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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.

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 [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 [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 [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