2014 Tromsø Chess Olympiad

[Gary Ruben]

Re: boilerplate?

I can see where your sympathies lie but trying to transfer them to the Olympiad is simply wrong headed. At the top levels of play concentrating on chess is more helpful than balancing chess and political considerations. The anticipation of whom to boycott and if the pairings will occur.

You might not recall, but the record shows Germany won the Olympiad in 1939. WINNING IS EVERYTHING. Boycotts are useless.

[Hugh Brodie]

Re: 2014 Tromsø Chess Olympiad

Updates finally came through - 4-0 Canada! 3-0 for the ladies, and we are winning the last one!

[Hugh Brodie]

Re: 2014 Tromsø Chess Olympiad

As of 1 pm EDT, Canada is up 2-0, but the live updates seem to have ground to a halt, with our other two boards having "winning advantages".

[Nigel Hanrahan]

boilerplate?

Anyone can write ... Boiler plate with a few word changes.

Well, you certainly can. However, despite the NATO state-sponsored bullhorn campaign against the "Rooskies", the latter are not the subject of universal and genuinely global BDS campaigns, extreme and lengthy isolation at the U.N. (contrast that with the recent vote, e.g., even on the Ukrainian crisis had a large number of abstentions despite the violent arm-twisting by the U.S. and its client states and institutions), etc. The NATO sanctions are already boomeranging, e.g., serious harm is being done to the German economy, though Uncle Sam could care less, and this is bound to continue with the BRICS Development Bank, closer relations with China, India, Iran, Brasil, Latin America in general, etc., etc., etc..

Even the extreme cold warrior G. Kasparov had to admit that the absence of the defending champion Russian Women's team would be a great loss for chess, after the unsuccessful attempts to exclude that team fell flat on its face.

The politics of the upcoming FIDE meeting may still spill over into the Olympiad, and players cannot help but have thoughts about conflicts that are currently going on, but it is to be hoped that the competition will stay a sporting one. That was the ideal of the founding of organizations like the IOC, FIFA, FIDE, etc., and I see no reason not to continue to support that ideal.

Having said that, it is worth noting that the current elected President of the IOC, Thomas Bach, has been criticized in the pages of the Jerusalem Post for "aiding the Israel boycott". I don't think it's much of an exaggeration to suggest that if such a person can get elected as the Head of the IOC, then Israel, much more than Russia, should be worried about possible future exclusion from bodies such as FIDE, FIFA, and the IOC. In 1961 apartheid South Africa was expelled from FIFA and in 1964 from the IOC. While I can't find any evidence of expulsion from FIDE, I think we all know about the mass boycott of the 1976 chess Olympiad in Israel in which only 48 of the over 90 FIDE members attended the competition. Again, these facts suggest that Israel has had and likely continues to have much more to worry about than Russia in regard to any future BDS campaigns.

[Gary Ruben]

Re: 2014 Tromsø Chess Olympiad

It would be more embarrassing for the Israelis to be faced with the Palestinian team, as the latter might simply boycott the match and refuse to show up. Then other, bigger problems could follow, and quickly too.

I would not be at all surprised if other teams thought about boycotting the Israelis. World opinion is rapidly changing here. However, the tournament may have specific rules about no-shows, as such actions, and counter-actions by the organizers, could rapidly escalate and ruin the event.

It would be more embarrassing for the Russians to be faced with the Ukranian team, as the latter might simply boycott the match and refuse to show up. Then other, bigger problems could follow, and quickly too.

I would not be at all surprised if other teams with sanctions against Russia thought about boycotting the Russians. World opinion is rapidly changing here. However, the tournament may have specific rules about no-shows, as such actions, and counter-actions by the organizers, could rapidly escalate and ruin the event.

See Nigel. Anyone can write the kind of sh*t you posted. Boiler plate with a few word changes.

[Wayne Komer]

Re: 2014 Tromsø Chess Olympiad

Tromso Olympiad 2014

Round One
Saturday, August 2

41st Olympiad
Round One
Mauritius – Canada
Board One
Phillips, Roy (MRI) – Kovalyov, Anton (CAN)
E01 Catalan, Closed

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. g3 d5 4. Nf3 Be7 5. Bg2 O-O 6. O-O c6 7. Nbd2 b6 8. Qc2 Bb7 9. e4 Na6 10. e5 Nd7 11. cxd5 Nb4 12. Qb3 Nxd5 13. Ne4 h6 14. Bd2 c5 15. dxc5 Nxc5 16. Nxc5 Bxc5 17. Qa4 Qe7 18. a3 a5 19. Rfe1 f5 20. Nh4 f4 21. Ng6 Bxf2 22. Kh1 Qf7 23. Nxf8 f3 24. Bh3 Bxe1 25. Bxe1 f2 26. Bxf2 Nf4 27. Bg2 Nxg2 28. Kg1 Rxf8 29. Bxb6 Ne3 30. Bxe3 Qf3 0-1

Canada’s first win, hopefully with lots more to come.

