EU Senior Team Ch 2017 Novi Sad

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Tim Harding
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EU Senior Team Ch 2017 Novi Sad

Post by Tim Harding » Sun Jun 25, 2017 10:20 pm

Play in this miserable looking event started today.

There are 10 teams in the 50+ so they have a round-robin. Half the teams are Serbian.

In the 65+ there are only 9 teams so each day one will have a bye. Belgium had the day off.
Only Russia and Denmark have strong teams.
England brought a reserve. Today the team rested Stewart Reuben who is listed as board 3. They lost 0.5-3.5 to one of the two Finnish teams.

Results at http://chess-results.com/tnr281832.aspx ... t=0&wi=821

Official website http://www.novisad2017.org/index.php
Tim Harding
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Leonard Barden
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Re: EU Senior Team Ch 2017 Novi Sad

Post by Leonard Barden » Sun Jun 25, 2017 11:07 pm

Tim Harding wrote:Play in this miserable looking event started today.

There are 10 teams in the 50+ so they have a round-robin. Half the teams are Serbian.
Don't be too hard on them, Tim. Italy fields two GMs, the second being the once legendary Sergio Mariotti, inventor of the Five Pawns Attack which overwhelmed Gligoric's King's Indian at Praia da Rocha 1969. Sweden fields Pia Cramling's brother Dan and Jan Lundin, who I think is the Swedish ambassador to Serbia. Could he be a relative of Erik Lundin who was one of the best players in Europe in the 1930s and 1940s?

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Re: EU Senior Team Ch 2017 Novi Sad

Post by Tim Harding » Mon Jun 26, 2017 9:46 am

This event was originally scheduled for the spring and then postponed. Last year the entries were only slightly better.
Most countries seem to have no interest in it because the World Teams is much better supported.

Next year it's to be in Poland after Easter but I don't think it's worth bothering trying to arrange an Irish team because we could not guarantee players that they would get nine games. We certainly hope to play the World Teams next year as it's back in the excellent venue we had in 2016. Unfortunately this year's World Teams clashed with Reykjavik.
Tim Harding
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Author of 'Steinitz in London,' British Chess Literature to 1914', 'Joseph Henry Blackburne: A Chess Biography', and 'Eminent Victorian Chess Players'
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Tim Harding
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Re: EU Senior Team Ch 2017 Novi Sad

Post by Tim Harding » Mon Jun 26, 2017 2:47 pm

Leonard Barden wrote:
Tim Harding wrote:Play in this miserable looking event started today.

There are 10 teams in the 50+ so they have a round-robin. Half the teams are Serbian.
Don't be too hard on them, Tim. Italy fields two GMs, the second being the once legendary Sergio Mariotti, inventor of the Five Pawns Attack which overwhelmed Gligoric's King's Indian at Praia da Rocha 1969. Sweden fields Pia Cramling's brother Dan and Jan Lundin, who I think is the Swedish ambassador to Serbia. Could he be a relative of Erik Lundin who was one of the best players in Europe in the 1930s and 1940s?
Play in round 2 has started. There are several games online including all the Russians and Mariotti's game:

http://novisad2017.org/live_games/tfd.htm
Tim Harding
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Author of 'Steinitz in London,' British Chess Literature to 1914', 'Joseph Henry Blackburne: A Chess Biography', and 'Eminent Victorian Chess Players'
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Tim Harding
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Re: EU Senior Team Ch 2017 Novi Sad

Post by Tim Harding » Tue Jun 27, 2017 12:44 pm

England play the Russian GMs this afternoon so it's likely the games will be online about 3pm?

Link as in my previous post probably: http://novisad2017.org/live_games/tfd.htm

Geoffrey James (W) v Sveshnikov
Brian Hewson v Balashov
Stewart Reuben v Vasiukov
Majid Mashayekh v Pushkov

Good luck; hope they score something!
Tim Harding
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Author of 'Steinitz in London,' British Chess Literature to 1914', 'Joseph Henry Blackburne: A Chess Biography', and 'Eminent Victorian Chess Players'
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Matt Mackenzie
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Re: EU Senior Team Ch 2017 Novi Sad

Post by Matt Mackenzie » Tue Jun 27, 2017 2:02 pm

Vasyukov might currently be the oldest still active GM?
"Set up your attacks so that when the fire is out, it isn't out!" (H N Pillsbury)

Leonard Barden
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Re: EU Senior Team Ch 2017 Novi Sad

Post by Leonard Barden » Tue Jun 27, 2017 3:20 pm

Seems England v Russia is not on the live boards. Disappointing.

