2016 Baku Rd7: The day the giants fell

by Albert Silver
9/10/2016 – What an astonishing round it was! It literally saw all the previous leaders suffer setbacks. The biggest headline was without question the crushing victory of Team USA over India by 3.5-0.5. But this was not the only eye-opener. Previous co-leaders Netherlands lost badly to Latvia 3-1 and China, ranked third, lost 3-1 to England. Russia's 3.5-0.5 win over the Czechs sets up a double-date with the USA. In the Women's event, Russia was held to a draw by Poland, while China beat Ukraine. Full report, results and GM analysis.

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2016 Baku Olympiad

All games start at 3 p.m. local time = 1 p.m. in Europe (CEST), one hour earlier in Britain, and 2 p.m. in Moscow. You can find the starting time at your location here.

Watch it live on Playchess!

Round seven

Surprises don’t begin to describe the seventh round, whether the Open section or the Women’s, though the lion’s share of unexpected results certainly came from the Open. In such a large event, and certainly with it in full sway with far more balanced pairings, the occasional upset of surprise is the norm, not the exception, but today none of the leaders were spared.

The foremost match of the day was between the sole leaders India and the US Dream Team. On paper, the US was favorite, so to call a win by the Americans a surprise would be to deny the obvious. Still, with the Indians having displayed such great form, no one would have expected the near whitewash the US players inflicted with their 3.5-0.5 score.

It was a key match, and thrilling to follow live. In the end, the USA prevailed by a large score, but it could have gone differently. (photo by Paul Truong)

Truth be told, the final result did not reflect the positions after two plus hours of play, with both Fabiano Caruana in trouble, as well as Sam Shankland. India’s board one, Pentala Harikrishna had a very promising position, with a potential to go for more with a precise sequence, but alas for his team and the Indian fans, he missed it.

Fabiano Caruana and Pentala Harikrisha get ready for the big match (photo by M. Emelianova)

Pentala Harikrishna - Fabiano Caruana (annotated by GM Alejandro Ramirez)

[Event "42nd Olympiad Baku 2016 Open"] [Site "Baku"] [Date "2016.09.09"] [Round "7.1"] [White "Harikrishna, P."] [Black "Caruana, Fabiano"] [Result "1/2-1/2"] [ECO "C83"] [WhiteElo "2752"] [BlackElo "2808"] [PlyCount "91"] [EventDate "2016.??.??"] [EventType "team-tourn"] [EventCountry "AZE"] [Source "ChessBase"] [WhiteTeam "India"] [BlackTeam "United States"] [WhiteTeamCountry "IND"] [BlackTeamCountry "USA"] 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 a6 4. Ba4 Nf6 5. O-O Nxe4 6. d4 b5 7. Bb3 d5 8. dxe5 Be6 9. Nbd2 Nc5 10. c3 Be7 11. Bc2 d4 12. Nb3 d3 13. Bb1 Nxb3 14. axb3 Bf5 15. b4 O-O 16. Bf4 Qd7 17. h3 Rfd8 18. g4 Bg6 19. Bg3 Kh8 20. Re1 Qc8 21. Nd2 a5 22. bxa5 Rxa5 23. Rxa5 Nxa5 24. f4 f5 25. exf6 Bxf6 26. Ba2 Nc4 27. Bxc4 bxc4 28. g5 Qxh3 29. Qf3 Bh5 30. Qf2 Be2 31. gxf6 gxf6 32. Qg2 Qe6 33. Kh2 Rg8 34. Ra1 Rg6 35. Qe4 $2 (35. Ra8+ $1 Rg8 36. Rxg8+ Kxg8 37. f5 $1 {leaves Black in a very bad position.}) 35... Qxe4 36. Nxe4 Bf3 $1 {Harikrishna must have missed that Ra8+ is not possible.} 37. Nf2 (37. Nd2 Rh6+ 38. Kg1 Rh1+ 39. Kf2 Rxa1 40. Kxf3 {already looks dangerous for White, though with good play it might be a draw.}) (37. Ra8+ Kg7 38. Re8 Rh6+ 39. Kg1 Rh1+ 40. Kf2 Bxe4 41. Rxe4 d2 {loses for White.}) 37... d2 38. Ra7 Rh6+ 39. Bh4 (39. Kg1 Rh1+ 40. Nxh1 d1=Q+) 39... d1=Q 40. Nxd1 {Now the game is a simple draw.} Bxd1 41. Kg3 Kg8 42. f5 Bc2 43. Rxc7 Bd3 44. Rc5 Rh5 45. Bxf6 Rxf5 46. Rxf5 1/2-1/2

If Caruana could count himself fortunate to draw and have avoided a worse fate, Sam Shankland had to feel he had a Guardian Angel at his side. As he himself explained after the game, he had been so lost that he had debated resigning, but because it was a team event and there was more on the line than just his personal result, he played on, seeking only moves that did not lose outright. Incredibly, his refusal to give up was rewarded, not just by a chance to save, but a full win.

A dramatic win by the United States over India by a crushing 3.5-0.5 takes them to first (photo by M. Emelianova)

Sam Shankland - S.P. Sethuruman (annotated by GM Alejandro Ramirez)

