Thursday, August 14, 2014

Teams USA Final Results at Tromso Chess Olympiad

Is Rex S. pulling his hair out of his head?  Geez, it was bad, people, BAD!

The Open (a/k/a Men's) Team finished in 14th place overall.  Really?  The Netherlands, France, Cuba and Israel finished ahead of us (US).  Holding my nose as I look at the final results.  HOLY HATHOR.  Will the USCF now try to pass this off as some kind of great victory?  I sure the hell hope not.

Final Ranking after 11 Rounds - Open

Rk.SNoTeamTeamGames+ = - TB1 TB2 TB3 TB4
17
ChinaCHN1183019422.531.5155.00
25
HungaryHUN1173117372.029.0152.00
319
IndiaIND1173117371.530.5140.00
41
RussiaRUS1173117352.028.5146.00
58
AzerbaijanAZE1173117345.028.0149.00
62
UkraineUKR1164116377.529.0145.00
713
CubaCUB1172216361.029.5145.00
84
ArmeniaARM1164116350.528.5146.00
99
IsraelISR1172216348.028.0143.00
1017
SpainESP1172216334.528.0142.00
1127
BelarusBLR1172216304.527.0136.00
1211
NetherlandsNED1163215367.529.5148.00
133
FranceFRA1171315357.528.5151.00
146
United States of AmericaUSA1163215348.028.0143.00

HUNGARY'S OPEN TEAM with GM Judit Polgar playing Board 5 (WHAT?), takes the silver medal.  Go figure! A fine way for the fabulous Judit to go out on, heh? 

Let's look at the USA men's individual performances -- were they worth the money laid out?

14. United States of America (USA / RtgAvg:2701, Captain: Donaldson John W / TB1: 15 / TB2: 348)
Bo.NameRtgFED1234567891011Pts.GamesRpwwew-weKrtg+/-
1GMNakamura Hikaru2787USA½1½½1½½105.5927325.56.02-0.5210-5.2
2GMKamsky Gata2706USA1½00½½½0½3.5924903.55.97-2.4710-24.7
3GMOnischuk Alexander2659USA1111½10½½6.5926916.55.930.57105.7
4GMAkobian Varuzhan2653USA1½001103.5724943.54.84-1.3410-13.4
5GMShankland Samuel L2624USA1111111½1½9.010283196.822.181021.8

Clearly Sam (I'm quitting, quitting, quitting, do you hear me?  QUITTING...) Shankland was the star of the team.  What does that tell you, heh?

And then, there are the women.  They showed some verve, finishing overall in 8th place, one spot below their starting rank:

Final Ranking after 11 Rounds - Women

Rk.SNoTeamTeamGames+ = - TB1 TB2 TB3 TB4
12
RussiaRUS11100120420.532.0154.00
21
ChinaCHN1182118406.032.5149.00
33
UkraineUKR1182118383.028.5156.00
44
GeorgiaGEO1181217390.032.0145.00
510
ArmeniaARM1181217350.529.0142.00
617
KazakhstanKAZ1181217320.027.0143.00
78
PolandPOL1172216362.026.5152.00
87
United States of AmericaUSA1172216339.529.5139.00
912
GermanyGER1180316304.026.5143.00
105
IndiaIND1163215380.030.5143.00
116
RomaniaROU1171315353.527.5137.00
129
FranceFRA1171315351.527.5157.00
1311
SpainESP1163215346.528.0145.00
1414
BulgariaBUL1171315334.530.0139.00
1516
NetherlandsNED1171315311.027.0139.00

 The Russian women's team was on fire - totally (and rightfully so) pissed off about the political BULLSHIT that went on to try and keep the team out of the Olympiad.  Ha!  Up yours, FIDE, a collective message from Russia's female chess players, with Love, darlings.  Too bad, though, about Lahno jumping federations.  That was poorly done, poorly done, Kateryna.

Individual Russian women performances:

1. Russia (RUS / RtgAvg:2520, Captain: RUBLEVSKY Sergei / TB1: 20 / TB2: 420.5)
Bo.NameRtgFED1234567891011Pts.GamesRpwwew-weKrtg+/-
1GMLagno Kateryna2540RUS11½½11½0½06.010252466.03-0.0310-0.3
2GMGunina Valentina2524RUS1½11½½11½18.010265186.441.561015.6
3GMKosteniuk Alexandra2531RUS111½1½1½17.5926397.56.321.181011.8
4WGMGirya Olga2484RUS11½011½05.08238555.82-0.8210-8.2
5WGMPogonina Natalija2479RUS11½½11½5.5724965.55.250.25102.5

One of my favorite players, Alexandra Kosteniuk (12th Women's World Chess Champion), played well on Board 3.  I would love to see her hit 2600 ELO.  It won't be easy, but this is one tough competitor.  Don't be fooled by her lovely exterior and gentle manner; she's got the heart of a warrior, no question.  Valentina Gunina was also outstanding, gaining 15.6 ELO ratings points!

