A Canadian Arbiter at the 2011 European Team Chess Championships

[Aris Marghetis]

Two of the arbiters are too sick to make it today. The prime suspect is food poisoning, although we all eat at the same hotel buffets. I suspect that part of the reason for suspecting food poisoning, is that it is preferable to considering the alternative, which could be a virus that we all catch in turn. A few days after I return to Canada, I feel like a mild flu, but that could have been from anyone. The Chief Arbiter juggles the remaining arbiters, and it works out fine.

Match 8.11 : Sweden vs. Montenegro
For my feature game from this match, I decide to focus on Board 2, which is where the highest-rated player today from the Montenegro team is playing. GM Blagojevic is White against Sweden GM Grandelius. As an aside, how could any chess name ever sound better than this one: GrandMaster Grandelius?! Back to the actual game, the end of the middlegame involves double rooks each, but also a classic (white)knight vs. (black)bishop imbalance, where for at least a few moves, both players seem to prefer their minor piece, thank you very much. Unfortunately for White though, he has colour complex issues that the Black bishop could take advantage of, which he indeed does. It is the type of long-distance shot that favours bishop over knight, in this game anyway.
[Round "8.11.2"]
[White "Blagojevic, Dragisa"]
[Black "Grandelius, Nils"]
[Result "0-1"]
[ECO "E04"]
[WhiteElo "2514"]
[BlackElo "2543"]
1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 d5 4. g3 dxc4 5. Bg2 Bb4+ 6. Bd2 c5 7. Bxb4 cxb4 8.
Ne5 O-O 9. Nxc4 Nc6 10. e3 e5 11. dxe5 Qxd1+ 12. Kxd1 Ng4 13. Bxc6 bxc6 14. Ke1
f6 15. Nbd2 Nxe5 16. Nxe5 fxe5 17. Rc1 Be6 18. Ke2 a5 19. Rc5 e4 20. Rhc1 Bd5
21. Nc4 Rf6 22. Rc2 Raf8 23. Kf1 a4 24. Nb6 Be6 25. a3 Rd8 26. Rc1 Rd2 27. f4
exf3 28. R5c2 Bh3+ 29. Ke1 Rg2 0-1

Match 8.12 : Austria vs. Georgia
My feature game is Board 1, between GM Ragger and GM Jobava. I find it very instructive, in that they simplify rather early into a position where very many players would offer a draw. GM Ragger goes into the tank at the key decision point, and decides to take risks to make his last rook more active. In the end, these elite players try every little trick in the book to win what must be meant to be a draw. Their energy is great, and they enjoy fun chuckles afterwards.
[Round "8.12.1"]
[White "Ragger, Markus"]
[Black "Jobava, Baadur"]
[Result "1/2-1/2"]
[ECO "A30"]
[WhiteElo "2662"]
[BlackElo "2678"]
1. Nf3 c5 2. c4 Nf6 3. Nc3 e6 4. g3 b6 5. Bg2 Bb7 6. O-O Be7 7. Re1 d5 8. cxd5
Nxd5 9. Nxd5 Qxd5 10. d4 cxd4 11. Qxd4 O-O 12. Bg5 Bxg5 13. Qxd5 Bxd5 14. Nxg5
Bxg2 15. Kxg2 Nd7 16. Rac1 Nf6 17. Rc7 h6 18. Nf3 Rfc8 19. Rec1 Rxc7 20. Rxc7
Nd5 21. Rb7 Rc8 22. Rxa7 Rc2 23. Ne5 Rxe2 24. Ra8+ Kh7 25. Nxf7 Rxb2 26. Kg1
Nc3 27. a3 Ne4 28. f3 Nc3 29. Ne5 b5 30. h4 Ra2 31. Ra5 h5 32. g4 Ne2+ 33. Kf2
hxg4 34. fxg4 Nd4+ 35. Kg3 Re2 36. Nf7 Re3+ 37. Kg2 Re2+ 38. Kg3 Re3+ 39. Kg2
Re2+ 1/2-1/2

After the end of this round, for the first time all trip, it is raining outside. Therefore, I accept a ride offer back to the hotel, rather than walking and getting wet. I believe that everyone else in the vehicle is Bulgarian, but that does not seem relevant. The car is parked with the front of it facing bushes on the side of the parking lot. This is significant because when the Bulgarian driver puts the car into gear, he first drives into these bushes, and then backs up, does a Y-turn, etc. I cannot help myself, and ask if there is some kind of problem with the gear mechanism, as I could not help but notice that the car went into the bushes first. The explanation is totally fascinating. It seems that there is a Bulgarian superstition that when driving a car, the first motion always has to be forwards. I forget what the rest of the superstition is, like what would happen if one did not do this, but regardless, it was just so unique to learn about this!

