sedgwick
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Re: European Individual Chess Championship 2021

Post by David Sedgwick » Fri Aug 27, 2021 12:45 am

IM Aydin Suleymanli, the 2536 player in question, now has White against Gawain Jones.

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Christopher Kreuzer
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Re: European Individual Chess Championship 2021

Post by Christopher Kreuzer » Fri Aug 27, 2021 12:47 am

Chris Rice wrote:
Thu Aug 26, 2021 11:23 pm
Gawain finally won but it looked like a real struggle.
<snip>

Edmund Player lost to Vincent Keymer after looking like he (Player) might win. Lorin D'Costa was doing well up until about 5 moves before the time control (at move 40?) and then a seemingly unnecessary exchange sacrifice led to a loss.
Chris Rice wrote:
Thu Aug 26, 2021 11:23 pm

As we all know first rounds are often difficult and there were a few upsets today:

GM Banusz Tamas (2631) 0 - 1 FM Heimisson Hilmir Freyr (2309)
Wecker Martin (2195) 1 - 0 GM Bosiocic Marin (2610)
Kueng Nicolas (2005) 1 - 0 GM Hillarp Persson Tiger (2543)
Amazing to see Tiger Hillarp Persson losing to someone rated 2005!

I would include some other results as upsets as well, including these three draws (the other 4 draws further up the round 1 results are less of an upset, IMO, as they are between players titled FM and higher, and the FMs are quite highly rated):

CM Milikow Elie (2242) 0.5 - 0.5 GM Gajewski Grzegorz (2617)
Pappelis Dimitrios (2160) 0.5 - 0.5 GM Mamedov Nidjat (2595)
Domalchuk-Jonasson Aleksandr (2052) 0.5 - 0.5 GM Dragnev Valentin (2557)

Or are draws considered less of an upset? I'd be deliriously happy to get a draw against a GM! :D

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Christopher Kreuzer
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Re: European Individual Chess Championship 2021

Post by Christopher Kreuzer » Fri Aug 27, 2021 1:14 am

Wow, GM Grzegorz Gajewski was very lucky to get that draw. He was completely busted several times in that game and losing when his opponent (Elie Milikow) took a perpetual. Either time trouble or not being sure how to finish the game off for Milikow. who is 13 or 14 years old and maybe the younger brother(?) of FM Yoav Milikow (who is 16 or 17 and has a YouTube channel). Of the other two draws, one was boring and the other I can't find on Chessbomb (maybe not on the live boards).

Milikow, Elie (ISR) - Gajewski, Grzegorz (POL)
½-½
European Individual Championship - Reykjavik Open 2021 round 01



EDIT: Yes, brothers, see here for a photo of them and their sister with Yochanan Afek.

Chris Rice
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Re: European Individual Chess Championship 2021

Post by Chris Rice » Fri Aug 27, 2021 11:38 am

The official website has a piece today on the first round entitled "Few Upsets in the first round" ! It's interesting to note that their main "upset" was the draw between Aleksandra Maltsevskaya (2409) and Gabriel Sargissian (2682).

Also from photos of the first round in that piece you can see some people are wearing masks but others are not. This includes one of Nils Grandelius leaning right over the board. It's a difficult call. If you're worried about contracting covid this could well put you off of playing but on the other hand playing in a mask for hours is not something you would want to do either.

David Sedgwick
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Re: European Individual Chess Championship 2021

Post by David Sedgwick » Fri Aug 27, 2021 12:01 pm

Chris Rice wrote:
Fri Aug 27, 2021 11:38 am
Also from photos of the first round in that piece you can see some people are wearing masks but others are not. This includes one of Nils Grandelius leaning right over the board. It's a difficult call. If you're worried about contracting covid this could well put you off of playing but on the other hand playing in a mask for hours is not something you would want to do either.
This encapsulates an issue currently being hotly debated in almost every chess organisation with which I am in any way involved.

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Re: European Individual Chess Championship 2021

Post by Chris Rice » Sat Aug 28, 2021 6:08 am

Round 2 results. Draw for Gawain on top board who tweeted later

"An interesting draw following my chessable King's Indian course. Wasn't expecting the Samisch and couldn't remember my exact recommendation. 13...h5! was the way to go. Do one better than me by buying https://chessable.com/lifetime-repertoi ... rse/77656/. Currently 50% off!"

Round 2 report and it was 3.5/4 for the English contingent. Round 3 pairings features the top board clash between Hjorvar Steinn Gretarsson dubbed by his former 4ncl Jutes of Kent team mate, the late John Naylor, as "Ginger Karpov", who is White v Matthias Bluebaum, who is the only top 10 seed left on 2/2. Gawain is White v Danish GM Bjerre.

Chris Rice
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Re: European Individual Chess Championship 2021

Post by Chris Rice » Sun Aug 29, 2021 1:00 am

Round 3 results and Gawain has to settle for another draw which puts him on 2/3 which Lorin is also now on but Mlacolm and Edmund lost. There are now seven players still on 100% including Piorun who is a five time World Solving Problem Champion. At ChessFest I found out that in his public lectures he likes to set a particular problem where from the starting position White has 8 moves to checkmate Black. No checks along the way. Black has no moves. However, the 8 moves can only be made by just one of White's 16 pieces. I'll give the answer tomorrow unless someone solves it first.

Round 4 pairings
Last edited by Chris Rice on Sun Aug 29, 2021 1:04 am, edited 1 time in total.

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IM Jack Rudd
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Re: European Individual Chess Championship 2021

Post by IM Jack Rudd » Sun Aug 29, 2021 1:03 am

1.d4 2.d5 3.d6 4.dxc7 5.cxb8R 6.Rxb7 7.Rxd7 8.Rxd8# seems to do the trick.

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JustinHorton
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Re: European Individual Chess Championship 2021

Post by JustinHorton » Sun Aug 29, 2021 7:54 am

We're taking it here that the butterfly and the caterpillar are the same creature
"Do you play chess?"
"Yes, but I prefer a game with a better chance of cheating."

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Chris Rice
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Re: European Individual Chess Championship 2021

Post by Chris Rice » Sun Aug 29, 2021 9:18 am

One of the upsets in Round 1 turns out to be a nice story. In the eight minute video How to totally redeem yourself in chess - The Martin Wecker story FM Ingvar Johannesson looks back to Round 1 of the Reykjavik Open in 2017 where Wecker lost in just 11 moves, as White, to someone rated 900+ below him. Four years later in Round 1 of this year's Reykjavik Open, Wecker redeemed himself completely by crushing a 2600-rated Croatian GM.

David Sedgwick
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Re: European Individual Chess Championship 2021

Post by David Sedgwick » Sun Aug 29, 2021 12:52 pm

IM Jack Rudd wrote:
Sun Aug 29, 2021 1:03 am
1.d4 2.d5 3.d6 4.dxc7 5.cxb8R 6.Rxb7 7.Rxd7 8.Rxd8# seems to do the trick.
Quite correct, Jack. This is fairly well known.

John Moore
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Re: European Individual Chess Championship 2021

Post by John Moore » Sun Aug 29, 2021 6:26 pm

What has happened in Gawain's game today. Is the ChessBomb site correct because I can't believe that he played 17 .. Nd7.

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IM Jack Rudd
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Re: European Individual Chess Championship 2021

Post by IM Jack Rudd » Sun Aug 29, 2021 6:58 pm

Oh no, that's the sort of blunder that's very believable. He didn't like the endgame after 17...dxe5 and was trying to keep the queens on, only to play something that made matters worse.