USA Women's Team individual performances:

8. United States of America (USA / RtgAvg:2405, Captain: SHULMAN Jury / TB1: 16 / TB2: 339.5)
Bo.NameRtgFED1234567891011Pts.GamesRpwwew-weKrtg+/-
1GMKrush Irina2474USA11010½00½15.010229057.15-2.1510-21.5
2IMZatonskih Anna2466USA101½1½½1117.51024587.57.240.26102.6
3WGMAbrahamyan Tatev2366USA1½11½½10117.51023847.57.030.47209.4
4WGMNemcova Katerina2315USA10½10114.5722594.54.65-0.1520-3.0
5WGMFoisor Sabina-Francesca2252USA11111005.07226654.520.48209.6

None of the women had break-out performances, but Tatev Abrahamyan and Sabina-Francesca Foisor performed above their ELO ratings.  A respectful nod, too, to Anna Zatonskih, who helped prevent Team USA Woman from sinking further in the standings by her steady play on Board 2.  She as the only American player who also finished in the Top 10 for her individual performance on Board 2.

Here's a question:  Do the big pay-offs bankrolled by Rex S. for becoming USA chess champions make the winners fat and lazy?  Gata Kamsky on the "Open" (a/k/a Men's) Team and Irina Krush on the Women's Team - sucked. 'Nuf said.

Outstanding individual performances by women -- kudos to:

BOARD PRIZES:

Board 1
Rk.NameRtgTeamRpGamesPts.%RtgAvg
1
GMDzagnidze, Nana2550Georgia271998.088.92353
2
GMHou, Yifan2661China267197.077.82447
3
GMCramling, Pia2500Sweden26591110.090.92233

Board 2
Rk.NameRtgTeamRpGamesPts.%RtgAvg
1
GMGunina, Valentina2524Russia2651108.080.02411
2
GMKhotenashvili, Bela2494Georgia2589108.080.02325
3
WGMJu, Wenjun2559China2564118.072.72389

Board 3
Rk. NameRtgTeamRpGamesPts.%RtgAvg
1
GMKosteniuk, Alexandra2531Russia263997.583.32352
2
IMMatnadze, Ana2385Spain2445107.575.02252
3
WFMFrisk, Ellinor2257Sweden2432119.586.42110

Board 4
Rk. NameRtgTeamRpGamesPts.%RtgAvg
1
GMZhukova, Natalia2468Ukraine2512107.575.02294
2
WGMBartel, Marta2359Poland243996.572.22273
3
IMBulmaga, Irina2354Romania2433108.080.02176

Board 5
Rk. NameRtgTeamRpGamesPts.%RtgAvg
1
WGMPadmini, Rout2318India258487.593.82124
2
WGMGuo, Qi2453China252086.581.32243
3
WIMDauletova, Gulmira2252Kazakhstan248687.087.52024

BEST OVERALL PERFORMANCES (TOP 10):

The best players sorted according Rp,Pts,games,%,board (Final Ranking after 11 Rounds) - Women

No. NameRtgTeamRpPts.Games%Bo.
1
GMDzagnidze Nana2550Georgia27198.0988.91
2
GMHou Yifan2661China26717.0977.81
3
GMCramling Pia2500Sweden265910.01190.91
4
GMGunina Valentina2524Russia26518.01080.02
5
GMKosteniuk Alexandra2531Russia26397.5983.33
6
IMMunguntuul Batkhuyag2410Mongolia26389.01090.01
7
GMStefanova Antoaneta2505Bulgaria25998.51085.01
8
GMKhotenashvili Bela2494Georgia25898.01080.02
9
WGMPadmini Rout2318India25847.5893.85
10
IMZiaziulkina Nastassia2407Belarus25809.01181.81

I take my hat off to GM Pia Cramling, who continues to show her true grit.  Do you know -- she was the second female player EVER, after GM Susan Polgar, to earn her GM title the traditional way (no concessions for being a female player, in other words).  She is one of the people I would most like to meet before I croak, let me tell you!  I would love to just take a nice long walk with her through a lovely wilderness preserve, and ask her questions, and see where the conversation goes.

