European Team Chess Championship 2021

[Jonathan Rogers]

Thank you.

So the next parts of trilogy will be - why J.Rogers is absolutely right "But my point is precisely that there is no real gap between most of the top four and the board five on this occasion " and why Captain of ENG women team is absolutely right in his team selection for the games, although there is no real gap between most of the top four and the board five.

Actually I have now been told that the intention was to play in Zoe in round five. But there was a technical error in submitting the team lists for round five, as a result of which the computer did not recognise it and defaulted to the position that the top four listed players would play! An appeal to the Chief Arbiter, when the problem was belatedly discovered, was made but was unsuccessful. Not a great moment, but we forumites might take some comfort in knowing that that this was how it came about and that it is recognised that something went wrong.

[Mick Norris]

Mickey having a day off today

Bo. 26 Switzerland - 5 England
10.1 GM Bogner, Sebastian 2574 - GM Mcshane, Luke J 2667
10.2 GM Pelletier, Yannick 2564 - GM Jones, Gawain C B 2654
10.3 GM Georgiadis, Nico 2553 - GM Howell, David W L 2648
10.4 IM Kurmann, Oliver 2458 - IM Haria, Ravi 2497

[Mick Norris]

Zoe playing today

Bo. 24 England - 23 Croatia
15.1 WGM Toma, Katarzyna 2261 - FM Cvitan, Ena 2234
15.2 WFM Emelianova, Maria 2113 - WGM Medic, Mirjana 2196
15.3 WFM Bayat, Shohreh 2091 - WFM Radikovic, Anamarija 2124
15.4 WCM Varney, Zoe 1955 - WFM Vujnovic, Patricija 2151

[Jonathan Rogers]

Mickey having a day off today

Bo. 26 Switzerland - 5 England
10.1 GM Bogner, Sebastian 2574 - GM Mcshane, Luke J 2667
10.2 GM Pelletier, Yannick 2564 - GM Jones, Gawain C B 2654
10.3 GM Georgiadis, Nico 2553 - GM Howell, David W L 2648
10.4 IM Kurmann, Oliver 2458 - IM Haria, Ravi 2497

safer for him to have played, I should have thought.

[LawrenceCooper]

It occurs to me that Ravi has now had as many whites in this event as in his last 17 4NCL games. (After a round one loss with white in 2018-19 he asked to be black for the rest of the season!).

[Matt Mackenzie]

I think it is a rest day tomorrow

Respectful of the organisers to recognise Mickey's 50th birthday in that way.

Indeed.

Tick tock though; and Luke will be 40 before we know it.

Never mind that, Howell is now 31. Where does the time go?

[LawrenceCooper]

Ravi holds to win the match.

[Rhys Cumming]

Klek-Gaal in the Women's section (board 3 of Germany vs Hungary) is well worth a look: the final position is agreed drawn with mate in 1 on the board! 2 Knights vs a pawn and Klek managed to usher the king to the corner and unfortunately force mate in 51 moves. Kg6! instead of Kf7 at the end would have won since it forces the pawn move on move 50.

[NickFaulks]

Excellent game by Katarzyna Toma, and well deserved. She has been threatening to do this for the whole tournament but until today something has somehow gone wrong.

[JustinHorton]

Klek-Gaal in the Women's section (board 3 of Germany vs Hungary) is well worth a look: the final position is agreed drawn with mate in 1 on the board! 2 Knights vs a pawn and Klek managed to usher the king to the corner and unfortunately force mate in 51 moves. Kg6! instead of Kf7 at the end would have won since it forces the pawn move on move 50.

You do wonder why Gaal played 60...Bxg4.

[LawrenceCooper]

Anna Muzychuk has replaced Anna Ushenina as a Covid substitute.

[Tim Harding]

Klek-Gaal in the Women's section (board 3 of Germany vs Hungary) is well worth a look: the final position is agreed drawn with mate in 1 on the board! 2 Knights vs a pawn and Klek managed to usher the king to the corner and unfortunately force mate in 51 moves. Kg6! instead of Kf7 at the end would have won since it forces the pawn move on move 50.

