English Chess Forum

Luke's game has got interesting and he must have reasonable chances which would presumably that would be enough to take the match

It looks like Guildford have won 3-1, but it seems like a rather unsatisfactory finish in the Gawain Jones game

More like smart thinking by Gawain, who as a very experienced blitz player surely knows all the tricks. With Bd7 v Ph4 and the square h3 unguarded Sasikiran played Bd7-c8?? as a premove, allowing 1... h3 2 Bc8 (premove) h2. Easily missed. It's just an online variant of the old postal trick where Black offers as conditionals 1 any 1...g6 2 any 2...Bg7 and White replies 1 d4 2 Bh6.

Perhaps also worth noting that Gawain waited until Sasikiran offered a draw before punting the trick. Still it is slightly strange that Sasikiran felt he needed to premove given the circumstances. My sympathy for Sasikiran is somewhat tempered by the fact that I am sure he'd do exactly the same given the chance.

Leonard Barden wrote: ↑

Wed Mar 31, 2021 2:46 pm

More like smart thinking by Gawain, who as a very experienced blitz player surely knows all the tricks. With Bd7 v Ph4 and the square h3 unguarded Sasikiran played Bd7-c8?? as a premove, allowing 1... h3 2 Bc8 (premove) h2. Easily missed. It's just an online variant of the old postal trick where Black offers as conditionals 1 any 1...g6 2 any 2...Bg7 and White replies 1 d4 2 Bh6.

That presupposes that pre-moves are allowed. In most ECU events they are not. Does anyone know?

David Sedgwick wrote: ↑

Wed Mar 31, 2021 3:08 pm

Leonard Barden wrote: ↑

Wed Mar 31, 2021 2:46 pm

More like smart thinking by Gawain, who as a very experienced blitz player surely knows all the tricks. With Bd7 v Ph4 and the square h3 unguarded Sasikiran played Bd7-c8?? as a premove, allowing 1... h3 2 Bc8 (premove) h2. Easily missed. It's just an online variant of the old postal trick where Black offers as conditionals 1 any 1...g6 2 any 2...Bg7 and White replies 1 d4 2 Bh6.

That presupposes that pre-moves are allowed. In most ECU events they are not. Does anyone know?

Yes they are in this event. At the captain's meeting it was put to a vote (along with auto queen) which resulted in 72% being in favour. The other vote was if to allow takeback requests. 80% voted against.

Matthew Turner wrote: ↑

Wed Mar 31, 2021 2:53 pm

Perhaps also worth noting that Gawain waited until Sasikiran offered a draw before punting the trick. Still it is slightly strange that Sasikiran felt he needed to premove given the circumstances. My sympathy for Sasikiran is somewhat tempered by the fact that I am sure he'd do exactly the same given the chance.

According to Tornelo Gawain offered a draw on move 98 which white presumably didn't notice. The draw offer from white (apart from the one on move 25 which was five moves to early to be allowed) was after h3 so one move too late to tempt Gawain.

The text from the arbiter chat which is open for all to see:

Arbiter: Hi, how can we help you?
Black: Hi, sorry is there a 30 move draw rule or not?
Arbiter: Yes, there is.
Black: ok, so draw offer cannot be taken
Arbiter: Yes.
Arbiter: Can we continue?
Black: yes thanks
Arbiter: Ok, I will start the clocks now.
Arbiter: Hi, how can we help you?
White: i wanted to accept the draw but i could not
Arbiter: When?
Arbiter: Last move?
White: Bd7
White: Yes
Arbiter: Why didn't you call me then?
White: Instead I have to offer draw myself
Arbiter: So you resigned, when you tried to offer a draw?
White: I thought i saw a blue sign and then when i pressed it i was offering draw.
Arbiter: When it is blue, you just need to click to accept.
Arbiter: If you have trouble next time, please call me.
White: Yes i did but instead i offered a draw myself
Arbiter: Your opponent offered a draw in move 98 (Bc7) and you in 102 (Bc8)
Arbiter: There is nothing in between.
Arbiter: Next time, please call me right away, when you try to accept and it seems like it doesn't work.
Arbiter: Hi, how can we help you?
White: Yesterday I could accept draw before 30 moves. The system allows us. Did the rule change?
Arbiter: No, the rule is still the same. I am sorry, it was a mistake yesterday.
White: You can check my game against Keymer yesterday
White: How can there be contradictions like this. At least I should have been let known.
Arbiter: I am sorry. It was an oversight on my part. I should have alerted you.

Just about to enter the last round with Guildford in 8th place with 7 match points. That seems rather unlucky given they have 16.5 board points only 1.5 behind the leaders who have amassed 12 match points.

TWIC final report

The winners were SF Deizisau e.V. with top board Matthias Bluebaum (2.5 points from 8 games), Alexander Donchenko (4.5/8), Georg Meier (5/8), Andreas Heimann (1/4), Vincent Keymer (5.5/7) and Dmitrij Kollars (2/3) - won 6 matches, drew 2 and lost 1. Clichy Echecs 92 (Jorden Van Foreest 6.5/9, Parham Maghsoodloo 5/9, Bassem Amin 5/9 and Loek Van Wely 6/9) also won 6 matches but drew 1 and lost 2. The remaining places were closely contested with all but one teams scoring 3 or 4 wins. Only the invited women's champions Cercle d'Echecs de Monte-Carlo struggled and were left pointless.

Pete Doggers

Bit of a surprising result?

Mick Norris wrote: ↑

Fri Apr 02, 2021 11:20 am

TWIC final report

The winners were SF Deizisau e.V. with top board Matthias Bluebaum (2.5 points from 8 games), Alexander Donchenko (4.5/8), Georg Meier (5/8), Andreas Heimann (1/4), Vincent Keymer (5.5/7) and Dmitrij Kollars (2/3) - won 6 matches, drew 2 and lost 1. Clichy Echecs 92 (Jorden Van Foreest 6.5/9, Parham Maghsoodloo 5/9, Bassem Amin 5/9 and Loek Van Wely 6/9) also won 6 matches but drew 1 and lost 2. The remaining places were closely contested with all but one teams scoring 3 or 4 wins. Only the invited women's champions Cercle d'Echecs de Monte-Carlo struggled and were left pointless.

Pete Doggers

Bit of a surprising result?

It certainly surprised me. An online event with a rate of play of 15/5 though won't necessarily produce results according to over the board standard play ratings though and for all I know the successful teams may be more comfortable with the format than their higher rated opponents.

I didn't see it mentioned in the reports above but Gawain Jones won board 4 silver and David Howell board 2 bronze.

LawrenceCooper wrote: ↑

Fri Apr 02, 2021 7:16 pm

I didn't see it mentioned in the reports above but Gawain Jones won board 4 silver and David Howell board 2 bronze.

Where is that information to be found?

Later: found it now on Europe Echecs, but nothing on official ECU website or anywhere else. Very late info, but I'll do my best to have it added to what I've already written.

Leonard Barden wrote: ↑

Fri Apr 02, 2021 8:03 pm

LawrenceCooper wrote: ↑

Fri Apr 02, 2021 7:16 pm

I didn't see it mentioned in the reports above but Gawain Jones won board 4 silver and David Howell board 2 bronze.

Where is that information to be found?

Later: found it now on Europe Echecs, but nothing on official ECU website or anywhere else. Very late info, but I'll do my best to have it added to what I've already written.

The ECU website link: https://www.europechess.org/sf-deizisau ... -club-cup/

Updated now with the Howell, Jones, Esipenko and Keymer medal news:
https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2021/ ... beaten-run