[Aris Marghetis]

This is the first day of the whole trip where the weather really feels like Autumn. It is fully overcast, quite chilly, magnified by strong wind. It makes me homesick! In order to accommodate closing ceremonies at 9pm, this last round starts a full two hours earlier. Fortunately, this 1pm start does not entail any forfeits, even with the FIDE zero tolerance rule in effect. For that matter, to my knowledge, there has not been a single forfeit incident all tournament!

Match 9.11 : Georgia vs. Sweden
For my feature game of this match, I decide on Board 2, where third-ranked Georgian GM Pantsulaia is playing up, with the Black pieces against Swedish GM Grandelius. GM Pantsulaia has been moved up for a good reason, as he appears much sharper. His kingside pressure eventually disarrays White towards a losing endgame, but in any case, White suddenly loses to a snap checkmate! More and more of the late round games end with GM blunders.
[Round "9.11.2"]
[White "Grandelius, Nils"]
[Black "Pantsulaia, Levan"]
[Result "0-1"]
[ECO "A32"]
[WhiteElo "2543"]
[BlackElo "2588"]
1. d4 Nf6 2. Nf3 e6 3. c4 c5 4. g3 cxd4 5. Nxd4 Qc7 6. Nc3 a6 7. Bg2 Qxc4 8.
O-O Nc6 9. Nb3 h5 10. Bf4 h4 11. Rc1 Qb4 12. e4 hxg3 13. hxg3 d6 14. Be3 Na5
15. Nd2 Bd7 16. Rc2 Nc6 17. Re1 Ne5 18. a3 Qa5 19. f4 Neg4 20. Bd4 Qh5 21. Nf3
Bc6 22. b4 Be7 23. a4 e5 24. Bb6 O-O 25. b5 axb5 26. axb5 Bd7 27. Bc7 exf4 28.
Bxd6 Ra1 29. Qxa1 Bxd6 30. Nd5 Nxd5 31. exd5 Ne3 32. Rxe3 fxe3 33. Qd4 Bxg3 34.
Qxe3 Re8 35. Qd2 Bxb5 36. Nd4 Qh2# 0-1

Match 9.12 : Serbia vs. Montenegro
My last feature game could very well have been the most exciting draw of the whole tournament! GM Ivanisevic and GM Djukic engage in a kingside slugfest at the end of the opening, that is deeply rich in tactics, counter-attacks, etc. I am genuinely shocked that it somehow does not end there, but rather I get to also witness a complex knight-and-pawn endgame. In the end, it is very classy how these great players are so respectful of each other.
[Round "9.12.1"]
[White "Ivanisevic, Ivan"]
[Black "Djukic, Nikola"]
[Result "1/2-1/2"]
[ECO "E97"]
[WhiteElo "2636"]
[BlackElo "2493"]
1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nc3 Bg7 4. e4 d6 5. Nf3 O-O 6. Be2 e5 7. O-O Nc6 8. Be3
Ng4 9. Bg5 f6 10. Bh4 g5 11. Bg3 Nh6 12. dxe5 dxe5 13. Qb3 Qe7 14. Rad1 Rb8 15.
Nd5 Qf7 16. Qa3 a5 17. Rd2 Be6 18. h3 Rfe8 19. Bd1 Bf8 20. Qe3 g4 21. Nh4 gxh3
22. f4 hxg2 23. Rxg2 Bh3 24. Bh5 Qg7 25. fxe5 Bxg2 26. exf6 Bc5 27. fxg7 Bxe3+
28. Kxg2 Bd4 29. Bf4 Kxg7 30. Bxe8 Rxe8 31. Rh1 Bxb2 32. Rb1 Be5 33. Bxe5+ Nxe5
34. Rxb7 Nef7 35. Kf3 Ne5+ 36. Kf4 Nd3+ 37. Ke3 Rxe4+ 38. Kxe4 Nc5+ 39. Kd4
Nxb7 40. Nxc7 Kf6 41. Nd5+ Ke6 42. c5 Nd8 43. Nf4+ Kd7 44. Kc4 Nc6 45. Kb5 Ng4
46. Nd5 Nge5 47. Nf6+ Ke6 48. Nxh7 Nd4+ 49. Kxa5 Kd5 50. Nf6+ Kxc5 51. Ne4+ Kd5
52. Nd2 Nc4+ 53. Nxc4 Kxc4 54. Ng2 Nb3+ 55. Kb6 Kb4 56. a4 1/2-1/2

