Sunday 15 September 2024

2024 Chess Olympiad - Day 4

 Day 4 of the 2024 Chess Olympiad saw some tough games, and some significant upsets. Board 1 saw the USA get clipped by the Ukraine team, with the Ukrainians winning 2.5-1.5. The other big upset was Vietnam beating Uzbekistan 3-1, with 2 wins and 2 draws for the lower rated team.

The trans-Tasman clash between Australia and New Zealand ended in a narrow win for Australia 2.5-1.5. Felix Xie beat GM Temur Kuybokarov on board 1 while a draw between GM David Smerdon and Daniel Gong in the last game to finish secured the win for the Australian team.

PNG lost 1.5-2.5 to Afghanistan, which wasn't bad considering the rating difference. Stuart Fancy had a good win on board 1, while Rupert Jones drew on board 3. Palau drew 2-2 with Tanzania, while Guam, Vanuatu, and Fiji all went down.

The most interesting match up today (from a Pacific point of view) is the Ashes clash between Australia and England on Board 11. On Board 1, Azerbaijan will be hoping to slow the Indian juggernaut,   with the Indian team only dropping 1 game point (out of 16) so far.

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