[Event "42nd Olympiad Baku 2016 Open"] [Site "Baku"] [Date "2016.09.09"] [Round "7.4"] [White "Shankland, Samuel L"] [Black "Sethuraman, S P."] [Result "1-0"] [ECO "D13"] [WhiteElo "2679"] [BlackElo "2640"] [Annotator "Ramirez Alvarez,Alejandro"] [PlyCount "150"] [EventDate "2016.??.??"] [EventType "team-tourn"] [EventCountry "AZE"] [Source "ChessBase"] [WhiteTeam "United States"] [BlackTeam "India"] [WhiteTeamCountry "USA"] [BlackTeamCountry "IND"] 1. d4 d5 2. c4 c6 3. Nf3 Nf6 4. e3 Bg4 5. cxd5 cxd5 6. Nc3 e6 7. Qa4+ Nbd7 8. Ne5 a6 9. f3 $5 {A new idea, perhaps, playing against the bishop. The computer doesn't approve, but what do they know.} Bf5 10. g4 Bg6 (10... b5 {is necessary according to the mechanical brain, let's analyze a little bit why:} 11. Qd1 Nxe5 $1 (11... Bg6 12. h4 {is the game}) 12. dxe5 (12. gxf5 Nc4 { doesn't make sense for White.}) 12... Nxg4 13. fxg4 Qh4+ 14. Kd2 Bxg4 {And Black's pair of bishops, better structure and better king give him enough compensation for the piece. Is this easy to evaluate during the game? No, quite the contrary.}) 11. h4 b5 12. Qd1 b4 13. h5 $1 Bxh5 14. Nxd7 (14. Ne2 $1 {is a very computer like move} Bg6 15. Nxg6 fxg6 16. Nf4 Kf7 17. e4 $1 { With a big initiative.}) 14... Nxd7 15. Rxh5 $2 {This move is strange, though, it makes sense to eliminate d5} (15. Nxd5 Bg6 (15... exd5 16. Rxh5 Bd6 17. Kf2 {also looks very good for Shankland.}) 16. Nf4 {still gains the pair of bishops, and the central pawn mass gives White a big advantage.}) 15... bxc3 16. bxc3 Qc7 {The pressure on c3 now gives Black counterplay, not to mention d5 is not a weakness anymore.} 17. Bd2 Bd6 18. Bd3 Nb6 19. Ke2 h6 20. g5 Kd7 $5 {With the kings in the center, anything can happen!} 21. gxh6 gxh6 22. Rb1 Rag8 23. Bxa6 $2 {a bit greedy, there was no reason to allow the move Rg2+.} (23. Qh1 $13 Nc4 $1) (23. Kf2 $1 {is a move so brave I wouldn't really consider it.} ) 23... Rg2+ 24. Kd3 $2 {Shankland seriously underestimates the attack.} (24. Kf1 Rhg8 25. Rh1 {keeps White afloat, though his position is obviously grim.}) 24... Ra8 25. Bb5+ Kd8 26. Rxh6 Rxa2 {It seems like White has threats, but in truth it is only a few checks.} 27. Rh8+ Ke7 28. Re8+ Kf6 29. Be1 Kg7 30. f4 { With Black's king safe on g7, it is time for him to restart his attack.} f5 31. Qb3 Qf7 (31... Ra3 32. Rb2 Rxb3 33. Rxg2+ Kf7 34. Reg8 $1 {And Black is the one that has to be careful} Bf8 35. Rh8 $1 {And things are far, far from clear. }) (31... Rh2 $1 {was winning, threatening now Ra3,}) 32. Qd1 Nc4 33. Rd8 $1 { After this move Sethuraman fell to below two minutes, with many moves to go the win is not easy to find.} Be7 $6 (33... Nxe3 $1 34. Kxe3 (34. Qc1 Qh5 $19) 34... Bxf4+ $1 {Nothing else works.} 35. Kxf4 (35. Kd3 Qh5 $1 {is the prettiest.} 36. Qxh5 Rad2+) 35... Rg4+ $1 36. Ke3 f4+ $19 {White gets mated.}) 34. Rd7 Rab2 (34... Nb2+ 35. Rxb2 Rgxb2 {at least won the exchange} 36. Bh4 Bxh4 37. Rxf7+ Kxf7 $19 {But the evaluation I gave at the end is very computer like. With two minutes on the clock who knows if White has a perpetual or more. }) 35. Bxc4 dxc4+ 36. Kxc4 Qe8 37. Rxb2 Rxb2 38. Qa1 Rb8 39. Qa7 Kf8 40. Kd3 Ra8 41. Qb7 Rb8 42. Qh1 $6 Qxd7 {The endgame is tough to win, but only two results are possible. Shankland wins after a very long struggle.} 43. Qh8+ Kf7 44. Qxb8 Qc6 45. Qb2 Qe4+ 46. Kd2 Qg2+ 47. Kc1 Qf1 48. Kd1 Qd3+ 49. Qd2 Qc4 50. Qe2 Qa4+ {Shankland,S (2679)-Sethuraman,S (2640) Baku 2016 playchess.com (ChessBase)} 51. Qc2 Qc4 52. Kd2 Qf1 53. Qd3 Qh1 54. Qe2 Qe4 55. Qh2 Qb7 56. Ke2 Qb2+ 57. Bd2 Qb5+ 58. Kf2 Kg6 59. Qg2+ Kf7 60. Qf3 Bh4+ 61. Kg2 Qd3 62. Qh5+ Kf8 63. Qd1 Kg7 64. Qg1 Qxd2+ 65. Kh3+ Kf8 66. Kxh4 Qxc3 67. Kh5 Qc6 68. Kh6 Qf3 69. Qg7+ Ke8 70. Qe5 Kd7 71. Kg7 Qg4+ 72. Kf8 Qh4 73. Qg7+ Kd6 74. Ke8 Qh5+ 75. Qf7 Kd5 1-0

As to boards two and three, Hikaru Nakamura and Wesley So dispatched their rivals, India’s top scorers, in clinical fashion. In fact, it should be noted that the three US stars have all performed above and beyond their duty with superlative rating performances for all. Fabiano Caruana has a 2848 performance, Hikaru Nakamura is at 2835, and Wesley So continues the form he showed at the Sinquefield Cup with 5.0/6 and a 2869 performance.

Wesley So, seen here with Baskaran Adhiban, has been a star with a 2869 performance (photo by David Llada)

It bears noting that they will need this level of performance, since tomorrow they will finally face the Russians, who have demonstrated superb recovery strength. After the loss to Ukraine, the Russians have regrouped and come back firing all cylinders, winning all their subsequent matches and convincingly so. In round seven they faced the Czechs, who had held the US to a draw, and ran over them without looking back, winning by 3.5-0.5.

