England teams for 2011 European Team Championship

[Mick Norris]

12.1 IM Houska Jovanka 2415 - IM Dembo Yelena 2468
12.2 IM Ciuksyte Dagne 2327 - WGM Botsari Anna-Maria 2313
12.3 WFM Yurenok Maria S 2106 - WGM Makropoulou Marina 2201
12.4 WFM Hegarty Sarah N 2060 - WIM Fakhiridou Ekaterini 2180

[Alex Holowczak]

...you could potentially accuse the Chief Arbiter at this event of bias...

You could, but it wouldn't be very wise when he may shortly have to decide whether or not to award you the FA title.

Indeed. I meant that more in the sense of "one could", rather than me. I see no reason to, because as far as I can tell, the Chief Arbiter of this event has implemented the pairing rules perfectly.

[Christopher Kreuzer]

9.1 GM Wojtaszek Radoslaw 2705 - GM Adams Michael 2734
9.2 GM Socko Bartosz 2635 - GM Howell David W L 2633
9.3 GM Bartel Mateusz 2653 - GM Jones Gawain C B 2635
9.4 GM Miton Kamil 2622 - GM Pert Nicholas 2563

Interesting England team selection. I wonder if that is based on colours/openings/opponents, or on form? Has anyone here played through the games from yesterday yet? Anyway, good luck to those playing and hope England get good results (in both the Open and the women's event).

[Mick Norris]

My guess is that Mickey and Gawain are in form and that Nick is doing OK and deserves a chance with white against a decent player. Nigel is being rested before the final rounds (or has an ECU meeting) and David is given a chance to regain his form with the white pieces

[David Sedgwick]

Nigel is being rested before the final rounds (or has an ECU meeting)

Not the latter, to the best of my knowledge.

The AGM of the ECU was held last Saturday, 5th November. Nigel was unable to go owing to England's unexpectedly tough pairing against Armenia on that day. Loz Cooper attended most of the meeting in Nigel's stead.

[Jonathan Rogers]

i was surprised too, but he did lose to the same player who beat him in the Olympiad last year this time with White, and he might be feeling unusually subdued right now? (Hard to know without having seen yesterday's games). There may also be an element of giving both Howell and Nick one last chance to stake their respective claims to play the important remaining two matches - and we will need one of them to play! - and for that to happen it should obviously be Short who makes way today, on current form.

Or, I don't know, he might just have a cold!

(Carl, we need a smilie for "Clueless")

[Alex Holowczak]

The last time England played Poland in a team competition was the 2007 Europeans:

POL Poland 2616 3½ : ½ 2594 England ENG
GM Soćko 2646 ½ - ½ 2729 GM Adams
GM Gajewski 2573 1 - 0 2567 GM Jones, G.
GM Wojtaszek 2635 1 - 0 2539 GM Pert
GM Bartel 2608 1 - 0 2542 GM Hebden

[Christopher Kreuzer]

Both teams have 3 players playing that were in the clash 4 years ago. No repeat clashes.

[Jonathan Rogers]

Our best chance of making a full point would seem to be on Gawain's board ... though we are not especially worse anywhere either (it's interesting that the computer dislikes Nick's position so much).

[Jonathan Rogers]

One of the best performer so far, Cheparinov, has just lost quickly, to the presumably fully recovered Gashimov.

Amusingly, Gashimov played the same line with which McShane beat Cheparinov two years ago - though the opening itself was not responsible this time.

[Mick Norris]

Our best chance of making a full point would seem to be on Gawain's board ... though we are not especially worse anywhere either (it's interesting that the computer dislikes Nick's position so much).

Gawain has drawn, David is in time trouble

[Jonathan Rogers]

Our best chance of making a full point would seem to be on Gawain's board ... though we are not especially worse anywhere either (it's interesting that the computer dislikes Nick's position so much).

Gawain has drawn, David is in time trouble

... and looks quite lost anyway.

Another defeat looms, then. Question now is whether Howell should be dropped for the last two matches? Definitely so if we still have a chance, say, of finishing in the top ten but it's quite probable that we don't anymore.

In news elsewhere, none of the Norwegian women has lost yet

[Mick Norris]

David has reached the time control with an evaluation of -7 and resigned

I guess he might have had enough of this event

I can't see either Nick or Mickey winning from the positions they are currently in

[Mick Norris]

The Russians have beaten Spain and Azerbaijan have beaten Bulgaria

[Jonathan Rogers]

Note David's swindling attempt in what was presumably mutual time trouble: he pushed the d-pawn, which could easily enough be stopped, but did require Black to put his king on e7. Then 40.Bc1, apparently forced, but hoping that Black would rush to claim his point with 40...b3? which would even lose because 41.Bxa3 would now be with check!