Olympiad

[Paul Dargan]

At about 15:30 we're a little worse on all boards... fingers crossed.

Paul

[Barry Sandercock]

I don't think the engine assessments mean much at this stage of the games.

[Chris Rice]

Paul is a pretty strong player, Barry, so won't be relying on just the computer assessments....which is even more worrying!

[Barry Sandercock]

Yes. I take your point ( after checking his grade !)

[John Moore]

Did Sedlak miss 27 .. Ngf3+. Looked fairly convincing to me. Now David is OK again.

[Lewis Martin]

One shouldn't really take too much of the computer's assessments, I find it very dodgy. In one game I was looking at, the computer's assessment kept switching after every best move it suggested (that the players actually played) from positive to negative, and fluctuating wildly.

My personal take is that it is rather unclear on all boards due to the mismatch of material. It is probably drawish on 1, though Adams will have to defend hard. I wouldn't want to be Black on 2, Howell probably will draw however I think both sides have to be careful since it is easy to follow a wrong plan or make a mistake. I prefer Sadler's position, but quite how he can progress I am not entirely sure. The b7 bishop will need to be a bit more active.

[Barry Sandercock]

David Howell's game doesn't look too good now.

[Simon Brown]

I think Matthew to win, David to lose, Mickey to draw and I have no idea with Gawain. I suspect these material imbalances often peter out into draws when all the pawns are on the same side, so I guess the b pawn puts it in White's favour. No engines running btw.

[John Moore]

Well David is lost again but this time for good- and hasn't Matthew sacrificed unsoundly.

[Simon Brown]

Yes. Mickey might squeeze something but I don't think Gawain will so we are losing.

[John Moore]

Time for Nigel to return!!

[Simon Brown]

Isn't he busy tomorrow?

[Lewis Martin]

David Howell's game doesn't look too good now.

Yes, his Rb1 and Nd1 idea was so wrong. It locked his rook out of the game! I mean, surely Rd1 was very intuitive at the least. Indeed he has lost the game.

I don't care who you are, but leaving yourself 5 minutes to play 10 moves in a critical position is just not a good way of going about it. As I have previously said about Howell's time management, it needs to improve. It is usually more complicated in the later stages, so more time is needed there, and scrambling around with 2 minutes to spare for the time control is just madness.

[John Moore]

Ah right sorry, Simon. Not paying that much attention to that side of things. If he is busy tomorrow, then he should have played today. Matthew must be due a break.

[PeterFarr]

30.4 Razan, Alshaeby 1804 - Kalaiyalahan, Akshaya 2016

I hope she manages to win in this one, it has been a difficult experience (chess-wise at least) for her after a win-less run since the first round.

Well at least you got that wish, Akshaya and also Jovanka won fairly straightforwardly today. Not much joy elsewhere it seems, sigh.