Sergey Karjakin has more than justified the decision to place him on board one over a higher rated Vladimir Kramnik. With 6.0/7 and a 2872 performance, the World Championship Challenger is promising not only great results at Baku, but a serious threat for the title in November. (photo by E. Kublashvili)

If Karjakin’s performance is worthy of all the accolades, his teammate Ian Nepomniachtchi is enjoying a run like few, with 7.0/7. So far he has been the team’s six-million-dollar man. (photo by E. Kublashvili)

Ian Nepomniachtchi - Zbynek Hracek (annotated by GM Elshan Moradiabadi)

[Event "42nd Olympiad Baku 2016 Open"] [Site "Baku"] [Date "2016.09.09"] [Round "7.11"] [White "Nepomniachtchi, Ian"] [Black "Hracek, Zbynek"] [Result "1-0"] [ECO "B33"] [WhiteElo "2740"] [BlackElo "2591"] [Annotator "GM Elshan Moradiabadi"] [PlyCount "81"] [EventDate "2016.??.??"] [EventType "team-tourn"] [EventCountry "AZE"] [SourceTitle "playchess.com"] [Source "ChessBase"] [WhiteTeam "Russia"] [BlackTeam "Czech Republic"] [WhiteTeamCountry "RUS"] [BlackTeamCountry "CZE"] [TimeControl "40/5400+30:1800+30"] {Nepomniachtchi (Nepo from now on because I feel too lazy to write down the whole name!) has been an instrumental figure in Russia's strong comeback to table one. WIth seven in seven, you cannot ask for more than that!} 1. e4 {(00:00)} c5 {(00:00)} 2. Nf3 {(00:00)} Nc6 {(00:00)} 3. d4 {(00:00)} cxd4 {(00:00)} 4. Nxd4 {( 00:00)} Nf6 {(00:00)} 5. Nc3 {(00:04)} e5 {(00:00) Hracek is a veteran GM with years of experience at the highest level. He always plays 'healthy' openings with a good grasp of middlegame nuances. His opening choice today is a Sveshnikov!} 6. Ndb5 {(00:20)} d6 {(00:06)} 7. Bg5 {(00:21)} a6 {( 00:07)} 8. Na3 {(00:07)} b5 {(00:04)} 9. Nd5 {(00:05) The favorite move of 12th world champion Anatoly Karpov.} (9. Bxf6 gxf6 {used to be the main line but it is not so any more!}) 9... Be7 {(00:04)} 10. Bxf6 {(00:06)} Bxf6 { (00:03)} 11. c4 {(00:08) Nepo plays this against the Sveshnikov, exclusively.} b4 {(00:05)} 12. Nc2 {(00:08)} O-O {(00:07)} 13. g3 {(00:14)} Be6 {(00:20)} 14. h4 {(00:44)} a5 {(01:21)} 15. Bh3 {(01:57)} a4 {(03:31) Nepo himself had reached this position back in 2009 against Ni Hua} 16. Qd3 $146 {(07:34) This move seems very natural but it is a novelty! We may not be surprised to see a novelty on move 16 in a Berlin, Spanish or even a French Defence, however, it is rare to see a novelty in the Sveshnikov this early!} (16. b3 Bxd5 17. cxd5 Nd4 18. Nxd4 exd4 19. O-O Re8 20. bxa4 Rxe4 21. Rc1 Re8 22. Rc4 d3 23. Qxd3 Rxa4 24. Rfc1 Ra3 25. Qc2 Bc3 26. Rc8 Qe7 27. Rxe8+ Qxe8 28. Bf1 g6 29. Bc4 Ra7 30. Qd3 Re7 {1/2-1/2 (30) Nepomniachtchi,I (2632)-Ni,H (2701) Sochi 2009}) 16... b3 $1 {(12:46) This is why nobody plays Qd3. Nepo on the other hand has a different opinion.} 17. Nce3 $6 {(00:08) Very very dubious!} bxa2 $2 {(08:09) a weak reaction from Hracek. He had to go "all in" in this position. It may not be something he likes but it is what the position calls for.} (17... a3 $1 18. Qxb3 (18. axb3 axb2 19. Rb1 Bxh3 20. Rxh3 Ra1 21. Rh1 Qa5+ 22. Kf1 Rxb1+ 23. Qxb1 Qa3 24. Qd1 Rb8 25. Kg2 Bd8 $17) 18... Nd4 19. Qc3 Qd7 $1 {I think Hracek missed the power of this move and that is why he did not enter this line.} 20. Nxf6+ gxf6 21. Bxe6 fxe6 22. b3 (22. b4 Qb7) 22... Qb7 23. Qd3 f5 24. O-O fxe4 25. Qd1 Nf3+ 26. Kh1 Rad8 {and d5-d4 seems unstoppable.}) 18. Rxa2 {(06:56)} Qa5+ {(27:10)} 19. Kf1 {(00:46)} Bxd5 {(06:45)} 20. Nxd5 {(05:37)} Nb4 {(03:40) } 21. Nxb4 {(03:23)} Qxb4 {(00:02)} 22. Bd7 {(00:07)} Bd8 {(09:13) Both players are activating their bishops.} 23. Bc6 {(08:37)} Ra7 {(01:20)} 24. Qc2 {(00:12)} a3 $2 {(03:06) This is a tactical blunder. Hracek does not play active chess today.} (24... Bb6 25. Rxa4 Rxa4 26. Bxa4 Bd4 27. b3 f5 28. exf5 Qb7 29. Rh2 g6 30. g4 (30. h5) (30. fxg6 Bxf2 31. gxh7+ Kh8 {was very dangerous for White.}) 30... Qf3 31. Rg2 Kh8 32. b4 gxf5 33. gxf5 Rg8 34. Rxg8+ Kxg8 {And Black's activity should suffice for a draw despite White's two extra pawns.}) 25. Kg2 {(00:03)} Qc5 {(07:17)} 26. Bd5 {(00:09)} g6 $2 {(07:21) This is just a waste of time.} (26... axb2 27. Rxb2 Qc7 28. Rhb1 Qd7 29. Rb7 Rxb7 30. Rxb7 Bc7 31. Qb3 {And White's attack may or may not be decisive but at least not sometimes soon!}) 27. Rb1 $1 {(00:23) A strong move which assures White's control over the seventh rank.} axb2 {(02:34)} 28. Raxb2 { (00:11)} Kh8 {(03:43)} 29. Rb5 {(00:29)} Qc8 {(00:57)} 30. Rb8 {(01:20)} Qd7 { (00:49)} 31. Qd2 {(11:03)} Kg7 {(00:25)} 32. R8b7 {(03:12)} Rxb7 {( 00:38)} 33. Rxb7 {(00:05)} Qg4 {(01:20) After the 6th round game between L'Ami-Adhiban this is the second time I am commenting on opposite colored bishops in a position concerning attack and defence! Since White has a strong attack over the f7 square and Black's dark-squared bishop is helpless to defend f7, it is as if White is a piece up in his attack. If you want to know who said that for the first time, I encourage you to read our Round 6 report!} 34. Qa2 $18 {(03:31) White's attack is unstoppable.} Bxh4 {(02:13) equivalent to a resignation.} 35. Qa7 { (00:05)} Kh6 {(01:27)} 36. Rxf7 {(00:38)} Rxf7 {(00:13)} 37. Qxf7 {(00:04)} Bg5 {( 01:02)} 38. Qf8+ {(04:03)} Kh5 {(00:01)} 39. Qxd6 {(00:23)} Bf4 {(00:22)} 40. Qf6 {(00:00)} Qg5 {(00:00)} 41. Qf7 {(01:53) Hracek reaction to Nepo's dubious novelty was slow and inactive. Nepo did all he had to do, activated his bishop, placed his rooks on the right squares and seized the seventh rank. He simply asked Hracek a number of difficult questions in this game and unfortunately for the Czechs and Hracek, he failed to answer them.} 1-0

