Chess with Errol

India takes the lead

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Following the conclusion of round six of the 42nd Chess Olympiad currently in progress in Baku, Azerbaijan, India’s men have taken the lead ahead of such behemoths as Russia, the US, China, Ukraine and the Netherlands. India matched gloves with the Dutch team with the sensational Pentala Harikrishna on top board for India, and Anish Giri, a member of the elite top ten club, for the Netherlands. Their intriguing encounter ended in a fighting draw. The victory for Team India emanated from the mind of grandmaster Baskaran Adhiban who outplayed Erwin L’Ami.

ChessLogoThe gruelling competition peaked at the halfway mark where the leading teams are expected to clash with each other. India fought the US ‘dream team’ on Friday in what promised to be a monumental battle. The US boasts three players in the top ten group in Caruana, Nakamura and So. In an earlier round the Americans edged out the Ukranians by a score of 2.5-1.5. At the previous 2014 Chess Olympiad in Tromso, India’s men captured the bronze medal ahead of the US. Friday’s battle would be fierce.

The 2014 gold medal winners, China, experienced a hit from Ukraine which had previously overcome the almighty Russians. China defeated Argentina in round six but did not emerge unscathed as Wang Yue, China’s top board, lost unexpectedly to his seemingly unknown opponent, grandmaster Sandro Mareco.

Haifeng Su, in photo, one of Guyana’s successful chess players at the conclusion of round six of the 42nd Chess Olympiad in Azerbaijan. There are five rounds yet to be played in the competition. Su, playing board No 4, scored victories against opponents from Guatemala and Fiji, and achieved draws with representatives from Guernsey and Malta. Taffin Khan, playing board two, also garnered 3 points for Guyana with two wins and two draws (a win = 1 point; a draw = 1/2 point; a loss = 0 point). Guyana played Bermuda on Friday in its 7th round match.
Haifeng Su, in photo, one of Guyana’s successful chess players at the conclusion of round six of the 42nd Chess Olympiad in Azerbaijan. There are five rounds yet to be played in the competition. Su, playing board No 4, scored victories against opponents from Guatemala and Fiji, and achieved draws with representatives from Guernsey and Malta. Taffin Khan, playing board two, also garnered 3 points for Guyana with two wins and two draws (a win = 1 point; a draw = 1/2 point; a loss = 0 point). Guyana played Bermuda on Friday in its 7th round match.
India’s women chess team participating at the 42nd Olympiad in Baku, Azerbaijan. From left: International Master Padmini Rout, Woman Grandmaster Soumya Swaminathan, International Master Tania Sachdev, Grandmaster Harika Dronavalli and Woman International Master Pratyusha Bodda. The Indian women’s team is ranked No 5 in the world, and after six engagements, has not lost one round in the Olympiad competition.
India’s women chess team participating at the 42nd Olympiad in Baku, Azerbaijan. From left: International Master Padmini Rout, Woman Grandmaster Soumya Swaminathan, International Master Tania Sachdev, Grandmaster Harika Dronavalli and Woman International Master Pratyusha Bodda. The Indian women’s team is ranked No 5 in the world, and after six engagements, has not lost one round in the Olympiad competition.

Guyana’s woman representative Maria Varona-Thomas on board one is playing well. She amassed four victories and two draws from the seven games which she contested so far. She lost only once. The other inexperienced female players are achieving the rare win and draw. Guyana dispatched its first female team to a chess Olympiad this year.

Chess games

The four games listed hereunder were played by the Guyana chess team at the 2016 Olympiad in Baku, Azerbaijan. The games represent four wins which were achieved by the male and female teams.

