Olympiad Male Team Debate Thread

[Gary Ruben]

Re: Olympiad Male Team Debate Thread

You should read his postings on Global Warming and Climate Change.

[Erik Malmsten]

Re: Olympiad Male Team Debate Thread

[QUOTE=John Coleman;76714]

J. Ken MacDonald wrote:

The most likely reasons:http://www.newswire.ca/en/story/7671...es-name-change

I believe Belzburg last sponsored the Olympic team in 2002, and so it is unlikely the 2011 news story had a big impact on his decision to end funding. Chess players should be far-seeing, but not that far...

Sid also later donated the Canadian Championship prize fund in 2004 & 2005. I think he did contribute to the Olympiad again when Brian Hartman organized fundraising, but he wasn't happy with the leadership of FIDE.

[Frank Dixon]

Re: Olympiad Male Team Debate Thread

Briefly, I like GM Hansen on board one, GM Sambuev on board two, and GM Kovalyov on board three (he hasn't played an Olympiad before).

After that, selection should include two of the following four players: IM Gherzoy, IM Panjwani, IM Hambleton, and IM Krnan.

If GM Bluvshtein wants to be considered, he should start competing again soon, with success. Same for GM Roussel-Roozmon and IM Zugic (who recently played his first event, Las Vegas, in quite some time).

If GM Spraggett wants to be considered, he should contact Canadian chess leadership.

Overall, 2014 represents the best chance in many years for an excellent Canadian Olympiad showing!! :)

[Gary Ruben]

Re: Olympiad Male Team Debate Thread

and GM Kovalyov on board three (he hasn't played an Olympiad before).

Unless I'm mistaken, he has played a lower board for Argentina. I'm going from memory on this.

[Jean Hébert]

Re: Olympiad Male Team Debate Thread

Overall, 2014 represents the best chance in many years for an excellent Canadian Olympiad showing!! :)

For the record, what would be "an excellent Canadian Olympiad showing" ? Top 20, top 30, top 40 ? x places above seeding ?

[Frank Dixon]

Re: Olympiad Male Team Debate Thread

1) Replying to IMC Gary Ruben: Thanks for posting. I checked your assertion at olimpbase.org, and you are correct; GM Kovalyov played board three for Argentina at Dresden Olympiad 2008, when he was 16 years old (I believe).
2) Replying to IM / GMC Jean Hebert: Thanks for posting. Because of the Swiss format at the Olympiad, with many pairing issues, such as possible accelerated pairings, and a now shortened distance of 11 rounds, instead of the previous 13 or 14, I think there are too many variables to precisely quantify 'an excellent Canadian Olympiad showing', as you ask. Perhaps defining success as 'places above seeding' is the most appropriate. I do note that at Dresden, 2008, Canada placed 28th overall, well above its initial seeding of #48. That would qualify in my mind as an excellent showing! Jean, what do you think!? You've been a very frequent and successful contributor to past Canadian teams!! :)

[Jean Hébert]

Re: Olympiad Male Team Debate Thread

Jean, what do you think!? You've been a very frequent and successful contributor to past Canadian teams!! :)

To me an "excellent showing" would be linked first to overall team rating performance and secondly to places above ranking.

[Frank Dixon]

Re: Olympiad Male Team Debate Thread

Thanks to IM Jean Hebert for his important thoughts. Sounds like a good measure of success to me!

I believe IM Noritsyn also needs to be considered for a place on the 2014 Olympiad team. :)

[Andy Shaw]

Re: Olympiad Male Team Debate Thread

Thanks to IM Jean Hebert for his important thoughts. Sounds like a good measure of success to me!

I believe IM Noritsyn also needs to be considered for a place on the 2014 Olympiad team. :)

Who would you chose as your team, Frank?

[Frank Dixon]

Re: Olympiad Male Team Debate Thread

I did already post above, about this. I think the selectors will watch the current form closely for the next few months, for all Canadian Olympiad team contenders, and take every other factor into consideration. I am confident they will do so and pick the best available team.

Right now the best lineup seems to be:
1) GM Eric Hansen
2) GM Bator Sambuev
3) GM Anton Kovalyov

My reasoning is that while GM Kovalyov's rating is the highest right now from this group, he is a university student, while GMs Hansen and Sambuev are full-time chess professionals.

And then: two of the following five players:
IM Leonid Gerzhoy, IM Raja Panjwani, IM Aman Hambleton, IM Nikolai Noritsyn, IM Tomas Krnan.

All players listed here have been playing frequently and for the most part successfully in strong events for at least the past several months. All are young and will likely have their best chess still ahead of them.

Others: IM Porper, IM Wang, FM Preotu.

Very strong but mostly recently inactive others: GM Bluvshtein, GM Roussel-Roozmon, GM Charbonneau, IM Zugic.

GM Spraggett is in another category; I note that he is playing at Gibraltar, and has 2/2, with Black tomorrow against a 2700+ player.

[Andrei Botez]

Re: Olympiad Male Team Debate Thread

Not related with Canadian team selection, but good to know that is a selection process for EU arbiters that are going to Tromso. I would mention that during last WYCC there were several International Arbiters that were speaking just their language (eastern European). One of the requirements for IA is : "4.3 Obligatory knowledge of English language, minimum at conversation level; and of chess terms in other official FIDE languages."
http://www.ecuonline.net/com/news/pdf/593.html