Here is a tactic played by Evgeny Tomashevsky against Viktor Laznicka:

A concerned Andrey Filatov, captain of the Russian team, watches the Russian team (photo by E. Kublashvili)

The Netherlands suffered a second consecutive setback, losing to Latvia after a loss to India (photo by M. Emelianova)

GM Vladimir Tukmakov, Giri's coach and captain of the Dutch team, watches with concern as the action unfolds (photo by E. Kublashvili)

Tied with five others in second is Georgia. Althougha team effort, their 'secret weapon' is Baadur Jobava who has scored 5.0/6 on board one with a staggering 2933 performance. (photo by E. Kublashvili)

The biggest overperforming team has been.... Iran! Ranked no.46 at the start, they have a mostly teenage team and are now 9th in the standings.

Among their players is 13-year-old Alireza Firouzja, the youngest player in the Open section, and current Iranian Champion. After five rounds he has a 2647 performance and has chances for a GM norm should he play the rest of the games. (photo by David Llada)

Also playing for Iran is 17-year old IM Shanin Lorparizangeneh, rated 2478, and closing in on a GM norm himself with 5.0/7 and a 2578 performance (photo by David Llada)

Holding the fort on board one is the veteran GM Ehsan Ghaem Maghami, deeply experienced and once the holder of the World Record for simuls with 604 opponents (photo by David Llada)

After a slightly see-saw start, GM Evgeny Bareev, playing for Canada now, took down his first top scalp of the event: Pavel Eljanov from Ukraine (photo by David Llada)

Another top match of the day was England’s match against the defending gold medalists, China. Although anything could happen, the English fans were cheering and howling as their team emerged victorious with two wins and two draws for a 3-1 victory. It was the fruit of wins by the team’s two oldest players, Michael Adams and Nigel Short, both winning in wildly different manners.

Jon Speelman looks on at the England vs China match (photo by Paul Truong)

Michael Adams entered what seemed perfectly equal rook endgame against Wang Yue, no stranger to fine positional play. What should have been a fairly sedate draw instead went south for the Chinese player who ended up losing the game.

Nigel Short, on the other hand, played a completely different game, with a double-edged see-saw of a position against Li Chao. The Chinese player missed a winner at one point, but the position was so sharp that this swung completely around and instead it was the Englishman who took the point.

A jubilant IM Malcolm Pein, the captain of the English team, shared this image with the title "It's true"

Security and organization

During the game between Nigel Short and Li Chao there was a highly unfortunate incident, related to the slew of security measures and anti-cheating rules set in motion. If on the one hand, many players have been very positive about the event as a whole, with a lovely playing area, and more, for journalists and spectators this has been far more challenging to say the least.

The first sign that things were a bit extreme were the draconian security measures that bar journalists and photographers from being in the area more than 15 minutes after the start. In past events, there have certainly been cordoned off areas to ensure the players their space, but now even that is unavailable. Spectators are also not allowed to bring cameras of any kind. In today's day and age, where cameras and social media is the norm, whether it be Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram, these sorts of rules are highly unusual.

It gets worse though, since even after the games are over, players pass through an area that none of the journalists can access, even outside the playing area. This means that even a simple interview after the games become a challenge. Furthermore, security at all points make sure the players and journalists are prevented from interacting.

The anti-cheating measures have also led to controversies at many points. The first was the set of rules that dictate that players needed to ask permission of an arbiter before going to the bathroom. You can imagine this did not go down well, and the players and captains set up a petition (available online here) for all to sign. This is open to all players period, as the rules could easily be applied to other events.

A picture of the petition and the first signatures. The digital version of this petition, which can be signed by any concerned chess player, is available here at Change.Org

In the end, the arbiters advised they would not be enforcing this rule at all, though anyone displaying unusual behavior, would be noted, and possibly subject to a search.

This last point saw its effects during the game between Nigel Short and Li Chao. That a player is searched before or after a game is quite understandable, but unless there is a genuine belief a player is cheating, this should never happen during a game. To the Englishman’s disbelief, while playing a do-or-die position with the time control closing in, the arbiters decided this was the perfect time to ask him to step away from the board and subject himself to a full search. Short was appalled, and was having none of it. He outright refused. The rules stated that this could lead to a forfeit if he did so, and in his case, it could mean the 3-1 victory by England, could become a 2-2 tie. In the end, fortunately, nothing more than an official warning was issued to him, but one would have thought some common sense would have avoided this episode altogether.

GM Nigel Short was more than a little irate (understandably) at being asked to leave the board for a search when locked in a crucial game with the time control looming (photo by E. Kublashvili)

Nigel Short, commenting for ChessBase, explained: “I got an official warning for refusing to be electronically checked in time-pressure. I was checked both before and extremely thoroughly immediately after the game. Arbiters' relentless arrogation of power has gone too far.”

Hopefully the organizers will reconsider some of these choices, and make the event a more welcome environment, not only for the players, but for those trying to share the event with the world, and bring the Olympiad a greater audience than they ever could alone.

Women’s event

The results of the round threw a monkey wrench into any predictions the pundits had been entertaining. Russia, which had been set to take gold ahead of the Chinese for a fourth time, saw this plan jeopardized after an unexpected draw against Poland on table one.

Valentina Gunina (left) has been the Russian team’s top weapon so far, with 5.0/6 and a 2652 performance. Her win in round seven was also crucial to Russia’s tie, since a draw would have had disastrous consequences for their dreams of gold. (photo by E. Kublashvili)

Anna Muzychuk (left) was responsible for neutralzing Hou Yifan with black (photo by M. Emelianova)

On table two, China faced Ukraine in one of the highest profile matches of the event. Both sides brought their heaviest artillery, and in spite of the Muzychuk sisters neutralizing both Hou Yifan and Ju Wenjun, the Chinese won thanks to Tan Zhongyi’s victory over GM Natalia Zhukova on board three.