After I finished my last match of the tournament, I could not help but notice the huge crowd that was gathering around Match 1, Germany vs. Armenia. At that point, the Armenians had already succeeded in drawing as Black on Boards 1 and 3, but Germany had won as Black on Board 2. This left Board 4, where German GM Gustafsson is holding off Armenian GM Sargissian in a king+rook vs. king+bishop ending. The tension is monumental, and it is mirrored on the faces of everyone watching. After what seems like an eternity of pressure, GM Sargissian admits that GM Gustafsson has held for the draw, which locks in Germany's first team victory in I believe over 70 years! Azerbaijan beats Romania comfortably for the Silver medal, and Hungary shocks everyone by blanking Bulgaria in the last round, to overtake Armenia for the Bronze medal. It just seems unbelievable for GM Topalov's team to finish up losing 4-0!

I then drift over to the Women's side, which is now attracting the remaining spectators around Match 1, Russia vs. Austria. The result of this top match is no longer in doubt, but chess fans are interested in the rook-and-pawn ending on Board 1. Russian GM Kosintseva tries very hard, but eventually accepts drawing with Austrian IM Moser. This ends the tournament, with Russia claiming their third consecutive European Women's Team championship. The medal positions are rounded off by Poland drawing Armenia to claim the Silver medal, and with Georgia squeezing by Romania to claim the Bronze medal.

For full results, I encourage readers to peruse the very thorough event website powered by Swiss Manager software : http://euro2011.chessdom.com/

As droves congratulate the winning teams from Germany (Open) and Russia (Women), the arbiters and organizers start scrambling to convert the playing hall for the closing ceremonies. The widely coordinated effort will result in a completely different room configuration within just a few hours. Attendees to the closing ceremony find it quite impressive, and I am pleasantly surprised by Switzerland Captain Martin Leutwyler. He returns to me GM Korchnoi's copy of his first round game against GM Cheparinov, personally autographed by the legend himself! When anyone asks what this is worth, I say priceless!

[Aris Marghetis]

Thanks to the last round starting earlier than usual, I finish my game score entries before midnight for the first time. On my last walk back to the hotel, the weather is the most cold and wet yet, but there are surprisingly many cats out, rummaging through garbage, and generally surprising me out of the dark shadows. Even after I am back inside the hotel, I am still hearing cats, as there are now two of them in the hotel lobby! I drop my stuff off in my room, finish my packing, and head to the hotel disco. My bus leaves at 430am, so what's the point in sleeping now?! We eat, drink, dance, and Greeks love to dance!

Not being the youngest chicken in the coop, I eventually run out of steam, and return to our room for a final superb shower. When I get to the lobby, there seems to be too many of us for a single bus, and in fact, there are two cool busses warming up outside. We are all taking the same 815am Aegean Airlines flight from Thessaloniki to Munich, and then we will scatter to various connecting flights around Europe, and in one case, even North America! On the bus, a nice young man sits beside me, and we chat for just a bit. He is the national youth coach in Denmark. It amuses me that he can actually drive across his whole country in a matter of hours, making it far easier to personally visit any one of their elite youth. But he has partied more than I, and needs to rest!

As my neighbour drifts off, I reflect on the nice people who made this chesscation possible. This article was written for the CFC (Chess Federation of Canada) newsletter. Thanks for this financial support, and to another source who pledged assistance, but would rather remain anonymous at this time. Thanks also to the wonderful chess teachers who covered classes in my absence: David Gordon, Tom O'Donnell, and John Upper. Finally, thanks to Brad Thomson from CMA (Chess&Math), who over the years has been very supportive with my changing schedule as travel opportunities arise. I am grateful!

The bus driver puts his luxury coach into gear.

[Kerry Liles]

Hi there, some of you might have read my article in the December CFC newsletter. Note that I had actually written too much, and it had to be abridged. So, here is the complete unabridged version of the article, which will be posted as replies to this header post.

All the best, Aris.

Thanks for these notes Aris - very interesting! Seems like you had an enjoyable time although it might not be everyone's idea of a 'vacation' ! These trip notes are a great reminder that all is not so gloomy in the chess world.