Thanks for pointing out this interesting ending, for which I have appended analysis, but I think two things you say are misleading.

1) True a draw may have been agreed but I think a claim by Black and arbiter check may have occurred.
(A minor point, but the next matters):

2) 109 Kg6 would NOT have won the game because Black's move ...g4 would be move 111, Because the last capture occurred at White's 61st, White is allowed to mate on move 111 if she can but Black is not compelled to make a move 111.

Here's the game.

[Event "23rd European Women's Team Championship"] [Site "Catez, Slovenia"] [Date "2021.11.18"] [Round "6.3"] [White "Klek, Hanna Marie"] [Black "Gaal, Zsoka"] [Result "1/2-1/2"] [ECO "B12"] [WhiteElo "2343"] [BlackElo "2336"] [Annotator "Harding,T with tablebases"] [PlyCount "221"] [EventDate "2021.??.??"] [WhiteTeam "Germany"] [BlackTeam "Hungary"] [WhiteTeamCountry "GER"] [BlackTeamCountry "HUN"] 1. e4 c6 2. d4 d5 3. e5 c5 4. dxc5 e6 5. Nf3 Bxc5 6. Bd3 Ne7 7. O-O Ng6 8. Qe2 O-O 9. c3 Nd7 10. b4 Be7 11. Na3 a5 12. Nc2 Qc7 13. Bxg6 fxg6 14. Ncd4 Nb6 15. Bg5 Bxg5 16. Nxg5 Qe7 17. f4 h6 18. Nh3 axb4 19. Rf3 bxc3 20. Rxc3 Nc4 21. Rg3 Qf7 22. Rb1 b6 23. Nf3 Ba6 24. Qe1 Bb7 25. Nh4 Rxa2 26. Rxg6 d4 27. f5 exf5 28. Nf4 Be4 29. e6 Qe8 30. Ra1 Rxa1 31. Qxa1 Ne5 32. Qxd4 Nxg6 33. Nhxg6 Rf6 34. Ne5 Rxe6 35. Qc4 b5 36. Qxe6+ Qxe6 37. Nxe6 b4 38. Nc5 Bd5 39. Kf2 Kf8 40. g3 Ke7 41. Ke3 Kd6 42. Kd4 b3 43. Na4 g5 44. Nc3 Bg8 45. Nd3 Bh7 46. Nd1 Ke6 47. Nc5+ Kf6 48. Nxb3 f4 49. Nd2 Kf5 50. Nf2 h5 51. Nc4 fxg3 52. hxg3 Bg8 53. Ne3+ Kf6 54. Ne4+ Kg6 55. Ke5 Bb3 56. Nf2 Ba4 57. Nd5 h4 58. g4 h3 59. Nxh3 Bd1 60. Nf2 Bxg4 $5 {Tablebase does say this is a theoretical draw but Be2 or Bf3 are also given as draws.} 61. Nxg4 {[#] LAST CAPTURE} Kh5 62. Ndf6+ Kh4 63. Ke4 Kg3 64. Ke3 Kg2 65. Ne4 Kh3 66. Kf3 Kh4 67. Ng3 Kh3 68. Nh5 Kh4 69. Nhf6 Kh3 70. Nf2+ Kh4 71. N6g4 Kh5 72. Kg3 Kg6 73. Nd3 Kf5 74. Kf3 Ke6 75. Ke4 Kd6 76. Nb4 Kc5 77. Nd5 Kd6 78. Kd4 Ke6 79. Nde3 Kd6 80. Nf5+ Kc6 81. Kc4 Kb6 82. Nd4 Kc7 83. Kc5 Kd7 84. Nb5 Ke7 85. Nd6 Kf8 86. Nf5 Kf7 $2 (86... Ke8 $8) 87. Kd6 $1 { Mate in 14, i.e. White should win on move 101, giving her 9 moves to spare...} Kg6 88. Ng3 Kf7 89. Kd7 {OK so far but White starts to lose moves through inaccuracies} Kf8 90. Nh5 {Wastes two moves} (90. Nf5 $1 {is best}) 90... Kf7 91. Nhf6 {mate in 15, two more moves wasted. Margin of error down to 4.} (91. Ng3 $1 {mate in 13}) (91. Ne5+ {mate in 14}) 91... Kg7 92. Ke7 {Best} Kg6 93. Ke6 $1 {Only move to preserve the win} Kg7 94. Nh5+ $6 {Several moves still win but two more moves were wasted here.} (94. Ne4 $1 {is the most accurate}) 94... Kf8 95. Ng3 $2 {The slowest of the 7 moves that lead to mate; now the win cannot be achieved within the 50-move rule unless Black makes a mistake. There are some other moves (e.g. Kd7) that are slower but mate within the 50.} (95. Nhf6 {or}) (95. Ngf6 {would win in 13, mating on move 108. The move actually played is 6 moves slower.}) 95... Ke8 96. Nf5 $2 {Now it's a draw. There are two moves that force mate but not within the 50-move rule, whichever way the Black King runs.} (96. Ne4) (96. Kd6) 96... Kd8 {Correct} (96... Kf8 { loses in 11}) 97. Kd6 Ke8 $2 {Loses in 14 so it;s just possible for White to win within the 50.} (97... Kc8 {escapes the forced mate}) 98. Ne7 $2 {But not like this; it's a draw again now (even without the 50-move rule)} (98. Nfh6 { Best play goes} Kd8 (98... Kf8 {loses in the same number of moves according to the k4it.de tablebase}) 99. Nf7+ $1 Ke8 100. Ke6 $1 Kf8 101. Nd6 $1 Kg8 { Kg7 loses in the same number of moves; at some turns Whitehas options that win in the same number of moves.} 102. Ke7 Kg7 103. Ne4 Kg6 104. Ng3 Kg7 105. Ke8 Kg6 106. Kf8 Kh7 107. Kf7 Kh8 108. Ne4 Kh7 109. Nef6+ Kh8 110. Ne5 g4 111. Ng6# {QED.}) 98... Kd8 99. Nc6+ Kc8 100. Na5 Kd8 101. Nb7+ Ke8 102. Ke6 Kf8 103. Nd6 Kg7 104. Kf5 Kf8 105. Kf6 Kg8 106. Nf5 Kf8 107. Ng7 Kg8 108. Ne6 Kh8 109. Kf7 ( 109. Kg6 Kg8 110. Nf6+ Kh8 111. Nd8 {If Black had to move the pawn it would be mate in one but here too the 50-move rule applies.}) 109... Kh7 110. Nf8+ Kh8 111. Ne5 1/2-1/2