Mariya Muzychuk is board two for Ukraine and also drew Ju Wenjun (photo by E. Kublashvili)

However, it was Tan Zhongyi's victory on board three that gave China victory (photo by E. Kublashvili)

The consequence of this is that instead of a sole leader or two, no fewer than five teams share first with only tiebreak scores to separate them: Russia, China, Azerbaijan, USA, and Netherlands. In round eight, Russia will face the USA, making it a double-date in both the Open and Women’s events. Not to be missed!

 

Video glimpse of Round 7 of the Baku Chess Olympiad with interviews of GM Georg Meier and Sergey Karjakin (video by Vijay Kumar)

Round seven games (with times per move)

Select games from the list below the board

Open standings after seven rounds

Rk
SNo
Team
Team
Gms
 TB1   TB2 
1
2
United States of America
USA
7
6
1
0
13
174,0
2
1
Russia
RUS
7
6
0
1
12
157,0
3
20
Georgia
GEO
7
5
2
0
12
154,5
4
5
Ukraine
UKR
7
6
0
1
12
146,5
5
9
India
IND
7
6
0
1
12
144,5
6
6
England
ENG
7
6
0
1
12
140,0
7
21
Latvia
LAT
7
6
0
1
12
138,5
8
4
Azerbaijan 1
AZE
7
5
1
1
11
161,5
9
46
Iran
IRI
7
5
1
1
11
153,0
10
27
Greece
GRE
7
4
3
0
11
137,5
11
29
Slovenia
SLO
7
5
1
1
11
127,0
12
12
Norway
NOR
7
5
1
1
11
126,5
13
34
Peru
PER
7
5
1
1
11
118,0
14
36
Italy
ITA
7
5
1
1
11
117,0
15
25
Canada
CAN
7
5
0
2
10
152,5

Click to view complete standings

Women's standings after seven rounds

Rk
SNo
Team
Team
Gms
 TB1   TB2 
1
3
Russia
RUS
7
5
2
0
12
173,0
2
1
China
CHN
7
5
2
0
12
149,0
3
16
Azerbaijan 1
AZE
7
5
2
0
12
143,0
4
6
United States of America
USA
7
6
0
1
12
132,0
5
21
Netherlands
NED
7
6
0
1
12
122,5
6
7
Poland
POL
7
5
1
1
11
164,0
7
2
Ukraine
UKR
7
5
1
1
11
158,5
8
8
Hungary
HUN
7
5
1
1
11
135,0
9
18
Israel
ISR
7
5
1
1
11
123,0
10
52
Turkmenistan
TKM
7
5
1
1
11
113,0
11
11
Romania
ROU
7
4
2
1
10
156,5
12
10
Germany
GER
7
4
2
1
10
146,5
13
5
India
IND
7
4
2
1
10
141,0
14
9
Bulgaria
BUL
7
4
2
1
10
133,0
15
15
Mongolia
MGL
7
5
0
2
10
127,0

Click to view complete standings

Open section (top pairings)

Bo.
9
India (IND)
Rtg
-
2
United States of America (USA)
Rtg
½:3½
1.1
GM
Harikrishna, P.
2752
-
GM
Caruana, Fabiano
2808
½-½
1.2
GM
Adhiban, B.
2671
-
GM
Nakamura, Hikaru
2789
0-1
1.3
GM
Vidit, Santosh Gujrathi
2669
-
GM
So, Wesley
2782
0-1
1.4
GM
Sethuraman, S.P.
2640
-
GM
Shankland, Samuel L
2679
0-1
Bo.
21
Latvia (LAT)
Rtg
-
11
Netherlands (NED)
Rtg
3:1
2.1
GM
Shirov, Alexei
2673
-
GM
Giri, Anish
2755
½-½
2.2
GM
Kovalenko, Igor
2651
-
GM
Van Wely, Loek
2674
1-0
2.3
GM
Neiksans, Arturs
2628
-
GM
Van Kampen, Robin
2640
½-½
2.4
IM
Meskovs, Nikita
2476
-
GM
Bok, Benjamin
2592
1-0
Bo.
1
Russia (RUS)
Rtg
-
17
Czech Republic (CZE)
Rtg
3½:½
3.1
GM
Karjakin, Sergey
2769
-
GM
Navara, David
2742
1-0
3.2
GM
Tomashevsky, Evgeny
2731
-
GM
Laznicka, Viktor
2651
1-0
3.3
GM
Nepomniachtchi, Ian
2740
-
GM
Hracek, Zbynek
2591
1-0
3.4
GM
Grischuk, Alexander
2754
-
GM
Babula, Vlastimil
2540
½-½
Bo.
18
Croatia (CRO)
Rtg
-
4
Azerbaijan 1 (AZE)
Rtg
½:3½
4.1
GM
Saric, Ivan
2668
-
GM
Mamedyarov, Shakhriyar
2761
½-½
4.2
GM
Palac, Mladen
2623
-
GM
Radjabov, Teimour
2722
0-1
4.3
GM
Kozul, Zdenko
2622
-
GM
Mamedov, Rauf
2666
0-1
4.4
GM
Brkic, Ante
2584
-
GM
Safarli, Eltaj
2688
0-1
Bo.
20
Georgia (GEO)
Rtg
-
30
Romania (ROU)
Rtg
3:1
5.1
GM
Jobava, Baadur
2665
-
GM
Lupulescu, Constantin
2618
1-0
5.2
GM
Mchedlishvili, Mikheil
2609
-
GM
Parligras, Mircea-Emilian
2595
½-½
5.3
GM
Pantsulaia, Levan
2601
-
IM
Deac, Bogdan-Daniel
2524
1-0
5.4
GM
Gelashvili, Tamaz
2575
-
GM
Jianu, Vlad-Cristian
2554
½-½
Bo.
6
England (ENG)
Rtg
-
3
China (CHN)
Rtg
3:1
6.1
GM
Adams, Michael
2738
-
GM
Wang, Yue
2737
1-0
6.2
GM
Howell, David W L
2665
-
GM
Ding, Liren
2753
½-½
6.3
GM
McShane, Luke J
2671
-
GM
Yu, Yangyi
2725
½-½
6.4
GM
Short, Nigel D
2666
-
GM
Li, Chao b
2746
1-0
Bo.
5
Ukraine (UKR)
Rtg
-
25
Canada (CAN)
Rtg
2½:1½
7.1
GM
Eljanov, Pavel
2739
-
GM
Bareev, Evgeny
2675
0-1
7.2
GM
Kryvoruchko, Yuriy
2693
-
GM
Kovalyov, Anton
2617
½-½
7.3
GM
Korobov, Anton
2675
-
GM
Lesiege, Alexandre
2512
1-0
7.4
GM
Volokitin, Andrei
2647
-
GM
Hansen, Eric
2582
1-0
Bo.
19
Turkey (TUR)
Rtg
-
12
Norway (NOR)
Rtg
1½:2½
8.1
GM
Solak, Dragan
2635
-
GM
Carlsen, Magnus
2857
0-1
8.2
GM
Ipatov, Alexander
2652
-
GM
Hammer, Jon Ludvig
2651
½-½
8.3
GM
Yilmaz, Mustafa
2616
-
GM
Tari, Aryan
2570
½-½
8.4
GM
Esen, Baris
2524
-
GM
Urkedal, Frode
2537
½-½
Bo.
46
Iran (IRI)
Rtg
-
57
Mongolia (MGL)
Rtg
3½:½
9.1
GM
Ghaem Maghami, Ehsan
2566
-
IM
Munkhgal, Gombosuren
2446
1-0
9.2
 
