The good news is the US Women’s Team has moved into 3rd place after crushing Humpy-less India 2.5-.5. The bad news is Russia won 3-0 to extend the lead.
After 7 rounds:
1. Russia 17.5
2. Ukraine 16.5
3. USA 15.5
4-5 Hungary and Georgia 15
On the men’s side, Armenia crushed Holland 3-1. Russia crushed Belarus 3-1. Ukrained defeated a strong Indian team 2.5-1.5. The US tied Sweden 2-2. Therefore, there is no perfect team left.
After 7 rounds:
1. Armenia 21
2. Russia 20
3. Cuba 19.5
4-7. Uzbekistan, Ukraine, Georgia, Czech Republic 19
8-13. Holland, USA, Germany, Denmark, Sweden, France 18.5
Chess Daily News from Susan Polgar
What’s the secret of Armenia? They even have some veterans playing in the team (Lputian)?
Go USA!!! x2!!!
1/2 point is so huge in this Olympiad. we tie 2-2 and fall 1/2 point off the pace and we drop hard.
You are right susan, you really have to fight for that extra 1/2 point. it makes all the difference.
Good to see the women doing so well. they are hanging in there. the men dont seem to have the zip for a medal.
Kamsky had Bu with a backward pawn and pushed his kingside pawns and lost. today Nakamura had pressure on a backward pawn and allowed a draw. I am not a chess expert for sure. but I keep wondering why they did not keep the pressure up on the backward pawn. I felt that was the correct strategy. but I am an amateur.
Top pairings for round eight are: Cuba-Armenia, Czech Republic-Russia, Uzbekistan-Georgia, Sweden-Ukraine, France-Netherlands, Denmark-USA and Belarus-Germany.
Magnus Carlsen is back from exam in Norway. Norway beat a strong England today! Magnus has 2 straight wins. More to come…
Did anyone see how brilliantly Aronian beat Sokolov today? What a masterpiece! On the other hand, I can’t understand how a super grandmaster can lose a game, without having developed any piece nor moved any pawn on the Kingside, as White. Sokoloav needs badly lessons from a beginners’ trainer. And just when against Kramnik he had developed all his pieces so well, in the previous round!! What happens to GMs? Is it explainable?
Any comment, please?
In chess, you can’t label any pawn structure as always being weak. Backward pawns can be good, so long as
the person with the backward pawn defends the pawn and the square in front of it adequately.
“Kamsky had Bu with a backward pawn”
This is true, but it was defended most of the game by the f1 bishop and the rest of the game by a queen and the only thing able to attack it was the queen.
In this case the backward pawn is little more than a tempo generator which is a plus for white, not a weakness.
And also for places 14-19 (with 18 pts): China, Bulgaria, Belarus, Greece, India, Philippines.
It’s now a battle in round 8 between the current and the former chess heavyweights of Asia: China vs Philippines.
I’ll root for the Filipinos. Even if the Chinese are tough, I’ll predict it at 2.5-1.5 for the Philippines.