I often do this, follow the games of a player in one tournament.
Other Olympic threads all give the games of Carlsen, Kramnik etc...etc..
So why not follow Linda Jambo of Malawi. (we are bringing her luck).
I'll contact one of the Scottish team and let her know RHP
are following every move.
Yeah. RHP have adopted her.
Linda drew again although her team lost.
Am going to work soon and rushing about posting the latest blog,
getting something to eat and and having a shave etc.
Have looked at her latest game, she side stepped a nasty trap but it
was agreed a draw here with Linda (white) to play.
I know all Rook endings are drawn but can Linda not make her opponent
suffer a bit more here.
(this is an ending so I'm on thin ice here, can someone else take over).
Malawi play Libya. Linda will be playing either
Amira Abdulgader or Saffa Elnaami.
Amira plays the London System so don't be passive.
and Saffra plays 1.e4 with a strategy of swapping everything off.
(perhaps under teams orders) so try to keep some tension in the position
or inflict a postional wound that will fester in the endgame. (see game below).
Good Luck mate.
Saffa Elnaami vs Rola Al-Mahmoud Olmpiad 2010 Rd.2
That was amira and her solid London system. A draw but not a dull grandmaster draw!
After losing (sacrificing?) a pawn early, and apparently missing a way to retake it (18...Nxd4), things were looking bleak for Linda. but a few moves later she finally took that pawn, setting a trap in which her greedy opponent fell. after 22.Bxd5? b6! the roles were reversed with Linda a piece up for 2 pawns.
Alas she didn't take the chance to centralize her king after the dubious and weakening 35...f4 of Amira, and instead of bringing her king to the inviting weak e4 square, wth no possible counterplay, it was her turn to get greedy and she went pawn grabbing with her knight, allowing her opponent to activate her own king.
She was still winning though, but then she showed that endgame wasn't her strong point and after a final blunder the game was drawn (she sacrificed her knight to get a passed pawn, but she could easily have taken that pawn for free and the h pawn wasn't such a good passed pawn...)
Anyway an entertaining and lively game,
Go Linda go !
I do wonder if the Scottish Women's team might have had a shot at a medal if Arakhamia-Grant had played board one for them. Heather Lang managed to draw Yelena Dembo and has put up a good fight on that board but still seems she is outmatched by a couple hundred points most games. I realize Arakhamia-Grant is one of the highest rated in the country but it's not like she wouldn't get good challenges from Russia, China, the US etc. on board 1.
I am assuming both Rowson and Dearing are retired now from active play?
It's more than a guess, Keti loves playing v male GM's she is a
GM herself.and very much their equal.
The men's team need her more than the women's.
Think Rowson and Dearing had work schedules to meet.
The star in the Scots ladies is Elaine Rutherford.
She I believe is a doctor now working in Aberdeen so hardly
plays anymore (good!).
Yet she has pulled of some nice wins here already.
My score v Elaine is 0-2 in leagues matches. 0-1 in an Allegro
and she would often frequent Bells with a lager in one hand
and all my pieces in the other at 5 minute chess.
(think my score there is something like 10-0...I may have (must have)
won a couple but cannot remember when.)
Back in the 60's that would have been a 4-0 to the team with the better chances.
But enough of them.
Malawi are playing Aruba (where is that ?)
Linda wil be playing either Annelaine Jacobs or Avila Zaily Arbona
unless they give the lass a rest day due to the sleepless night ahead
of her for missing that win.
Another draw for Linda with another interesting tussle.
This girl does not like boring chess.
There appears to be some good shots on for White but nothing
100% (that I can see anyway) there are positions I would certainly
take as White because of the tactical nature but the shots need
a mistake.
For a clear line I think she can squeeze a bit more out of this
one with a messy looking pawn capture.
White to play.
27.Nxd6 and unless I'm missing something ultra clever after.
27...QxQ 28,RxQ Re1+ 29 RxR RxR+ 30,Kh2.
White is going on from here two pawns up. It looks forced.
Tricks based on keeping the d6 Knight pinned are out because
White has Knight x Bishop.
(I've said 'messy' and 'it looks forced' regular gp readers will know
when I use these terms I having a wee nagging doubt I missed something.)
I like her anit Dragon 3.h3 and will give it a try instead of my normal
Rosso Bb5+. An English a tempo up will do me.
(see you can pick up ideas from all kinds of games you have no need to
trawl the GM games.)
Here is the game.
Can anyone see some tactical shots based on the uncastled
Black King and and loose pieces.
I hammered in a few but cannot see a forced killer diller.