Maghsoodloo, Parham
2566
-
GM
Gundavaa, Bayarsaikhan
2492
½-½
9.3
IM
Lorparizangeneh, Shahin
2478
-
GM
Batchuluun, Tsegmed
2513
1-0
9.4
 
Firouzja, Alireza
2463
-
FM
Bilguun, Sumiya
2444
1-0
Bo.
29
Slovenia (SLO)
Rtg
-
14
Spain (ESP)
Rtg
2½:1½
10.1
GM
Beliavsky, Alexander G
2602
-
GM
Vallejo Pons, Francisco
2716
½-½
10.2
GM
Lenic, Luka
2622
-
GM
Salgado Lopez, Ivan
2662
½-½
10.3
GM
Borisek, Jure
2558
-
GM
Anton Guijarro, David
2630
½-½
10.4
GM
Skoberne, Jure
2562
-
GM
Vazquez Igarza, Renier
2580
1-0
Bo.
44
Iceland (ISL)
Rtg
-
27
Greece (GRE)
Rtg
1:3
11.1
GM
Stefansson, Hannes
2574
-
GM
Papaioannou, Ioannis
2631
0-1
11.2
GM
Gretarsson, Hjorvar Steinn
2547
-
GM
Banikas, Hristos
2571
½-½
11.3
IM
Kjartansson, Gudmundur
2442
-
GM
Mastrovasilis, Athanasios
2555
½-½
11.4
IM
Thorfinnsson, Bragi
2430
-
GM
Halkias, Stelios
2565
0-1
Bo.
53
Philippines (PHI)
Rtg
-
36
Italy (ITA)
Rtg
1½:2½
12.1
GM
Sadorra, Julio Catalino
2560
-
GM
Vocaturo, Daniele
2583
½-½
12.2
GM
Gomez, John Paul
2492
-
GM
Dvirnyy, Danyyil
2543
0-1
12.3
GM
Torre, Eugenio
2447
-
GM
Rombaldoni, Axel
2567
1-0
12.4
GM
Barcenilla, Rogelio
2455
-
GM
Brunello, Sabino
2568
0-1
Bo.
39
Paraguay (PAR)
Rtg
-
34
Peru (PER)
Rtg
1½:2½
13.1
GM
Delgado Ramirez, Neuris
2618
-
GM
Cordova, Emilio
2638
0-1
13.2
GM
Bachmann, Axel
2641
-
GM
Cori, Jorge
2609
1-0
13.3
GM
Cubas, Jose Fernando
2470
-
GM
Cruz, Cristhian
2519
0-1
13.4
FM
Latorre, Matias
2318
-
 
Fernandez, Fernando
2410
½-½
Bo.
23
Belarus (BLR)
Rtg
-
13
Germany (GER)
Rtg
2:2
14.1
GM
Zhigalko, Sergei
2652
-
GM
Nisipeanu, Liviu-Dieter
2687
½-½
14.2
GM
Kovalev, Vladislav
2599
-
GM
Meier, Georg
2654
0-1
14.3
GM
Stupak, Kirill
2561
-
GM
Bluebaum, Matthias
2626
½-½
14.4
GM
Aleksandrov, Aleksej
2547
-
GM
Buhmann, Rainer
2640
1-0
Bo.
10
Hungary (HUN)
Rtg
-
48
Switzerland (SUI)
Rtg
3:1
15.1
GM
Rapport, Richard
2752
-
GM
Pelletier, Yannick
2555
0-1
15.2
GM
Berkes, Ferenc
2640
-
GM
Bogner, Sebastian
2559
1-0
15.3
GM
Almasi, Zoltan
2684
-
IM
Georgiadis, Nico
2475
1-0
15.4
GM
Balogh, Csaba
2614
-
IM
Studer, Noel
2445
1-0
Bo.
45
Australia (AUS)
Rtg
-
7
Poland (POL)
Rtg
1:3
16.1
GM
Smerdon, David C
2531
-
GM
Wojtaszek, Radoslaw
2736
0-1
16.2
GM
Zhao, Zong-Yuan
2550
-
GM
Duda, Jan-Krzysztof
2675
0-1
16.3
IM
Smirnov, Anton
2482
-
GM
Bartel, Mateusz
2646
½-½
16.4
GM
Illingworth, Max
2458
-
GM
Swiercz, Dariusz
2639
½-½
Bo.
40
Austria (AUT)
Rtg
-
8
France (FRA)
Rtg
2:2
17.1
GM
Ragger, Markus
2697
-
GM
Maze, Sebastien
2617
1-0
17.2
GM
Shengelia, David
2573
-
GM
Edouard, Romain
2635
½-½
17.3
IM
Kreisl, Robert
2448
-
GM
Fressinet, Laurent
2664
0-1
17.4
IM
Dragnev, Valentin
2430
-
GM
Bauer, Christian
2623
½-½
Bo.
15
Cuba (CUB)
Rtg
-
38
Sweden (SWE)
Rtg
2½:1½
18.1
GM
Dominguez Perez, Leinier
2720
-
GM
Grandelius, Nils
2641
½-½
18.2
GM
Bruzon Batista, Lazaro
2623
-
GM
Blomqvist, Erik
2545
½-½
18.3
GM
Quesada Perez, Yuniesky
2636
-
GM
Hillarp Persson, Tiger
2523
1-0
18.4
GM
Ortiz Suarez, Isan Reynaldo
2581
-
GM
Smith, Axel
2516
½-½
Bo.
28
Azerbaijan 2 (AZE2)
Rtg
-
56
Venezuela (VEN)
Rtg
2:2
19.1
GM
Durarbayli, Vasif
2612
-
GM
Iturrizaga Bonelli, Eduardo
2650
½-½
19.2
GM
Bajarani, Ulvi
2509
-
IM
Gascon Del Nogal, Jose Rafael
2436
0-1
19.3
GM
Guseinov, Gadir
2625
-
IM
Palencia Morales, Wilson Guillermo
2378
1-0
19.4
GM
Guliyev, Namig
2577
-
IM
Pulvett Marin, Daniel
2434
½-½

