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Starts today - Scottish participants
Craig Pritchett IM
Phil Giulian FM
Alastair White
Douglas McKerracher
Alan Borwell
Live games at <!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://games.escc2013.eu/1/">http://games.escc2013.eu/1/</a><!-- m -->
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First blood to me - playing against the lowest rated player ( a local) I had already got a won position when at move 16 his mobile phone went off and he was immediately defaulted by the arbiter. Unfortunate and I might have rather played a longer game but that's how it goes.
Douglas and Alan have strong Russian opponents (IM Karasev,top board for St Petersburg), and GM Pushkov last year's winner). Craig and Phil have an easier task (on paper). All 4 boards should be on the live games.
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Craig and Phil duly obliged with good wins. Alan sacced the exchange but couldn't hold GM Pushkov in the ending.
Top seed Sveshnikov was held to a draw – (he may actually have been worse) but the 'big' surprise of the day was Douglas beating strong IM Karasev – well done! Tomorrow he get's a 'down-float' to none other than top seed Sveshnikov – that should be worth watching but with the remaining rounds all being played at 8am Scottish time there may not be too many spectators.
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Not so good today although Alan did win. Douglas was doing well against top seed Sveshnikov (a pawn up with a possible draw) until time-trouble led to mistakes. I couldn't hold my game against IM Maryasin and despite a valiant effort Phil couldn't either against GM Eremenko. Craig had some advantage against Batakovs but couldn't convert to a full point and had to make do with a draw.
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Mixed results yesterday - Craig got back to winning ways and now plays top Russian GM Vasyukov, who he famously beat in Greece a few years ago. Douglas also had a good win against Russian FM Zhelesny and now faces his fourth titled opponent in Israeli IM Lederman.
Elsewhere there was no good news - Phil lost, Alan did too having missed a draw against another titled Russian (Archangelsky) and I attempted to make an illegal move not noticing I was in check and the touch-move penalty meant I lost immediately.
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Craig got a draw against Vasyukov which keeps him in contention. He plays Balashov tomorrow. Alan Won well today but the rest of us went down. So Craig has 3/4, Douglas and Alan 2/4 and Phil and myself 1/4.
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Keep going guys, tough competition but some good scores. Craig with a sniff of a medal here.
Sent my regards to Jan Rooze, shame his form seems to have dipped since we played. =|
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Thanks, Calum. Regards passed on to Jan Rooze, who returns best wishes!
I still have a sniff of some sort of result but the winner will certainly have to score a 2600 plus performance to win this event. However, I've just managed to despatch Yuri Balashov, one of the great Russians of my generation, and a player for whom I have always had the greatest respect, with Black in 22 moves ... he got the tactics wrong trying to avoid going into a slightly worse endgame and fell to what appears to be a sound combination.
Four rounds to go, however and the top players in this event can still play a very good game or two! I'll just keep trying to play the little wooden things as best I can and just try to enjoy things!
The others are still playing (Rd 5). All seem OK to possibly better. Glad to have missed the snow!
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Nice win by Craig again - emulates Steve Mannion & myself with 2nd GM scalp in tournament - sidestep with Kg1 - GM blunders in time-trouble - he has been studying the Carlsen games.
The connoisseur can watch Craig in the morning & Magnus in the afternoon