WCH round 8

OK. We calculated at my home place about the last round coming. Me and my friend Hein Meijer. In group A Schwarzman still isn`t free of worries. If he will be defeated by Hans Jansen and Singh will get a + draw against Misans, well ...

O.c. everything here will depend of the outcome from the game Gantwarg-Samb. These two players will battle for the third place. Samb is the big favorite. A draw will seve him well.

Group B is still not decided. In the Netherlands we pray for Thijssen, but he has to make a draw against Erdenebileg. This player from Mongolia is always very difficult. Thijssen is not playing full power at the moment, but this will count in no way if he will be in the final: A complete new tournament.

Group C is the most interesting. Even Rob Clerc has a chance after his strong game today.

Suprisingly Ba is played out the tournament. In a very nervous exciting game he lost from Ganjargal. Gérard Jansen is sure and he has the luxery to play for 2 points against the defending World Champion Georgiev!

We have also Kirzner and Nasevich and Diakite in the race. Lovely!

Program:

Clerc-Nasevich

Jansen,G-Georgiev

Diakite-Ganjargal

Kirzner-Lorevil

One realy might expect Gérard Jansen playing full power. It is a great opportunity for him to practice his strength at the moment and if he succeeds to win, he will exclude an important player for the final. This is a sportive chance and has nothing to do with respect for the defending Champion.

Group D is also interesting.

Podolsky has good chances, while he has to play Wollaert.

Valneris underlined his great sportmanship with his nice victory against Der.

Now he has things almost completely in his own hands. As writer I should be objective, but in secret I will cross my fingers for him.

Buzinski and Getmanski surely will play 1-1, this for the toto players.

We have two games to watch for:

Valneris-Heusdens

Wollaert-Podolsky

Valneris has the toughest opponent, but it is also the nerves that will count in this last round.

The enjoyment we have in this tournament is almost impossible to express, but above all we should express our thanks to the website. Today it was really sheer orgastic happiness behind the PC, with potatoe chips and coffee behind the PC, guys!

Annotations?

All right:

Misans-Baljakin

Black to play.

Eating potatoe chips I gambled that Baljakin would win this position. It is not so easy to choose for black.

The series of moves, as played in the game, still looked good for him, but turned out to be in sufficient. I expected this:

40. ...17-22 28x17 41. 28x17 12x21

The point of this change is: 42.31-26? 3-9 43.26x17 19-23! 44.30x28 18-22 45. 27x18 13x31 46.48-42 29-33!, and how is white supposed to survive?

So: 42.43-39 ... and the situation looks very crampy for white, without saying that it is a lost case.

However, black played:

40 ... 17-21 41. 31-26 18-23 42. 26x17 12x21

Later it went out to be a draw + for Baljakin.

Paul Oudshoorn.