Time control is 90 minutes/40 moves + 30 minutes + 30 seconds/move as of move one. ChessBase says 143 nations are participating: 1,294 competitors, including 254 grandmasters, 65 WGMs, 159 IMs, and 90 WIMs.
The Romanian men’s team, which is no pushover, is not participating. The players and their federation couldn’t agree over money matters. But Russia, the host nation, has fielded five teams!
The U.S. dominated these biennial events before World War II, but starting in 1952, the mighty Soviet team reigned supreme. The U.S. won first place in 1976, but only because the Soviet bloc boycotted the Olympiad which Haifa, Israel hosted. In the 23rd Olympiad hosted by Buenos Aires, Argentina in 1978, Hungary edged the Soviets, who were not led by world champ Karpov, still resting after a grueling match against Korchnoi in Baguio. The much older Korchnoi played for the top board of his new country Switzerland and won gold, scoring 9 out of 11 games!
From 1980 to 2002, the USSR, or Russia (after the dissolution of the Soviet Union), continued its domination. But in the last three Olympiads, two former Soviet republics had outperformed Mother Russia: Ukraine in 2004 and Armenia in 2006 and 2008.
The Philippine team, Asia’s strongest before the sleeping giant that was China woke up in the 1980s, recorded its best performance in Thessaloniki, Greece in 1988, finishing in a tie for 7th to 11th places with China, Cuba, Argentina and Israel. In the 1992 Olympiad hosted by Manila, the central Asian nation of Uzbekistan, a former Soviet republic, finishedsecond behind Russia. In 2006, in Turin, Italy, China was the runner up.
In Khanty-Mansiysk, the Asian teams to watch are China, India and Vietnam. The Philippine squad is comprised of GM Wesley So, GM John Paul Gomez, GM Darwin Laylo, GM Eugene Torre and IM Richard Bitoon. Veteran GM Rogelio “Joey” Antonio was supposed to be on the team, and is now contemplating filing a lawsuit against the Philippine federation for kicking him out. Mark Paragua, another leading Filipino GM, is still in the U.S., playing in the chess events there.
After seven rounds, Ukraine leads with Russia 1, Hungary and Azerbaijan a point behind.
Game of the week. The biggest news in the fourth round was Magnus Carlsen losing on board one against Georgia’s Baadur Jobava. The Georgian surprised the world’s number one with a highly unusual 6th move in a Nimzo-Indian Saemisch, and the Georgians thumped the Norwegians by a decisive 3.5-0.5 score.
Annotations are from ChessBase.
White: B. Jobava (2710)
Black: M. Carlsen (2826)
39th Olympiad Khanty-Mansiysk 2010
1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 Bb4 4.a3 Bxc3+ 5.bxc3 Nc6 6.e4!? Not a novelty per se, but there isn’t even a single player over 2000 Elo on record with it. Jobava has clearly decided to sidestep any preparation Carlsen might have. 6…Nxe4 7.Qg4 f5 8.Qxg7 Qf6 9.Qxf6 Nxf6 10.Nf3 b6 So far, so normal, and the position is quite balanced. Carlsen decides to approach it in classic fashion, attacking the c-pawn weakness. 11.d5 White wants to keep his opponent off-balance. 11…Na5 12.Nd4 Kf7 13.dxe6+ dxe6 14.Bf4 Ba6 15.Nf3 Ne4 16.Ne5+ Kf6 17.f3 Nd6 18.0-0-0 Rhd8.19.h4! Nf7. 19…Rg8?! 20.Bg5+! Illustrating the dangers involved. 20…Kg7 (20…Kxe5? 21.f4+ Ke4 22.Re1#; 20…Rxg5 21.hxg5+ Kxe5 22.g3! and black is in serious trouble with the h-pawn falling and the king surrounded by mate threats.) 21.Rg1 h6 22.Bf4 Kh7 23.g4 and white is better. 20.Nd7+ Kg7 21.Rh3 Kh8 22.Bg5! Nxg5 23.hxg5 Kg7 24.Rh6 Bxc4 25.Bxc4 Nxc4 26.Rdh1 Rh8 27.f4? This move, which seems calm and logical is in fact a mistake that might have allowed the number one to save the game. Best was 27.Rxe6 Rae8 28.Rc6 Nd6 29.Nf6 (29.Rxc7? Nb5 30.Rb7 Re7) 29…Rc8 30.Nd5 27…c5? 27…Rad8! would have restored the delicate balance. 28.Nf6 c5 29.Rxh7+ Rxh7 30.Rxh7+ Kg6 31.Rh6+ Kf7 32.Rh7+ Kg6 33.Rxa7 e5! 34.g3 e4! 35.Nd7 e3 36.Kd1 Rh8 37.Rc7 Rh1+ 38.Kc2 Kh5 (38…Rh2+? 39.Kb3 e2 40.Kxc4! e1Q 41.Ne5+ Qxe5 42.Rc6+ Qe6+ 43.Rxe6+) 39.Kd3 b5 and it is equal. 28.Rxe6 Rae8. 29.Rxh7+! Rxh7. 29…Kxh7 30.Nf6+ Kg7 31.Nxe8+ Kf7 32.Nc7 30.Rxe8 Kf7 31.Ra8 Rh1+ 32.Kc2 a5 33.Ra7 Nxa3+ 34.Kd2 Rh2 35.Nxb6+ Kg6 36.Rxa5 Rxg2+ 37.Kd1 Nb1 38.Rxc5 Nd2 39.Nd5 Ne4 40.Rc6+ Kf7 41.Ne3 Rg3 42.Ke2 Ke8 43.Re6+ Kf7 44.Re5 Nxc3+ 45.Kf2 Rh3 46.Rxf5+ Kg6 47.Rf6+ Kg7 48.Nf5+ Kg8 49.Kg2 Rd3 50.Rd6 Ne2 51.Rg6+ Kh8 52.Rh6+ Kg8 53.Ne7+ Kf7 54.Ng6 Kg7 55.Kf2 Nc3 56.Ne7 Ne4+ 57.Ke2 Ra3 58.Nf5+ Kg8 59.Re6 Nc3+ 60.Kf3 Nd5+ 61.Kg4 Ra1 62.Re5 Rg1+ 63.Kf3 Rf1+ and 1-0.
Puzzler.
White: Qa8, Nd5, Bg5, Kh7
Black: Ke5
White to play and mate in three.
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