Armenia lead after three rounds

Home » IM Malcolm Pein » Armenia lead after three rounds

World Team Championship 2010 (3)

Armenia lead after three rounds

IM Malcolm Pein - Monday 11th January 2010

Armenia lead after three rounds in a close struggle in the World Team Championships.

No team can establish dominance at the World Team Championships as leaders Azerbaijan and USA were defeated in the third round. The USA lost to Russia as Azerbaijan were comprehensively defeated by India who had struggled up to that point.

The Russians made the sensible decision to focus their efforts on boards three and four and after Hikaru Nakamura had drawn with Alexander Grischik on top board, the Russian GMs Alexander Malakhov and Nikolai Vitiugov defeated Alexander Shulman and Varuzhan Akobian respectively. For India Krisnan Sasikiran defeated world number 7 Vugar Gashimov and Suraya Ganguly defeated Gadir Guseinov who, not for the first time was the Azerbaijani's weakest link. Guseinov was defeated by Stuart Conquest at the Chess Olympiad. There was a third upset as Greece followed their defeat of Russia by losing to Egypt. There is a six way tie for the lead with Armenia, the Chess Olympiad gold medalists marginally ahead on board points.

Leading scores after 3 rounds: 1 Armenia 4/6 (7.5), 2-5 Russia, Israel, Azerbaijan, USA, 4/6 6 India 4/6 (6)

B Gelfand - G Vescovi

Israel v Brazil

Catalan

1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 d5 4.g3 Bb4+ 5.Bd2 Be7 6.Bg2 0-0 7.0-0 c6 8.Bf4 Nbd7

(8...dxc4 9.Ne5)

9.Nc3 Nh5 10.Bc1 Nhf6 11.b3 b6 12.Nd2

(A relatively recent idea. Played by Speelman in 1980 and Gelfand in 1990. White wants to play e2-e4)

12...Bb7 13.e4 Bb4

(13...dxe4 14.Ndxe4 Nxe4 15.Nxe4 Nf6 16.Bf4 is slightly better for White)

14.Bb2 c5 15.exd5 cxd4 16.Nb5 e5

(16...exd5 17.Bxd4 Re8 18.cxd5 a6)