Since Nakamura hasn’t arrived in Norway yet, Kamsky is at Board One in the match USA against Uganda.

Ponomariov is playing Board One for Ukraine versus Tunisia. No Ivanchuk, but perhaps they are just resting him.

Later: Second game in

41st Olympiad
Round One
Mauritius – Canada
Board Three
Goorsahye, Antoine (MRI) – Sambuev, Bator (CAN)
C01 French, Exchange (3. Nc3)

1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. exd5 exd5 5. Bd3 Nc6 6. Ne2 Nge7 7. Bg5 f6 8. Be3 Bf5 9. O-O Qd7 10. Ng3 Bg6 11. Re1 O-O-O 12. a3 Bxc3 13. bxc3 h5 14. Bxg6 Nxg6 15. Nxh5 Nh4 16. Ng3 g5 17. Qd3 Na5 18. Reb1 Nc4 19. Rb4 Rde8 20. Rab1 b6 21. a4 Nxg2 22. Kxg2 Qh3 23. Kf3 g4 24. Ke2 Rxe3 25. Qxe3 Nxe3 26. Kxe3 Qxh2 27. Rf1 Qg2 28. Kd2 Rh3 29. Ke2 Rxg3 0-1

41st Olympiad
Round One
Mauritius – Canada
Board Two
Gerzhoy, Leonid (CAN) – Li Ying, Patrick (MRI)
D43 QGD, Semi-Slav

1. Nf3 d5 2. d4 Nf6 3. c4 c6 4. Nc3 e6 5. Qb3 Bd6 6. Bg5 h6 7. Bh4 Nbd7 8. e3 O-O 9. cxd5 exd5 10. Bd3 Re8 11. O-O Qc7 12. Qc2 a6 13. a3 b6 14. b4 Bb7 15. Rac1 Qb8 16. Rb1 Qa7 17. Bf5 a5 18. e4 dxe4 19. Nxe4 Be7 20. Nxf6 Nxf6 21. Rfe1 axb4 22. axb4 g5 23. Bg3 Qa4 24. Qd2 Nd5 25. Bc2 Qb5 26. Ne5 Bxb4 27. Qd1 Nf6 28. h4 Qa5 29. hxg5 hxg5 30. Re3 c5 31. d5 Bd2 32. Re2 Bc3 33. Qd3 Ba6 34. Qf5 Bxe2 35. Qxg5 Kf8 36. Qxf6 Bxe5 37. Bxe5 Rxe5 38. Qh8 Ke7 39. Qxe5 Kf8 40. d6 Qd2 41. Qh8# 1-0

41st Olympiad
Round One
Mauritius – Canada
Board Four
Hambleton, Aman (CAN) – Koster, Jeroen Louis (MRI)
A41 Old Indian, 4.Ng5

1. d4 d6 2. c4 e5 3. Nf3 e4 4. Ng5 f5 5. g3 Be7 6. h4 Nf6 7. Nc3 c6 8. d5 Na6 9. Nh3 O-O 10. Nf4 Rb8 11. e3 Bd7 12. Be2 Nc7 13. b3 Qe8 14. Bb2 Qf7 15. h5 a6 16. h6 g6 17. Rc1 Rfc8 18. Qd2 c5 19. Nd1 b5 20. Ba1 Nfe8 21. Rg1 Bf6 22. g4 Bxa1 23. Rxa1 Qf6 24. Rc1 bxc4 25. gxf5 Bxf5 26. Bxc4 Kf7 27. Nc3 Qe5 28. Nce2 Nf6 29. Rg5 Rg8 30. Ng3 Ng4 31. Qa5 Qe7 32. Nxf5 gxf5 33. Rxf5 Ke8 34. Ne6 Nxe6 35. dxe6 Nxh6 36. Rf7 Nxf7 37. exf7 1-0

[Nigel Hanrahan]

Re: 2014 Tromsø Chess Olympiad

Just a few rating points allowed Israel to avoid meeting Iraq, Syria, Yemen, or Libya in round 1.

It would be more embarrassing for the Israelis to be faced with the Palestinian team, as the latter might simply boycott the match and refuse to show up. Then other, bigger problems could follow, and quickly too.

I would not be at all surprised if other teams thought about boycotting the Israelis. World opinion is rapidly changing here. However, the tournament may have specific rules about no-shows, as such actions, and counter-actions by the organizers, could rapidly escalate and ruin the event.

