GM Joel’s Chess Week Recap - Episode 159

Opening: D38, A17, A30, E16, D41: QGD: Ragozin, English, Queen's Indian, QGD: Semi-Tarrasch with 5.cxd5

Player(s): Shabalov, Priehoda, Yermolinsky, Plaskett, Kaidanov, Hracek, Novikov, Meister, Goryachkina, Ju

This week's show focuses on one of the most surreal tournament experiences I have ever had, the World Senior Team Championship in Prague, Czech Republic. The US team successfully "three-peated" in the 50+ category, but it was not an entirely pleasant excursion. Chaos enveloped us before the trip began, as Larry Christiansen, who was to join the team for the first time, decided to pull out of the team due to concerns about the coronavirus. The rest of us thought Larry might be slightly paranoid, but one cannot question his judgment in hindsight. In fact, one wonders why a convention of the people most vulnerable to the effects of infection was allowed to proceed. Alex "Minuteman" Yermolinsky was luckily sitting home by the phone and agreed to fly out to Prague (perhaps insanely) at a moment's notice. It's a miracle he was able to get there before the first round, but his arrival meant the "Core Three" of Benjamin, Shabalov, and Yermo would go for a third gold medal, along with strong newbie Greg Kaidanov and the MVP Igor Novikov, back from last year's successful team.

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Teacher's library (449) D38 A17 A30 E16 D41 Shabalov Priehoda Yermolinsky Plaskett Kaidanov Hracek Novikov Meister Goryachkina Ju recap