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Re: EU Senior Team Ch 2017 Novi Sad

Post by Tim Harding » Tue Jun 27, 2017 7:39 pm

Matt Mackenzie wrote:Vasyukov might currently be the oldest still active GM?
Quite possibly; Vasiukov plays regularly in senior events though he has dropped himself down to board 3 now that Sveshnikov is a 65+ player. Up to last year he was top board on Russian senior teams.

Last year in the World Senior Individual at Marienbad he won the 75+ prize (in the 65+ tournament) again, helped a little perhaps by some of his friends giving him an easy game. Tony Stebbings was rightly rather miffed that Vaisser (the eventual champion) agreed a draw with Vasiukov in about 10 moves, the day after he had ground down Tony in a 6-hour marathon that should have been drawn until almost the end. Of course Vaisser was probably a bit tired too.

Vaisser did say to me at the closing ceremony that Vasiukov was finding it harder now that he is in his eighties. Actually in 2015 he had a better result than 2014 and was nearly always playing on one of the top half dozen boards.

I'm pleased to see Stewart got a draw with him so England was not white-washed.
Tim Harding
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Tim Harding
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Re: EU Senior Team Ch 2017 Novi Sad

Post by Tim Harding » Wed Jun 28, 2017 7:27 pm

Today England lost 1.5-2.5 to Belgium. Geoffrey James didn't play, perhaps a strange decision as IM Jan Rooze is one of the strongest top boards on the event. Brian Hewson lost to him and on board 3 Majid also lost with Black. Stewart drew and Roger Scowen won.
Tim Harding
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Author of 'Steinitz in London,' British Chess Literature to 1914', 'Joseph Henry Blackburne: A Chess Biography', and 'Eminent Victorian Chess Players'
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Tim Harding
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Re: EU Senior Team Ch 2017 Novi Sad

Post by Tim Harding » Thu Jun 29, 2017 11:33 am

Today it's England against Denmark, another tough match where we will do well to score anything. Geoffrey James has White against GM Jens Kristiansen who got the title by winning the World Seniors when it was 60+. This is his first year as a 65+ player so I guess he may contend for the title this November.
Brian Hewson is rested.
Stewart plays Jacob Ost-Hansen. Majid plays Bent Sorensen, who got the ICCF grandmaster title in the postal days and last year became a FIDE IM at the age of 72. Roger Scowen's opponent is over 2200 also.
Tim Harding
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Chris Rice
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Re: EU Senior Team Ch 2017 Novi Sad

Post by Chris Rice » Fri Jun 30, 2017 9:58 am

England did lose but it was a credible performance in Round 5 against Denmark as three of our players obtained excellent results:

Bo. 4 ENGLAND (65) - 2 DENMARK (65) 1½:2½
1.1 CM James, Geoffrey H 2181 - GM Kristiansen, Jens 2403 ½ - ½
1.2 CM Reuben, Stewart 2074 - FM Ost-Hansen, Jacob 2359 0 - 1
1.3 Mashayekh, Majid 1919 - IM Sorensen, Bent 2255 ½ - ½
1.4 Scowen, Roger S 1840 - Rosenlund, Thorbjorn 2247 ½ - ½

Although England are currently in equal last place they should hopefully pick up something as they have the lower rated teams left to play. As Tim says above its a very poorly supported event.

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Re: EU Senior Team Ch 2017 Novi Sad

Post by Tim Harding » Fri Jun 30, 2017 11:06 am

Yes three respectable draws yesterday. Today the opposition is Switzerland with Black on odd boards. Stewart is resting.