[Andrei Botez]

Re: 2014 Tromsø Chess Olympiad

Bo. 123
Mauritius (MRI) - Canada (CAN)
36.1 FM Phillips, Roy 2272 - GM Kovalyov, Anton 2622
36.2 CM Li Ying, Patrick 2125 - IM Gerzhoy, Leonid 2473
36.3 Goorsahye, Antoine 1760 - GM Sambuev, Bator 2528
36.4 Koster, Jeroen Louis 1846 - IM Hambleton, Aman 2458


Bo. 112
Barbados (BAR) - Canada (CAN)
43.1 WCM Blackman, Katrina 1627 - WIM Yuan, Yuanling 2241
43.2 Murray, Donna 1454 - WIM Khoudgarian, Natalia 2136
43.3 WCM Ramsay, Sheena 1579 - WFM Botez, Alexandra 2089
43.4 Nurse, Lydia 1364 - WCM Zhou, Qiyu 2109

[Hugh Brodie]

Re: 2014 Tromsø Chess Olympiad

Just a few rating points allowed Israel to avoid meeting Iraq, Syria, Yemen, or Libya in round 1.

[Nigel Hanrahan]

moderator

This thread has been made a "sticky". Ditto for the 85th FIDE Assembly thread.

The HOME page for the Chess Olympiad is over HERE.

LIVE Games are OVER HERE.

Susan Polgar with a short introduction and says "Hello" to a few chess celebrities...

The online coverage looks very good.

[Wayne Komer]

Re: Tromso Olympiad 2014

Tromso Olympiad 2014

The playing schedule is at

https://chess24.com/en/olympiad2014/...-info/schedule


From what I can see, it looks like Round One starts at 15:00 CEST (Central European Summer Time) and subsequent rounds at 14:00 CEST.

I always seem to be out an hour in my calculations but to me there is six hours time difference, so 15:00 is 9:00 A.M. Toronto/Montreal/New York City time and 14:00 is 8:00 A.M.

[Hugh Brodie]

Re: Will Kasparov poison the well? Probably.

Canada is paired with Mauritius in round 1. The ladies face Barbados.

Mauritius:

1 FM Phillips Roy 2272 MRI
2 CM Chinasamy Devarajen 2085 MRI
3 CM Li Ying Patrick 2125 MRI
4 Goorsahye Antoine 1760 MRI
5 Koster Jeroen Louis 1846 MRI

Barbados:

1 WCM Blackman Katrina 1627 BAR
2 Murray Donna 1454 BAR
3 WCM Ramsay Sheena 1579 BAR
4 Nurse Lydia 1364 BAR

Tromso trivia:

1) Tromso's latitide is 69.68 degrees N. That is slightly further north than Murmansk (Russia) and Inuvik (NWT, Canada), and only slightly further south of the northernmost point in Alaska (Barrow). Iqaluit is 63.75 degrees N.
2) It never gets dark from mid-May to mid-August.
3) Due to the mountains, the sun is not visible from late November to late January.
4) Murmansk (Russia) is the only city north of the Arctic Circle with a larger population (305,000 vs 70,000).
5) "Record" high temperature is 30.2 C; "record" low is -18.4 C.
6) Temperatures during the Olympiad will range between 10 C and 22 C.

[Wayne Komer]

Re: 2014 Tromsø Chess Olympiad

Nakamura at Tromso

Twitter simply is too short, so I will attempt to explain things a bit more clearly on facebook. For starters, I was supposed to arrive in London on July 31st at 2PM, but unfortunately on July 30th, I missed a connection (2 hours) because of horrible rain and lightning storms. Amazingly, the next arriving flights arrived (yes, I did speak with United representatives about other routes) on August 1st at 6:55AM, but unfortunately my Norwegian Air flight was for 5:55AM this morning. As such, I chose to call ebookers from Houston yesterday afternoon before the flight to confirm an August 2nd arrival with Norwegian Airlines via Bergen. Once I landed this morning, and failed to see an email, I suddenly, much to my horror, realized that they had made a mistake and charged me $1050 change fee! This morning, I phoned again to see what was possible.

Unfortunately, as they told me, much to my chagrin, the earliest I could get in was August 3rd (with the same departure). While many people are mentioning one way flights, they conveniently forget that you need a return, and no matter what site one goes to, there are no return flights available for August 15th. So, were I to buy a one way ticket, then I would end up having delays/cancellations on the back end of the trip as well.

I simply do not understand why the organizers with a massive budget did not attempt to add a few extra flights so that A) the prices would be a bit cheaper even on original tickets and B)so that the availability would not be such an issue in the case of delays.

Later: Can it get worse?? Now I apparently have no confirmed seat on the 2nd and can't even arrive in Tromso till the 3rd evening at the earliest

This means that for at least two rounds of competition the U.S. team will be without their leader (chess-news.ru)

[Vlad Dobrich]

Re: 2014 Tromsø Chess Olympiad

Round 1 Pairings >>>>>>>
http://chess-results.com/tnr140380.a...flag=30&wi=821

[Andy Shaw]

Re: 2014 Tromsø Chess Olympiad

Do we know yet whether everyone on the two Canadian Teams made it to Tromso??
I saw a tweet from Eric Hansen that his luggage made it only as far as Paris, but he
managed to get to Tromso ... Seems that a lot of people left it to the last minute
(by scheduling their trip that way, not necessarily due to bad weather, delays etc)

Nakamura will be arriving late. Check his twitter.