Women's section (top pairings)

Bo.
3
Russia (RUS)
Rtg
-
7
Poland (POL)
Rtg
2:2
1.1
GM
Kosteniuk, Alexandra
2538
-
GM
Socko, Monika
2437
½-½
1.2
GM
Gunina, Valentina
2520
-
WGM
Zawadzka, Jolanta
2429
1-0
1.3
WGM
Goryachkina, Aleksandra
2475
-
WGM
Szczepkowska-Horowska, Karina
2409
0-1
1.4
WGM
Pogonina, Natalija
2484
-
WGM
Kulon, Klaudia
2346
½-½
Bo.
1
China (CHN)
Rtg
-
2
Ukraine (UKR)
Rtg
2½:1½
2.1
GM
Hou, Yifan
2658
-
GM
Muzychuk, Anna
2550
½-½
2.2
GM
Ju, Wenjun
2583
-
GM
Muzychuk, Mariya
2539
½-½
2.3
WGM
Tan, Zhongyi
2475
-
GM
Zhukova, Natalia
2475
1-0
2.4
IM
Guo, Qi
2417
-
GM
Ushenina, Anna
2457
½-½
Bo.
6
United States of America (USA)
Rtg
-
11
Romania (ROU)
Rtg
2½:1½
3.1
GM
Krush, Irina
2444
-
IM
Peptan, Corina-Isabela
2394
½-½
3.2
IM
Paikidze, Nazi
2366
-
IM
Foisor, Cristina-Adela
2353
1-0
3.3
IM
Zatonskih, Anna
2449
-
WGM
Cosma, Elena-Luminita
2331
½-½
3.4
WGM
Nemcova, Katerina
2365
-
IM
Bulmaga, Irina
2395
½-½
Bo.
16
Azerbaijan 1 (AZE)
Rtg
-
5
India (IND)
Rtg
2½:1½
4.1
WGM
Mamedjarova, Zeinab
2295
-
GM
Harika, Dronavalli
2542
½-½
4.2
WGM
Mammadzada, Gunay
2361
-
IM
Padmini, Rout
2408
1-0
4.3
WGM
Mammadova, Gulnar
2304
-
IM
Tania, Sachdev
2402
1-0
4.4
WFM
Hojjatova, Aydan
2339
-
WGM
Soumya, Swaminathan
2379
0-1
Bo.
21
Netherlands (NED)
Rtg
-
4
Georgia (GEO)
Rtg
2½:1½
5.1
GM
Peng, Zhaoqin
2368
-
GM
Dzagnidze, Nana
2522
½-½
5.2
WGM
Haast, Anne
2306
-
IM
Javakhishvili, Lela
2486
½-½
5.3
IM
Lanchava, Tea
2258
-
GM
Khotenashvili, Bela
2463
1-0
5.4
FM
Kazarian, Anna-Maja
2231
-
IM
Melia, Salome
2419
½-½
Bo.
10
Germany (GER)
Rtg
-
22
Uzbekistan (UZB)
Rtg
2:2
6.1
IM
Paehtz, Elisabeth
2474
-
WGM
Muminova, Nafisa
2324
0-1
6.2
WGM
Michna, Marta
2383
-
WIM
Tokhirjonova, Gulrukhbegim
2289
1-0
6.3
WGM
Levushkina, Elena
2342
-
WIM
Gevorgyan, Irina
2324
1-0
6.4
WGM
Lubbe, Melanie
2324
-
WIM
Kurbonboeva, Sarvinoz
2223
0-1
Bo.
30
Greece (GRE)
Rtg
-
52
Turkmenistan (TKM)
Rtg
1:3
7.1
WGM
Tsolakidou, Stavroula
2355
-
WGM
Geldiyeva, Mahri
2285
0-1
7.2
WIM
Pavlidou, Ekaterini
2140
-
WFM
Ovezdurdiyeva, Jemal
2031
0-1
7.3
WFM
Avramidou, Anastasia
2273
-
WFM
Atabayeva, Gozel
2021
1-0
7.4
WGM
Kouvatsou, Maria
2085
-
WFM
Hallaeva, Bahar
2103
0-1
Bo.
46
Philippines (PHI)
Rtg
-
8
Hungary (HUN)
Rtg
1:3
8.1
WIM
Frayna, Janelle Mae
2281
-
GM
Hoang, Thanh Trang
2467
0-1
8.2
WIM
Fronda, Jan Jodilyn
2128
-
IM
Lazarne Vajda, Szidonia
2372
1-0
8.3
 
Bernales, Christy Lamiel
2065
-
WGM
Gara, Ticia
2379
0-1
8.4
WIM
Secopito, Catherine
2119
-
IM
Gara, Anita
2355
0-1
Bo.
18
Israel (ISR)
Rtg
-
20
Italy (ITA)
Rtg
3:1
9.1
WIM
Shvayger, Yuliya
2408
-
IM
Zimina, Olga
2389
1-0
9.2
WIM
Efroimski, Marsel
2322
-
FM
Brunello, Marina
2376
½-½
9.3
IM
Klinova, Masha
2290
-
WFM
Di Benedetto, Desiree
2183
½-½
9.4
WIM
Gutmakher, Olga
2216
-
WFM
Santeramo, Alessia
2001
1-0
Bo.
15
Mongolia (MGL)
Rtg
-
31
Kazakhstan (KAZ)
Rtg
3:1
10.1
IM
Nomin-Erdene, Davaademberel
2422
-
WGM
Abdumalik, Zhansaya
2389
1-0
10.2
IM
Batchimeg, Tuvshintugs
2391
-
WIM
Dauletova, Gulmira
2275
0-1
10.3
WIM
Uuriintuya, Uurtsaikh
2228
-
WFM
Zhylkaidarova, Sholpan
2162
1-0
10.4
WIM
Lkhamsuren, Uuganbayar
2147
-
WGM
Ankudinova, Yelena
2126
1-0
Bo.
29
Latvia (LAT)
Rtg
-
27
Serbia (SRB)
Rtg
2:2
11.1
WGM
Rogule, Laura
2306
-
WGM
Rapport, Jovana
2318
1-0
11.2
WGM
Berzina, Ilze
2241
-
WGM
Chelushkina, Irina
2221
½-½
11.3
WGM
Erneste, Inguna
2178
-
 
