In the fourth round of World Chess Olympiad ongoing in Istanbul, Georgian national men chess team and women team played against weak opponent teams and they were expected to gain absolute result easily. Faroe Islands was opponent of Georgian men chess team, ranking of Helgi Dam Zishka who was playing on the first board was 2469. He was playing with white pieces against Mikheil Mchedlishvili (2659). Georgian player played draw. The match at the third board also ended with the same result between Tornike Sanikidze (2585) and John Rodgaard (2354) who was playing with white pieces. Merab Gagunashvili (2578) and Konstantine Shanava (2569) beat Jozn Nilsen (2372) and Rogvy Nilsen (2203). Finally this match ended in favor of Georgian men team 3-1.
After four rounds leaders are the following countries Ukraine, Hungary, Armenia and Russia with 4-4 victories. Georgian team is in the 26th place with one failure. In the fifth round Georgian chess players play against Vietnam.
Our chess women chess players played with absolute result 4-0 against Cuba, Nana Dzagnidze (2547) and Lela Javakhishvili (2458) with black pieces beat Tereza Valdes (2344) and Moriza Robaina(2296) as for Bela Khotenashvili (2509) and Nino Batsiashvili (2432) beat Olein Linaressa (2355) and Lisandra Pupo (2264) with white pieces.
After four rounds Russia and French teams are leaders in women tournament with 4-4 victories (8-8 points). Georgian team has 7 points (3 victories and one draw) and as a result they are in the sixth place. In the fifth round opponent of our team is Ukraine.
As for individual results, Merab Gagunashvili has 3.5 points (from 4 matches), Mikheil Mchedlishvili (from four matches), Tornike Sanikidze (3) and Levan Pantsulaia (3) has 2-2 points. Konstantine Shanava played two matches and won all of them.
As for women team, Lela Javakhishvili has the best result, at the third board she won all the four matches. At the second board Bela Khotenashvili gained 3.5 points. At the fourth board Nino Khurtsidze won two matches from three, at the first board Nana Dzagnisdze has 1.5 point from two matches. Nino Batsiashvili the fifth member of the team held three matches and won all of them. So, from Georgian women only one Nino Khurtsidze lost one match.
As for other Georgians who represent other countries at this tournament this following worth mentioning:
Anna Matnadze who plays at the first board of Spanish national team does not satisfy expectations. She played three matches and gained 1.5 points. After four rounds Spanish team is in the 19th place with 3 victories and one failure. As we have already mentioned above, Russian and French teams are leaders at women tournament. Nino Maisuradze successfully plays for French team, she won all the four matches.
Tea Lanchava plays for Holland. She won one match from three matches, Rusudan Goletiani who represents US gained 1.5 point from four matches. As for emigrant Georgian male chess players, Dato Shengelia member of Austrian team has 3 points in four rounds. As for Aleksandre Dgebuadze leader of Belgium team, he won two matches and played two matches in a draw. Neither Austrian nor Belgium teams are among leaders.
Tengiz Chobanidze
