Denmark lost a tough match against Kazakhstan in a bad way. Sune Berg Hansen got nothing from the opening and just drew on board one. A curiosity is that the arbiter refused them to take a draw from three time repetition, forcing them to repeat a bit more before making it to move 30. Lars Schandorff got the worse end of a Semi-Slav endgame where his opponent just outplayed him. At some point Lars should have given up a pawn and tried to draw a rook ending. If it could be done is not too obvious, but instead he was about to lose it under worse circumstances when he blundered the exchange. The most painful game was my own. I first forgot my preparation (partly because I simply did not understand it) and then I allowed a trick I had seen. I then had a few forced draws, which were too hard to find, before I had a passive, but drawable position. Then in move 40 I game a check, with a few seconds on the clock, and was just lost. On move 41 he played a nice move and I had to resign. Jakob Vang Glud did not face strong opposition, but played quite well and is laughing with 2/2. Hopefully this is the start of the GM-norm, which will count double and thus be title immediately for him!
The event can only be described as abysmal. The area is as charming as the more industrial (dangerous) parts of Glasgow and the food worse than you would get there. So far I have stabilised on a diet of beans and rice. I am sure that the organisers have never even heard of the word vegetarian . The internet on the hotel essentially does not work, except in the early morning or during the night, when there are not 200 chess girls trying to upload their photos to facebook.
One funny story happened yesterday. Grischuk was having a coffee with some friends before the game outside the playing hall. An African player approached him and asked if he could have his photo taken with him. Sure. So the African guy asked one of the friends if he wanted to take the photo. Sure. The African guy walked away glowing with pride. Not much of a story, you might think. Ok, I accept it. But please understand that this is why I will in all perpetuity refer to Vladimir Kramnik as “the photographer”.
Kramnik is not even in top 10 on the FIDE blitz rating list for August. Grischuk is number 1.
I have a question about Playing 1.d4 – The Indian Defences by Lars Schandorff I have downloaded the excerpt and in “Contents” in the Dutch section after 2. Bg5 I don’t see 2…g6 But it’s an important option, right? And no 2… Nc6 also? By the way, there are two 2…c5 entries… Some error?
Ahh, such comments about the venue will surely get your books banned from Turkey.
Tells a lot about Kramnik, really a great personality.
I also have a question what happens after 1.d4 e6?
if 2.c4 then f5 and we are into another Dutch variation,
if 2.Nf3 then 2.Nf6 and is there anything better than 3.c4?,
if 2.e4 we are in king’s pawn land and the Frog!
@Nick
I think this is probably in Section 8 Minor Lines D) 1…e6 Systems, I guess.
Also, I think/guess/hope the system 1. d4 d6 2. Nf3 Bg4 or 2. c4 e5, I don’t know what Schandorff has chosen, The Wade System I guess, is also analysed? But where? It is included in Section 8 E) Modern Defence? Or maybe rather in A) Rare Moves?
Thank you very much by advance for your answers to these questions… 🙂
Vegetarian? That brings to mind a hilarious scene from one of my favorite movies, Everything is Illuminated with Elijah Wood: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=um2p4GlEbKg
Also: The painter takes pictures, too? 🙂