New Zealand Open 2-10 January 2016

[Mick Norris]

Nigel Short & Gawain Jones playing

round 1 games

website

[Mick Norris]

Nigel on 3/3 with 5 others, Gawain on 2.5

[Tim Harding]

Nigel lost with Black to Ju Wenjun who is now sole leader with 4/4.
Gawain Jones is one of five players half a point behind and he plays Ju Wenjun next.
Coverage from 0030 on chess24 for night owls and insomniacs.

[Mick Norris]

Gawain won, as did Nigel

Pairing of round 6, 07/01/2016
Bo. White Player Pts IDW Result IDB Pts Black Player
1 GM Cornette, Matthieu (4.5) 5 ... 2 (4.5) GM Jones, Gawain C B
2 GM Ma, Qun (4.0) 4 ... 1 (4.0) GM Short, Nigel D
3 WIM Richards, Heather S (4.0) 24 ... 3 (4.0) GM Fier, Alexandr
4 GM Ju, Wenjun (4.0) 6 ... 11 (4.0) IM Dive, Russell J
5 FM Kulashko, Alexei (4.0) 10 ... 9 (3.5) FM Wastney, Scott

[LawrenceCooper]

Gawain won, as did Nigel

Pairing of round 6, 07/01/2016
Bo. White Player Pts IDW Result IDB Pts Black Player
1 GM Cornette, Matthieu (4.5) 5 ... 2 (4.5) GM Jones, Gawain C B
2 GM Ma, Qun (4.0) 4 ... 1 (4.0) GM Short, Nigel D
3 WIM Richards, Heather S (4.0) 24 ... 3 (4.0) GM Fier, Alexandr
4 GM Ju, Wenjun (4.0) 6 ... 11 (4.0) IM Dive, Russell J
5 FM Kulashko, Alexei (4.0) 10 ... 9 (3.5) FM Wastney, Scott

Heather beat Ben Hague in the battle of former English players who have settled in Australasia.

[Mick Norris]

Gawain won, Nigel drew and Heather lost

[Mick Norris]

Pairing of round 7, 08/01/2016
Bo. Fed White Player Pts IDW Result IDB Pts Black Player Fed
1 GM Jones, Gawain C B (5.5) 2 ... 10 (5.0) FM Kulashko, Alexei
2 GM Fier, Alexandr (5.0) 3 ... 6 (5.0) GM Ju, Wenjun
3 GM Short, Nigel D (4.5) 1 ... 5 (4.5) GM Cornette, Matthieu
4 IM Ker, Anthony F (4.5) 14 ... 4 (4.5) GM Ma, Qun
5 IM Dive, Russell J (4.0) 11 ... 16 (4.5) FM Steadman, Michael V R
6 FM Koop, Thorben (4.0) 7 ... 24 (4.0) WIM Richards, Heather S
7 Drummond, Matthew (4.0) 15 ... 8 (4.0) IM Daulyte, Deimante
8 WFM Timergazi, Layla (4.0) 52 ... 12 (4.0) WGM Maisuradze, Nino
9 McLaren, Leonard J (3.5) 19 ... 18 (4.0) FM Noble, Mark F
10 FM Wastney, Scott (3.5) 9 ... 29 (3.5) Dowden, R Anthony
11 FM Hague, Ben (3.5) 13 ... 32 (3.5) CM Vincenti, David

[Mick Norris]

Gawain & Nigel both won

[Mick Norris]

Pairing of round 8, 09/01/2016
Bo. Fed White Player Pts IDW Result IDB Pts Black Player Fed
1 GM Ma, Qun (5.5) 4 ... 2 (6.5) GM Jones, Gawain C B
2 GM Fier, Alexandr (5.5) 3 ... 1 (5.5) GM Short, Nigel D
3 GM Ju, Wenjun (5.5) 6 ... 7 (5.0) FM Koop, Thorben
4 IM Daulyte, Deimante (5.0) 8 ... 12 (5.0) WGM Maisuradze, Nino
5 FM Kulashko, Alexei (5.0) 10 ... 16 (5.0) FM Steadman, Michael V R
6 GM Cornette, Matthieu (4.5) 5 ... 13 (4.5) FM Hague, Ben
7 McLaren, Leonard J (4.5) 19 ... 9 (4.5) FM Wastney, Scott
8 IM Dive, Russell J (4.5) 11 ... 14 (4.5) IM Ker, Anthony F

[Tim Harding]

If Nigel wins he will play Gawain in the last round. If Nigel draws then Gawain would probably play Fier (because of the colours) with Nigel getting an easier game with White since he has already played the two Chinese GMs.
However Nigel hasn't played Fier either so other pairings are possible depending on results.
Although Gawain is doing very well, the tournament could still be won by one of the Chinese, or by Fier or Nigel.

[Mick Norris]

Gawain & Nigel both drew

Pairing of round 9, 10/01/2016
Bo. Fed White Player Pts IDW Result IDB Pts Black Player Fed

1 GM Jones, Gawain C B (7.0) 2 ... 3 (6.0) GM Fier, Alexandr
2 IM Daulyte, Deimante (6.0) 8 ... 6 (6.5) GM Ju, Wenjun
3 GM Short, Nigel D (6.0) 1 ... 10 (6.0) FM Kulashko, Alexei
4 FM Wastney, Scott (5.5) 9 ... 4 (6.0) GM Ma, Qun

[Mick Norris]

Final standings - a good result for Gawain

Pos ID T NAME Rtg PRtg Fed Origin Pts DirE Cmlt BucT S-B Buc1
1 2 GM Jones, Gawain C B 2625 2687 ENG 7.5 0.0 40.0 53.5 44.00 49.5
2 6 GM Ju, Wenjun 2548 2608 CHN 7.0 0.0 38.0 53.0 39.00 49.0
3 4 GM Ma, Qun 2606 2627 CHN 7.0 0.0 36.5 52.5 38.75 48.5
4 1 GM Short, Nigel D 2684 2623 ENG 7.0 0.0 36.0 54.5 40.75 50.5