Seniors Chess

Now that I am eligible, Seniors Chess (50 years+) is of greater interest to me than previously. I am thinking of heading to New Zealand in October to player the Asian Seniors, and getting a team to a future World Seniors Championship might also be a goal.
Currently the 2017 edition of the World Seniors Teams Championship is underway in Crete, and while not as popular as the Olympiad, it doesn't look to dissimilar. Of the 98 players in the 50+ section, 20 of them gold the GM title, with the England 1 team fielding 4 of them (Short, Nunn, Speelman and Arkell). However they are only third in the tournament with the St Petersburg team (also containing 4 GM's ) well out in front after 7 rounds.
The 65+ section doesn't have quite as many GM's (only 5!), but 35 titles players in that field is still impressive.
While the top seeded England team may once again fall just short of gold (shades of 1986 Olympiad, plus any Football World Cup bar 1966), GM John Nunn did score a nice attacking win, which reminded me of his games from that earlier period.


Nunn,John - Beilfuss,Wilfried [B30]
World Seniors Teams, 2017

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 Qb6 4. Nc3 e6 5. Bxc6 Qxc6 6. O-O a6 7. Re1 d6 8. d4 cxd4 9. Nd5 e5 10. c3 d3 11. Qxd3 Be7 12. b3 Nf6 13. Nxe7 Kxe7 14. Ba3 Nd7 15. Rad1 Nc5 16. Nxe5 dxe5 17. Qe3 b6 18. b4 f6 19. bxc5 b5 20. Rd6 Qc7 21. c6 Kf7 22. Red1 Re8 23. Rd7+ 1-0