09-08-2014, 12:40 PM
Thu Aug 7 - First free day
The break in the middle of the Olympiad will make it seem like a new tournament when we start again in round 6. As a comparison, it is well known that second week form in the British Championship (held over 11 rounds with a break after the first 6) determines success. Players respond in different ways to the break but all need to find the best way of recharging their batteries. Will those on fire stumble? Will those who have struggled regain their strength?
In the Scottish camp, Elaine decides on a 50 km bike ride whizzing around the island and beyond. Andrew Greet manfully tries to keeps pace. The rest of the women’s team follow a well-worn path of Olympiad participants up the cable car for the spectacular view over Tromso and to the mountains beyond. It is a re-invigorating sight. The Grant family walks up to the first cairn although there are tales from other camps of more adventurous souls who hike until they can photograph themselves lying in the snow!
We agree tonight is pizza night and the women’s team plus Andrew G head to Yonas’ pizzeria. Best in town according to the friendly folk who run our hotel. The local speciality is a “Taco” which involves Chinese cabbage and salad cream which tempts the rest of my family. However I’m unconvinced this is a “Scottish” option and insist on a pepperoni based choice for at least half of our “Maxi” sharing pizza. Sage Andrew G identifies that a large seafood pizza is guaranteed to avoid anyone pilfering from his plate whilst he proves adept at scavenging in the politest possible manner. Full and satisfied we head home ready for the battles ahead.
Fri Aug 8 - Round 6 – Nobody loses, everybody’s happy
Bo. 44 Moldova (MDA) Rtg - 52 Scotland (SCO) Rtg 1½:2½
25.1 WIM Baciu, Diana 2294 - GM Arakhamia-Grant, Ketevan 2394 ½ - ½
25.2 IM Petrenko, Svetlana 2205 - WFM Bamber, Elaine 2077 ½ - ½
25.3 WGM Partac, Elena 2127 - Roy, Ali 1913 ½ - ½
25.4 Hincu, Olga 2027 - WFM Groves, Carey 2027 0 – 1
Moldova looks a tough draw especially with an IM and WGM whose ratings are well of their highs. Ali adopts the Black side of a Closed Sicilian. I’m familiar with the colours reversed set-up (Botvinnik system in the English) and tempo down positions are fine as well. White’s attack down the f-file is going nowhere and Ali’s space advantage grows. White falls further and further behind in time but exchanges minor pieces and queens to bring some relief. 3-fold repetition in the double rook ending is a fair enough end. A great start for the team and for Ali against the WGM. Over to board 4 and Carey has “got her Mojo back”. A classic minority attack in the QGD exchange – weaken the pawn structure; exchange the right pieces and then win the under defended c6 and d5 pawns. Carey is delighted and rightly so: it is a tremendous feeling to win when you create a plan and follow through on it.
Elaine is having a themed tournament with the b-pawn. Sometimes she sacrifices it , today she pushed to b3 early (and later b4) to fianchetto the bishop in a Sicilian Moscow variation.. Perhaps Petrenko thought, from Elaine’s earlier games, that she had to exchange queens asap when she went for the unusual Qg4-h5. However Elaine identified that taking off queens would leave d6 weak and she built strong positional pressure. Black’s king started off on a suicidal walk. Breaking open the centre with f4 would show up this folly but after multiple exchanges the game petered out into an equal rook ending. Keti allowed White an early initiative in a 2...e6 3.b3 Sicilian through over ambition. She fought her way back into contention with some accurate calculation and the help of an advancing d-pawn. In time trouble it was a better idea to play ...g5 at some point rather than ...h5 but securing the draw was enough for an overall match win by 2.5-1.5 against the higher rated Moldovans.
The break in the middle of the Olympiad will make it seem like a new tournament when we start again in round 6. As a comparison, it is well known that second week form in the British Championship (held over 11 rounds with a break after the first 6) determines success. Players respond in different ways to the break but all need to find the best way of recharging their batteries. Will those on fire stumble? Will those who have struggled regain their strength?
In the Scottish camp, Elaine decides on a 50 km bike ride whizzing around the island and beyond. Andrew Greet manfully tries to keeps pace. The rest of the women’s team follow a well-worn path of Olympiad participants up the cable car for the spectacular view over Tromso and to the mountains beyond. It is a re-invigorating sight. The Grant family walks up to the first cairn although there are tales from other camps of more adventurous souls who hike until they can photograph themselves lying in the snow!
We agree tonight is pizza night and the women’s team plus Andrew G head to Yonas’ pizzeria. Best in town according to the friendly folk who run our hotel. The local speciality is a “Taco” which involves Chinese cabbage and salad cream which tempts the rest of my family. However I’m unconvinced this is a “Scottish” option and insist on a pepperoni based choice for at least half of our “Maxi” sharing pizza. Sage Andrew G identifies that a large seafood pizza is guaranteed to avoid anyone pilfering from his plate whilst he proves adept at scavenging in the politest possible manner. Full and satisfied we head home ready for the battles ahead.
Fri Aug 8 - Round 6 – Nobody loses, everybody’s happy
Bo. 44 Moldova (MDA) Rtg - 52 Scotland (SCO) Rtg 1½:2½
25.1 WIM Baciu, Diana 2294 - GM Arakhamia-Grant, Ketevan 2394 ½ - ½
25.2 IM Petrenko, Svetlana 2205 - WFM Bamber, Elaine 2077 ½ - ½
25.3 WGM Partac, Elena 2127 - Roy, Ali 1913 ½ - ½
25.4 Hincu, Olga 2027 - WFM Groves, Carey 2027 0 – 1
Moldova looks a tough draw especially with an IM and WGM whose ratings are well of their highs. Ali adopts the Black side of a Closed Sicilian. I’m familiar with the colours reversed set-up (Botvinnik system in the English) and tempo down positions are fine as well. White’s attack down the f-file is going nowhere and Ali’s space advantage grows. White falls further and further behind in time but exchanges minor pieces and queens to bring some relief. 3-fold repetition in the double rook ending is a fair enough end. A great start for the team and for Ali against the WGM. Over to board 4 and Carey has “got her Mojo back”. A classic minority attack in the QGD exchange – weaken the pawn structure; exchange the right pieces and then win the under defended c6 and d5 pawns. Carey is delighted and rightly so: it is a tremendous feeling to win when you create a plan and follow through on it.
Elaine is having a themed tournament with the b-pawn. Sometimes she sacrifices it , today she pushed to b3 early (and later b4) to fianchetto the bishop in a Sicilian Moscow variation.. Perhaps Petrenko thought, from Elaine’s earlier games, that she had to exchange queens asap when she went for the unusual Qg4-h5. However Elaine identified that taking off queens would leave d6 weak and she built strong positional pressure. Black’s king started off on a suicidal walk. Breaking open the centre with f4 would show up this folly but after multiple exchanges the game petered out into an equal rook ending. Keti allowed White an early initiative in a 2...e6 3.b3 Sicilian through over ambition. She fought her way back into contention with some accurate calculation and the help of an advancing d-pawn. In time trouble it was a better idea to play ...g5 at some point rather than ...h5 but securing the draw was enough for an overall match win by 2.5-1.5 against the higher rated Moldovans.