After this England have to play Norway and Finnish Mates (whom they should beat); I'm not sure which round England has the bye.
Tim Harding
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Re: EU Senior Team Ch 2017 Novi Sad

Post by Chris Rice » Fri Jun 30, 2017 8:02 pm

Another decent performance getting three draws whilst bring outrated on all four boards, but obviously disappointing to narrowly lose again to the Swiss in Rd 6. So we stay equal last in the 65+ Russia have won all six of their matches. The 50+ is very competitive with Serbia, Italy and Sweden sharing the lead. Clearly we would have had an excellent shot at winning the 50+ if we had our top guys out.

Bo 3 SWITZERLAND (65) - 4 ENGLAND (65) 2½:1½
4.1 FM Vucenovic, Dragomir 2254 - CM James, Geoffrey H 2181 ½ - ½
4.2 IM Bhend, Edwin 2135 - Hewson, Brian W R 2023 ½ - ½
4.3 FM Hohler, Peter 2096 - Mashayekh, Majid 1919 ½ - ½
4.4 Maurer, Fritz 2030 - Scowen, Roger S 1840 1 - 0

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Re: EU Senior Team Ch 2017 Novi Sad

Post by Tim Harding » Fri Jun 30, 2017 8:24 pm

Chris Rice wrote:Another decent performance getting three draws whilst bring outrated on all four boards, but obviously disappointing to narrowly lose again to the Swiss in Rd 6. So we stay equal last in the 65+ Russia have won all six of their matches. The 50+ is very competitive with Serbia, Italy and Sweden sharing the lead. Clearly we would have had an excellent shot at winning the 50+ if we had our top guys out.

Bo 3 SWITZERLAND (65) - 4 ENGLAND (65) 2½:1½
4.1 FM Vucenovic, Dragomir 2254 - CM James, Geoffrey H 2181 ½ - ½
4.2 IM Bhend, Edwin 2135 - Hewson, Brian W R 2023 ½ - ½
4.3 FM Hohler, Peter 2096 - Mashayekh, Majid 1919 ½ - ½
4.4 Maurer, Fritz 2030 - Scowen, Roger S 1840 1 - 0
Yes a good performance again by the team but of course Russia usually do win all their matches in these events.
There are several countries that could send teams almost as strong (e.g. France and Israel) but they don't enter.

The 50+ tournament is not representative apart from the Italians and the main Serbian team. For example the Danish 65+ team is considerably stronger than their 50+ squad. Our 50+ guys (even with Short, Nunn and Speelman) have not managed to win the World Teams several times despite being top seeds; on the day something always seems to go wrong. So it's not meaningful to say England could win the 50+.
Tim Harding
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Chris Rice
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Re: EU Senior Team Ch 2017 Novi Sad

Post by Chris Rice » Fri Jun 30, 2017 9:12 pm

Tim Harding wrote:
Chris Rice wrote:Another decent performance getting three draws whilst bring outrated on all four boards, but obviously disappointing to narrowly lose again to the Swiss in Rd 6. So we stay equal last in the 65+ Russia have won all six of their matches. The 50+ is very competitive with Serbia, Italy and Sweden sharing the lead. Clearly we would have had an excellent shot at winning the 50+ if we had our top guys out.
Yes a good performance again by the team but of course Russia usually do win all their matches in these events. There are several countries that could send teams almost as strong (e.g. France and Israel) but they don't enter. The 50+ tournament is not representative apart from the Italians and the main Serbian team. For example the Danish 65+ team is considerably stronger than their 50+ squad. Our 50+ guys (even with Short, Nunn and Speelman) have not managed to win the World Teams several times despite being top seeds; on the day something always seems to go wrong. So it's not meaningful to say England could win the 50+.
I agree we have never won the World Teams but its a bit unfair to say we never could (or this European one few seem to care about) . Short, Speelman, Nunn, Arkell and Plaskett are a pretty formidable squad if as you say they could get it right on the day. Of course up to now Plaskett doesn't get to be in the England 1 team as we depend on Terry to sponsor it and of course he is keen to play. It would have been good to have some sort of British representation in the 50+ event at Novi Sad even if it was a weak one. Can't believe nobody was interested at all, such a shame.

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