World Youth U16 Olympiad – Round 7 Report
One of the most fascinating aspects of sports in general and chess in particular is that there is no such thing as predetermined results.
The formidable Russian team had been advancing through the tournament at full steam and it seemed as if nothing could take them away from the winning path. The fate of round seven wanted it a bit differently, though. Somewhere around move 40, Goryachkina and Vavulin resigned their second and third board games against Amin and Parham due to inevitable mating threats. In the remaining games the Iranian players had an extra pawn each, but the captain, IM Harandi demanded the top board player Asgarizadeh to offer a draw in order to seal the result. Russia eventually won the last board game but this did not change anything already. Iran won by 2,5 – 1,5!
The fight at the top has tightened as there are three teams in shared lead with 12 points, namely Iran, Russia and India, with Ukraine trailing by just a point. Four other teams have ten points. With three rounds to go, and Caissa seemingly willing to exert her whims, anything can happen…
The football tournament medallists were rewarded with the volumes of the “Judit Polgar teaches chess” trilogy
The football kings in Gyor – the team of Israel
The start of a historic match
The Iranian top board player Ahmad Asgarizadeh sealed the result with a draw in a better position
The intensity of fight is the same all over the playing hall