White: Haifeng Su

Black: David Giron  (Guatemala)

  1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 a6 6. Be2 e5 7. Nb3 Be7 8. Be3 Nbd7 9. f3 O-O 10. a4 b6 11. O-O Bb7 12. Qd2 Rc8 13. Rfd1 Qc7 14. Rac1 Qb8 15. Qe1 Qa8 16. Qf2 d5 17. exd5 Nxd5 18. Nxd5 Bxd5 19. Bxa6 Qxa6 20. Rxd5 Qxa4 21. Rcd1 Rc7 22. Qd2 Nc5 23. Nxc5 Bxc5 24. Bxc5 Rxc5 25. b3 Qc6 26. c4 b5 27. Qb4 Rxd5 28. Rxd5 bxc4 29. bxc4 f6 30. Rd6 Qc7 31. c5 Rc8 32. c6 Qa7+ 33. Kf1 Qa6+ 34. Kf2 h5 35. Qb7 Qa2+ 36. Kg3 Ra8 37. Rd7 h4+ 38. Kh3 Qe6+ 39. g4 Ra3 40. Rxg7+ Kf8 41. Rd7 Rxf3+ 42. Kxh4 1-0.

White: Fena M Gwamwamba (Tanzania)

Black: Jessica Clementson

  1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 Nf6 4. O-O d6 5. d3 a6 6. Ba4 Bg4 7. h3 Bh5 8. Re1 b5 9. Bb3 Nd4 10. Nbd2 Be7 11. c3 Nxf3+ 12. Nxf3 O-O 13. Bd2 c6 14. Be3 Nd7 15. Qd2 Bxf3 16. gxf3 Kh8 17. f4 f5 18. d4 fxe4 19. fxe5 dxe5 20. Be6 Qe8 21. dxe5 Qg6+ 22. Kf1 Qxe6 23. Qd4 Qxh3+ 24. Ke2 Qg4+ 25. Kd2 Bc5 26. Rg1 Qf5 27. Rg5 Bxd4 28. Rxf5 Bxe3+ 29. fxe3 Rxf5 30. e6 Nc5 31. b4 Nxe6 32. Rd1 Rd8+ 33. Kc2 Rxd1 34. Kxd1 g5 35. Kd2 g4 36. a3 g3 0-1.

White: Haifeng Su

Black: Noel A Adricula (Fiji)

  1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 g6 6. Be3 Bg7 7. Be2 O-O 8. Qd2 Nc6 9. Nxc6 bxc6 10. O-O a5 11. f4 Qc7 12. Kh1 Bb7 13. Bf3 Rab8 14. e5 dxe5 15. fxe5 Nd7 16. e6 fxe6 17. Bg4 Rxf1+ 18. Rxf1 Nf8 19. Qf2 Ba6 20. Qf7+ Kh8 21. Rd1 Bc4 22. Ne4 Bd5 23. Ng5 h6 24. Bxe6 Bxe6 25. Nxe6 Nxe6 26. Qxe6 Qe5 27. Qh3 Qh5 28. Qxh5 gxh5 29. b3 Kh7 30. Rd7 Bf6 31. Bc5 Re8 32. Kg1 Kg6 33. Kf2 Kf5 34. Ra7 h4 35. Rxa5 Ke6 36. c4 Rd8 37. Ke2 Rg8 38. Kf3 Rg5 39. Bb4 Be5 40. Ra7 Rf5+ 41. Ke4 Rf4+ 42. Ke3 Bd4+ 43. Kxf4 Bxa7 44. h3 c5 45. Be1 Bb8+ 46. Ke4 Bd6 47. Bxh4 Bc7 48. Bf2 Bd6 49. g4 Kf6 50. Be3 Kg6 51. Kd5 h5 52. gxh5+ Kxh5 53. Bxc5 1-0.

White: Sheriffa Ali

Black: Monica Bremo (Aruba)

  1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. Bc4 Bc5 5. Ng5 O-O 6. Nxf7 Rxf7 7. Bxf7+ Kxf7 8. d3 d5 9. Bg5 Be6 10. Bxf6 gxf6 11. Qh5+ Kg7 12. exd5 Bxd5 13. Nxd5 Qxd5 14. Qg4+ Kh8 15. Qf3 Qxf3 16. gxf3 Nd4 17. O-O-O Nxf3 18. Kb1 Rg8 19. a3 Rg2 20. h4 Bxf2 21. h5 Be3 22. c3 f5 23. Rh3 e4 24. dxe4 fxe4 25. h6 Kg8 26. Rd8+ Kf7 27. Rd7+ Ke6 28. Rxh7 Ng5 29. Rxc7 Nxh3 30. h7 Bf4 31. h8=Q Bxc7 32. Qxh3+ 1-0.

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