| STOP PRESS! Round Four Looks like a very important round as the current World Champion IM Predrag Nikac is facing off with Black against GM Marcin Tazbir; and on board 2 CM Damian Jandric is up against FM Alex Streltsov. On the set board 41, IM Oliver Mueller on 2.5 plays IM Piotr Dukaczewski on 3. Our Gary Hogan has Black against Josef Polnar (CZ). Currently 34°C here! |
The stand out draws for round three with 14 players on 100% appear to be: Board 2 FM Alex Streltsov (Israel) v IM Jacek Stachanczyck (Poland); Board 9 IM Rasim Nizim (Bulgaria) v Guntaras Grybas (Lithuania); and on the set board 41 (wheelchair) Ivan Yatsishin (Ukraine) v IM Oliver Mueller (Germany).
Gary Hogan, hovering near the end of the room, must try to get towards the centre! 😃 He has White v Dutchman Jeroen Makkinje.
Meanwhile I must correct myself, as the women’s World Champion is not from Poland but Ukraine. I have seen her pacing the corridors, seemingly regretting not entering to take on the men! In total though, at least seven of the 80 strong field are women!
Close of play updates – Gary Hogan registers his first win! He played a nice game with the London System and his opponent, after forcing off the black squared bishops, created a closed French structure. Gary gradually took over and won after around three hours play. Mueller was held very cleverly to a draw by Yatsishin and Gintiras Grybas did cause something of an upset in beating IM Nasim Rasim.
Starting round four there are five players on 3/3. Gary will play Black against Josef Polnar of CZ. More news at the start of round five!