2014 Olympiad - PNG Team (and others) Day 2

With the shift to match points at the Olympiad, the 'minnows' have found it harder to score points early in the event. This is because it is possible for a team on 0 to play a team on non-zero points in the early rounds, as long as neither team has won a match. So yesterdays performance by the PNG team was quite impressive, taking 1.5 points off the higher rated Puerto Rico team. FM Stuart Fancy played an excellent game to win on the top board, while Rupert Jones drew his board 3 game. In fact with a bit of time and confidence Jones may have found the winning plan, giving PNG an extra half point. So while the result does not add anything to the scoreboard for PNG at this stage, it has given the team a real confidence boost for the rest of the tournament.
Of the other Oceania teams, Guam is doing well, especially as it is their first Olympiad. They have scored points in their first two matches, and currently have 1.5 game points. Palau, Fiji and the Solomon Islands have had much tougher starts, and are yet to struggle the scorer. New Zealand have had an above average start, following up 4-0 over Burundi with a fighting 1-3 loss to Poland. NZ actually had their noses in front at one stage, and the Poles were looking decidedly scared.


Fancy Stuart (2036) - Almedina Ortiz Edgardo J. (2277) [A00]
WCO2014 Tromso (2.1), 03.08.2014

1. Nc3 d5 2. e4 d4 3. Nce2 c5 4. Ng3 Nc6 5. Bc4 e6 6. f4 a6 7. a4 Qa5 8. b3 b5 9. Be2 Rb8 10. Nf3 Nf6 11. O-O Be7 12. axb5 Qxa1 13. bxc6 O-O 14. Ne5 Ne8 15. f5 Nc7 16. Bc4 Bd6 17. Nd3 e5 18. Qh5 Ne8 19. f6 Be6 20. Bxe6 g6 21. Qf3 fxe6 22. f7+ Kh8 23. fxe8Q Rbxe8 24. Qg4 Rxf1+ 25. Kxf1 c4 26. bxc4 Qa4 27. c5 Bc7 28. Qg5 Qxc2 29. Ke2 Qc4 30. h4 Qb5 31. h5 Qxc6 32. hxg6 Qd7 33. Nh5 Bd8 34. Qxe5+ Kg8 35. c6 Qe7 36. Ba3 Bc7 37. gxh7+ Qxh7 38. Qg5+ Kh8 39. Nf6 Bd8 40. Nxh7 Bxg5 41. Nxg5 Kg7 42. Nc5 e5 43. c7 Kf6 44. Nge6 Rc8 45. g4 a5 46. Kd3 Ke7 47. Kc4 Kd6 48. g5 Kc6 49. g6 a4 50. Nd8+ Kxc7 51. g7 1-0