Velikic, Adela
2260
½-½
11.4
 
Otikova, Elina
2051
-
WIM
Eric, Jovana
2161
0-1
Bo.
26
Argentina (ARG)
Rtg
-
43
Sweden (SWE)
Rtg
2½:1½
12.1
IM
Lujan, Carolina
2378
-
GM
Cramling, Pia
2444
½-½
12.2
WIM
Zuriel, Marisa
2272
-
WIM
Agrest, Inna
2222
½-½
12.3
WIM
Fernandez, Maria Florencia
2189
-
 
Bengtsson, Jessica
2005
1-0
12.4
WIM
Martinez, Ayelen
2219
-
 
Fransson, Angelina
1996
½-½
Bo.
44
Moldova (MDA)
Rtg
-
9
Bulgaria (BUL)
Rtg
1:3
13.1
WIM
Baciu, Diana
2279
-
GM
Stefanova, Antoaneta
2515
0-1
13.2
WFM
Hincu, Olga
2125
-
IM
Videnova, Iva
2386
½-½
13.3
WGM
Partac, Elena
2086
-
WGM
Nikolova, Adriana
2358
½-½
13.4
WFM
Gitu, Paula-Alexandra
1892
-
WIM
Raeva, Elitsa
2232
0-1
Bo.
19
Vietnam (VIE)
Rtg
-
17
Turkey (TUR)
Rtg
3:1
14.1
IM
Pham, Le Thao Nguyen
2338
-
IM
Atalik, Ekaterina
2422
1-0
14.2
WGM
Hoang, Thi Bao Tram
2325
-
WGM
Yildiz, Betul Cemre
2369
½-½
14.3
WGM
Nguyen, Thi Mai Hung
2316
-
WGM
Ozturk, Kubra
2277
½-½
14.4
WGM
Nguyen, Thi Thanh An
2249
-
WIM
Topel, Zehra
2156
1-0
Bo.
33
Colombia (COL)
Rtg
-
56
Estonia (EST)
Rtg
2:2
15.1
IM
Rodriguez Rueda, Paula Andrea
2326
-
WIM
Narva, Mai
2238
1-0
15.2
WGM
Franco Valencia, Beatriz Irene
2183
-
WIM
Tsiganova, Monika
2095
0-1
15.3
WIM
Chirivi C, Jenny Astrid
2209
-
 
Olde, Margareth
2003
½-½
15.4
WIM
Castrillon Gomez, Melissa
2194
-
WCM
Narva, Triin
2023
½-½
Bo.
23
France (FRA)
Rtg
-
41
Peru (PER)
Rtg
2:2
16.1
IM
Milliet, Sophie
2362
-
WGM
Cori T., Deysi
2402
1-0
16.2
IM
Collas, Silvia
2301
-
WIM
Chumpitaz, Ann
2150
1-0
16.3
WGM
Maisuradze, Nino
2256
-
WFM
Aliaga Fernandez, Ingrid Y
2096
0-1
16.4
WIM
Congiu, Mathilde
2232
-
WFM
Felix Vega, Aurora Edith
2053
0-1
Bo.
24
Cuba (CUB)
Rtg
-
45
Ecuador (ECU)
Rtg
1½:2½
17.1
WGM
Arribas Robaina, Maritza
2315
-
IM
Fierro Baquero, Martha L.
2369
½-½
17.2
WGM
Marrero Lopez, Yaniet
2281
-
WGM
Heredia Serrano, Carla
2075
0-1
17.3
WGM
Linares Napoles, Oleiny
2276
-
WIM
Romero Echeverria, Abigail
2106
½-½
17.4
WIM
Llaudy Pupo, Lisandra
2269
-
WFM
Bosch Garcia, Jacqueline
2011
½-½
Bo.
40
Canada (CAN)
Rtg
-
38
Slovenia (SLO)
Rtg
2½:1½
18.1
WIM
Yuan, Yuanling
2205
-
WIM
Unuk, Laura
2332
1-0
18.2
WFM
Botez, Alexandra
2092
-
WGM
Krivec, Jana
2259
0-1
18.3
 
Agbabishvili, Lali
2064
-
WFM
Kolaric, Spela
2079
½-½
18.4
WCM
Ouellet, Maili-Jade
1992
-
WFM
Leonardi, Caterina
2024
1-0
Bo.
28
Azerbaijan 2 (AZE2)
Rtg
-
36
Belarus (BLR)
Rtg
3½:½
19.1
WGM
Mamedjarova, Turkan
2304
-
IM
Ziaziulkina, Nastassia
2382
½-½
19.2
WIM
Khalafova, Narmin
2219
-
 
Badelka, Olga
2222
1-0
19.3
WIM
Fataliyeva, Ulviyya
2234
-
WFM
Bogdan, Ekaterina
2120
1-0
19.4
WGM
Umudova, Nargiz
2247
-
 
Revo, Tatiana
2087
1-0

Olympiad schedule

Date Time Event, function
9 September 15:00 Round 7
10 September 15:00 Round 8
11 September 15:00 Round 9
12 September 15:00 Round 10
13 September 11:00/19:30 Round 11/Closing Ceremony
14 September All day Departure day

Links

The games are being broadcast live on the official web site and on the server Playchess.com. If you are not a member you can download a free Playchess client there and get immediate access. You can also use ChessBase or any of our Fritz compatible chess programs.
 

Born in the US, he grew up in Paris, France, where he completed his Baccalaureat, and after college moved to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. He had a peak rating of 2240 FIDE, and was a key designer of Chess Assistant 6. In 2010 he joined the ChessBase family as an editor and writer at ChessBase News. He is also a passionate photographer with work appearing in numerous publications, and the content creator of the YouTube channel, Chess & Tech.

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