Olympiad

[Phil Neatherway]

The Stockfish I am looking at says -0.55 for Short.

https://chess24.com/en/olympiad2014/liv ... pen/6/12/3

[Phil Neatherway]

Now it says -0.74 after 24. ... Bg7

[Roger de Coverly]

The Stockfish I am looking at says -0.55 for Short.

I was following the game on chessbomb which is using a fast assessment. Neither player is playing moves preferred by the engines. Both players are undoubtedly regrouping so in a manner of speaking, they have a plan and the engine doesn't. I think Black can draw with ease if that's the limit of his ambitions, otherwise an attempt to break through could become a gamble.

[Phil Neatherway]

Stockfish says Movsesian is winning after 31. ...b6

[John Moore]

Gawain seems to have got a bit over-excited - but is there anything!

[John Moore]

Has Sargissian really played 38 Nce4.

[Mick Norris]

Has Sargissian really played 38 Nce4.

It would appear so, and that Gawain is winning now, although not easy

[John Moore]

but Nigel is losing. So 2-2. Not at all bad against Armenia but Nigel's form must be worrying to the team.

[Roger de Coverly]

Gawain seems to have got a bit over-excited - but is there anything!

Not according to the engines until move 38.

Good team play if that motivated him, as with Nigel losing, a 1-3 result would not have been much worse than a 1.5-2.5 one. It now looks as if the Queen mops up in the ending against Rook and Knight. Nigel is only down the exchange for a pawn, but that doesn't stop the engines declaring his position a minus 5 disaster.

[Chris Rice]

Yeah we got lucky there, if Sargissian had seen 38 Rd5! instead of 38 Nce4?? we would have been looking at a 3-1 defeat. 2-2 was the limit of my expectations before the game so decent result should it finish that way.

[Roger de Coverly]

2-2 was the limit of my expectations before the game so decent result should it finish that way.

While the engines continue to suggest about a plus 2 advantage for Jones, the lines they propose don't seem to go anywhere. There's a danger White may be able to set up a fortress defence against the quuen.

[John Moore]

My worry as well, Roger. What do you do with Nigel tomorrow - rest him and then the next day!?

[Chris Rice]

Gawain seems to be making a meal out of it, the computer was advocating ...b5 immediately instead of ...Kc6. Getting a bit nervous now.

[John Moore]

Fortress, I think, but I hope not.

[Chris Rice]

Think you're right John, can't see how Black makes progress.