[Rhys Cumming]

Klek-Gaal in the Women's section (board 3 of Germany vs Hungary) is well worth a look: the final position is agreed drawn with mate in 1 on the board! 2 Knights vs a pawn and Klek managed to usher the king to the corner and unfortunately force mate in 51 moves. Kg6! instead of Kf7 at the end would have won since it forces the pawn move on move 50.

Thanks for pointing out this interesting ending, for which I have appended analysis, but I think two things you say are misleading.

1) True a draw may have been agreed but I think a claim by Black and arbiter check may have occurred.
(A minor point, but the next matters):

2) 109 Kg6 would NOT have won the game because Black's move ...g4 would be move 111, Because the last capture occurred at White's 61st, White is allowed to mate on move 111 if she can but Black is not compelled to make a move 111.

The first may have been misleading, but the second wasn't: it was simply incorrect! There are missed chances in there for sure, but nothing quite as obvious as I thought on (mistaken) first glance.

[Jonathan Rogers]

Some likely joy for the women's team at last. Maybe another win for England "Open" (would that be 3/3 for Gawain with White, or have I missed a game?) but Adams under some pressure.

Speaking of Gawain playing White, and of English matches involving the Caro-Kann more generally*: what gives? Is even 1 e4 c6 2 d4 d5 3 e5 Bf5 4 g4 interesting/quite good for White now? Is there no literally no pawn move that White can make on move 4 which does not have some arguable point or merit in it?

*and about yesterday's game rather than today's, in case you have not been paying attention

[Jonathan Rogers]

but Adams under some pressure.

things have moved onwards but not upwards