WIM, IM, WGM and GM FIDE-Norms (unofficial)

No.FideIDNameTeamFEDAfter Rd.Pts.GamesNew Title
112512230WFMAsgarizadeh, MinooIranIRI116.59WIM
214202182WFMBaymuradova, SevaraUzbekistanUZB1169WIM
31708481WFMFrisk, EllinorSwedenSWE119.511WIM
45204585Fronda, Jan JodilynPhilippinesPHI106.59WIM
514201437WFMGevorgyan, IrinaUzbekistanUZB1169WIM
61017292WIMHaast, AnneNetherlandsNED116.510WGM
78603006WGMJu, WenjunChinaCHN11811IM
812512214WGMKhademalsharieh, SarasadatIranIRI1179IM
914607093WFMKolaric, SpelaSloveniaSLO1079WIM
1012401013Luong, Phuong HanhVietnamVIE11710WIM
11933988WFMMilovic, AleksandraMontenegroMNE11811WIM
124500512WCMNarva, MaiEstoniaEST116.511WIM
131800183WFMRichmond, JaneWalesWLS10610WIM
1413700090WGMSaduakassova, DinaraKazakhstanKAZ118.511IM
151308521WIMSeps, MonikaSwitzerlandSUI1169WGM
1613505300FMStetsko, LanitaBelarusBLR1079IM
17931411WFMStojanovic, Marija RMontenegroMNE11810WIM
187101937WGMSukandar, Irine KharismaIndonesiaINA10610IM
194264312WFMTsolakidou, StavroulaGreeceGRE1159WIM
2014609215WFMUnuk, LauraSloveniaSLO117.510WIM
211122320WGMZawadzka, JolantaPolandPOL1169IM

Boo!  None of the female players earned a GM norm.

Kudos to GM Sam Shankland of the "Open" (Men's) Team USA for winning a Gold Medal on Board 5.  Will he become a certain someone's next Golden Boy? Maybe.  Those results speak for themselves.  Will Naka find himself tossed to the gutter?  Well, hasn't he always wanted to go back to New York...

Board-prizes (Final Ranking after 11 Rounds) - Open

Important: Minimum 8 games

Board 5
Rk. NameRtgTeamRpGamesPts.%RtgAvg
1
GMShankland, Samuel L2624United States of America2831109.090.02457
2
GMMoiseenko, Alexander2707Ukraine271497.077.82487
3
GMNepomniachtchi, Ian2714Russia265096.572.22469

That's it from Milwaukee, folks.  I'm going back to cooking up some Polish-style drumsticks (don't ask) and unpacking yet more boxes from the never-ending move of Maison Newton.  Smooches.

Wednesday, August 13, 2014

Judit Polgar Retiring from Professional Chess

Um, I thought she did this years ago, except for the occasional urge to make some appearance fees at special events or serve the call of her homeland (as in an Olympiad).  It's been clear for some time that Judit P.'s heart was no longer solely dedicated to the game. One reaches the point in one's life where too many other things are calling out to one...  And, as we know, Chess is a very jealous lover. 

Here's a link to the report at The Week in Chess

Will there ever be another female player of Judit Polgar's calibre?  Not in what's left of my lifetime, unless there is an undiscovered "prodigy" out there who will stun the world during the next 5-10-15-20 years or so.  I can always hope that will happen; otherwise, female chessplayers will continue in their chess ghetto, earning half (or much less) than mediocre male chessplayers. 

Personally, I won't ever forget actually seeing JP play in person at the FIDE World Chess Championship held at Caesar's Palace Resort Complex in Las Vegas, Nevada, in August, 1999.  I saw her in only one game -- a quarter-finals game, on Friday, August 13th.  She should have won, that's an auspicious number for chess goddesses.  However, she was knocked out of play by GM Alexander Khalifman, a long-shot who went on to win the title.  I was close enough to nearly reach out and touch both of them, I'd only have to have gone a little bit over the red rope separating the row of seats I was in to where the players' table were, but of course that would have been a horrible breach of ettiquette!  I should have done it...

JP's legacy, and that of the three Polgar sisters, will always be part of chess lore.  For that, I am grateful.  They stand as beacons of enlightenment to other aspiring female chessplayers, if they work hard enough (as hard as the best male players, who get utterly obsessed with the game).  Remember - 10,000 dedicated focused, hours of practice and study...that is what research has shown is necessary for most anyone to become an expert at any endeavor.


LIttle Girl Lost and Her Pet Dog...

An absolutely amazing story out of Siberia.  A three year old girl lost in the wilderness for 11 days survived!  Read how.

Little girl survives 11 days in Siberian forest

All hope is lost when her dog returns home without her; then the dog leads rescuers to the missing 3-year-old, who was called the miracle girl

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...