2014 Tromsø Chess Olympiad

[Nata Navodylo]

Re: Tromso Olympiad 2014

You can bring your kid to your local Chess in the Library(www.chessinthelibrary.com) program. If there is no CITL program in your local library, try to be a volunteer to make one instead of to convince the a public school principal.

My point was that my kids could play chess with their friends and I wouldn’t spend an hour for getting to the library you show. My second point introduce to new children that may like chess. I believe the school is the best place to start, IMHO.

[William Yuan]

Re: Tromso Olympiad 2014

You know what embarrassment that I go to school principal and beg him to open chess club at school and he say and too much trouble and I say I’ll volunteer go through the criminal check, I’ll do tuberculosis test whatever need to help to introduce chess club, and he still say it’s too much trouble. And we see what we are agreeing here about, maybe for what somebody gets paid, I assume. Chess is not introduced to younger generation in Canada.

Plus it's Midnight Sun in Norway.

You can bring your kid to your local Chess in the Library(www.chessinthelibrary.com) program. If there is no CITL program in your local library, try to be a volunteer to make one instead of to convince the a public school principal.

[David Ottosen]

Re: Re : Re: Tromso Olympiad 2014

Its one game played after a very long flight, in a time zone six hours different from our own. We can discuss selection rules and minimum number of games to earn a spot at a future meeting of the voting members. Now is the time to cheer for our players who earned their places based on the rules that were in force at the time that they were selected.

I cheer for the team, not individual players.

[Nata Navodylo]

Re: Tromso Olympiad 2014

I have no idea how she made the team. This is an embarrassment. Goodness gracious.

You know what embarrassment that I go to school principal and beg him to open chess club at school and he say and too much trouble and I say I’ll volunteer go through the criminal check, I’ll do tuberculosis test whatever need to help to introduce chess club, and he still say it’s too much trouble. And we see what we are agreeing here about, maybe for what somebody gets paid, I assume. Chess is not introduced to younger generation in Canada.

Plus it's Midnight Sun in Norway.

[Vlad Drkulec]

Re: Re : Re: Tromso Olympiad 2014

I think that's a bad decision. I think something closer to 30 games would be an acceptable minimum, and if this means we cannot field a team, then fine, we can't field a team (and the question of how valuable promoting women's chess is to the CFC can rise again).

Then again, I'd also think top players should have enough pride to either keep themselves sharp or not take the spot. Hopefully she can turn it around and start having better results.

Its one game played after a very long flight, in a time zone six hours different from our own. We can discuss selection rules and minimum number of games to earn a spot at a future meeting of the voting members. Now is the time to cheer for our players who earned their places based on the rules that were in force at the time that they were selected.

[William Yuan]

Re: Re : Re: Tromso Olympiad 2014

She made the team by the rating selection (same criteria for everyone). There has been some discussion recently about raising the minimum number of games, but this was seen as a bad idea for the women's team, especially considering how few of them are active. Here are the players nominated by the committee :

Women's Team Selection: Qiyu Zhou
First Alternate: Jackie Peng
Second Alternate: Lali Agbabishvili

Women's Captain: Yuri Ochkoos

National Team Selection: Leonid Gerzhoy
First Alternate: Nikolay Noritsyn
Second Alternate: Thomas Roussell-Roozmon

National Team Captain: Victor Plotkin

People think the problem is the criteria. Maybe it is not perfect, however, no one think about how the committee members affect the results of selection. How the committee organized well?

[Andy Shaw]

Re: Tromso Olympiad 2014

Canada - USA should be a thriller. Will the Americans rest Nakamura? Or does Kamsky desperately need a rest day?

[Vlad Drkulec]

Re: Nava

General question: What does happen to DGT boards after Olympiad? (not necessary for '14)

They will be sold presumably.

[Wayne Komer]

Re: Tromso Olympiad 2014

Tromso Olympiad 2014

Round Five Pairings

According to Chess-Results.com the pairings for Round Five, Aug. 6 are:

Open Canada – USA

Women Norway3 – Canada

The spectators will be following us intensely in both matches!

[Andy Shaw]

Re: Tromso Olympiad 2014

Thank you for the wonderful pictures Andrei.

[Aris Marghetis]

Re: Tromso Olympiad 2014

Speaking from Olympiad experience ...

Four of five people have to play. Sometimes people get sick, particularly when you are in a room with people who may have versions of ailments only found in their part of the world. What happens when more than one person is ill? Someone has to play. This could be a factor here.

Tom is quite right. It's challenging for someone who has not operated in this environment before to grasp how out-of-sorts one can get. For example, one of the arbiters collapsed this evening. I and some others attended to her, to the point that an ambulance had to be brought in, doctor consultation, etc. It turns out she's going to be fine, but it's easy to underestimate the impact on personal health when TOTALLY IMMERSED in new environment.

Since I'm posting anyway, I would also like to express my profound disappointment at those of you who take the opportunity to bash any of the Canadians here. These fine ladies and gentlemen are pouring their HEART AND SOUL into every moment. But no mistake about it, it's a bloody tough competitive environment here, and winning is never guaranteed. But each member of our teams has battled to where they are now, and they are battling to represent their country, our country. Maybe if you saw, hell felt, their expressions after they shake hands in defeat, you might have a better idea of how deeply they are trying, how much they care to battle, for all of us. I loved a post by Nikolay, where he came across as a positive Canadian fan, what footballers call a "supporter". Surely we can support our teams better than bashing them, and from people who couldn't hold a candle ...

Anyway, it's almost 3am here, so gonna end this "rant". I am proud of all the Canadians competing here. Out.

[Aris Marghetis]

Re: 2014 Tromsø Chess Olympiad

Bring Aris and past current and future world champions will show up!
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Andrei, too funny! You've won a beer from me! ;)

[Aris Marghetis]

Re: 2014 Tromsø Chess Olympiad

I found more pictures with you but by far this was the best.

I am not sure if you know the older arbiter lady sitting on the right side of the picture. She was part of the team who finish on 2nd place in 4 Olympiads.

Here is a pic when she was younger.
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Oh yes, she is an absolute LEGEND here!

[Steve Douglas]

Re: Tromso Olympiad 2014

That seems a little harsh; I certainly don't know all of the situation there in Tromso - perhaps more information will come to light soon.
Arm-chair quarterbacks should at least be former quarterbacks, no?

To my mind, the only "embarrassment" regarding Ms. Starr was the opening blunder yesterday. Yes it was bad. Yes it never should have happened. But I think all chess players have played bone-headed moves from time to time, even when they are at high levels.

Speculation on the reasons:

a) she was looking past her much lower-rated opponent to the next round
b) she had a "teacher moment" that I referred to in another thread
c) she killed herself via touch-move through a. or b.
d) she's rusty
e) she's suffering from jet-lag
f) all of the above

I'm not sure of the wisdom of her playing a third straight day but I can see how the team captain would find himself on the horns of a dilemna: "rest" her and it looks like "punishment". I'm sure it was felt that with her playing Black she would be able to hold a draw.

Whatever, the only player on the women's team really pulling their own weight is Yuanling Yuan. Both Khoudgarian and Botez went down down in flames today. Nava Starr isn't pulling her own weight, but she's not the sole reason for the team's scores and is not (yet) a boat anchor.

Steve

[Egidijus Zeromskis]

Re: Nava

General question: What does happen to DGT boards after Olympiad? (not necessary for '14)