39th Chess Olympiad Khanty-Mansiysk 2010 (Opening)
Chess Olympiad Opens
IM Malcolm Pein - Wednesday 22nd September 2010
Malcolm Pein talks about the start of the Olympiad.
Venue for the Opening Ceremony. Photo © 2010 Albran. | http://www.chess.co.uk/twic
The Chess Olympiad is under way at Khanty Mansisk in Siberia. Russia I and Russia II are first and fourth seeds respectively. It seems very odd to allow the host nation to have three teams in the competition, but that's chess nowadays. Russia III are seeded nineteenth [and now there are 5 Russian teams MC]. Ukraine are seeded second but the balance of power has shifted somewhat, following the defection of Sergei Karjakin from Kiev to Moscow.
China are seeded third and of course one cannot rule out Armenia who have won gold at the last two Olympiads, Turin, 2006 and Dresden, 2008, an incredible performance for such a small country and they are seeded fifth.
England are the twelfth seeds, the highest they have been for many years. Scotland, who will miss Jonathan Rowson, are seeded 62nd and Wales 91st.
Ian Nepomniachtchi won the Russian Higher League and qualified for the Russian Super Final at the end of the year but he was denied here.
D Frolyanov - I Nepomniachtchi
Russian Ch Higher League Irkutsk
Now 48.Qb8+ Kd7 wins as there are no good checks but how did White save the game?
Ian Nepomniachtchi
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Denis Frolyanov
Position after 48...Kc7
Answer to puzzle.
48.Rc8+!
(48.Qb8+! Kd7 49.Rd8+ Bxd8 50.Qxd6+ Ke8 51.Qd7+ Kf8 52.Qe8+ Kxe8 also works)
48...Kxc8 49.Qd7+ Kb8 50.Qa7+ Kc8 51.Qd7+ Kxd7
stalemate and draw.
