2010 Olympiad - Day 11

PNG finished the 2010 Chess Olympiad on a high note, with a 4-0 win over the US Virgin Islands. In fact this is the first 4-0 for PNG since 1986 (not counting the default in the last round in Dresden 2008). It means that we end up on 6 match points (down 1 from 2008) but with 18 game points, which is 2.5 up from 2 years ago. Due to our 'submarine' strategy we actually stand a chance of overtaking a few (better performed) teams.

Helmut Marko was the first winner today, and his score of 5.5/11 qualifies him for the CM title. I also managed a win, my first of the tournament! Too late I realised that instead of winning pawns and then failing to convert, my strategy should have always been to sacrifice a pawn, and then use the extra space to attack.

Tonight sees the closing ceremony and tomorrow the teams head home. It will probably take me about 40 hours to get back to Canberra but I will try and post en-route.

Press,Shaun - Mongiello,Anthony [C02]

Olympiad 2010 03.10.2010

1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.e5 c5 4.c3 Nc6 5.Nf3 cxd4 6.cxd4 Be7 7.Nc3 Qb6 8.a3 Bd7 9.Be2 f6 10.b4 a6 11.Qd3 fxe5 12.dxe5 0-0-0 13.Be3 Qc7 14.Rc1 Kb8 15.0-0 Nxe5 16.Nxe5 Qxe5 17.Qd2 Bd6 18.g3 Bc6 19.b5 axb5 20.Nxb5 Bxb5 21.Qa5 Bc6 [21...Bc7 22.Qa7+ Kc8 23.Bxb5] 22.Qxd8# 1-0