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The International Braille Chess Association’s (IBCA) 14th chess Olympiad
for blind and visually impaired players took place from 09th - 21st August
2012 in the city of Chennai, India.
The tournament consisted of 9 rounds, with a rest day.
The UK
squad was:
1. IM
Colin Crouch (2373)
2. CM Chris Ross (2231) [captain]
3. Stephen Hilton (1914)
4. David Hodgkins (1738)
5. John Gallagher (1730)
Coaches: Grandmaster Neil McDonald and International Master Chris Beaumont
Official website
http://aicfb.in
Click
here to read the captain's commentary of the tournament
Click
here to download the games from the Olympiad, Chennai 2012
The UK team achieved a very creditable 7th place, having been seeded 11th
at the start of the tournament. Much of the team’s success was due to the
silver medal performances of International Master, Colin Crouch, with a
score of 7.5 from 9 on top board and Candidate Master, Chris Ross, on board
two, with a score of 6.5 from 9. With several of the other BCA leading
players being unavailable, boards 3-5, Steve Hilton, David Hodgkins and
John Gallagher, found themselves battling with players with a much higher
rating than them. It is to their credit they gave of their best. David
Hodgkins in particular, achieved results well in excess of his rating with
his better-than-50% score of 3.5 from 6.
Another
significant feature of the UK team's performance was that of the nine
rounds played eight were against teams seeded in the top ten and 6 were
against the teams finishing in the top six places in the tournament.
With
this result UK comfortably qualified for the next IBCA World Cup due to be
held in Spain during 2013.
This is the event for the top ten nations.
Team
captain, Chris Ross, was particularly keen to acknowledge the outstanding
support given to the team by the two coaches, Grand Master Neil McDonald
and International Master Chris Beaumont and by the two tireless guides,
Sally Kenealy and Geoff Ward.
The
BCA acknowledges with grateful thanks its sponsors for their generous
support, which enabled it to send a squad well prepared and with the
excellent support of high quality coaches and guides.
Results
Round 1
United
Kingdom 4 – 0 Netherlands
|
Board
|
White
|
Result
|
Black
|
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1
|
IM Crouch,
Colin (2373)
|
1-0
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Harnandan,
Sergio (1982)
|
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2
|
Gundogmus,
Aleattin (0000)
|
0-1
|
CM Ross,
Chris (2231)
|
|
3
|
Hilton,
Stephen (1928)
|
1-0
|
Snoek,
Ron (0000)
|
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4
|
Zeeman,
Jan (0000)
|
0-1
|
Hodgkins,
David (1738)
|
Round
2
Iran
1.5 – 2.5 United
Kingdom
|
Board
|
White
|
Result
|
Black
|
|
1
|
Moradiyan,
Meysam
|
0-1
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IM Crouch,
Colin (23)
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2
|
CM Ross,
Chris (2231)
|
1-0
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Mousavi,
Emadeddin
|
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3
|
Bagheri,
Majjid
|
1/2-1/2
|
Hodgkins,
David (1738)
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|
4
|
Gallagher,
John (1730)
|
0-1
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Ghoorchibeygi,
Alireza
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Round
3
United
Kingdom 2.5 – 1.5
Poland
|
Board
|
White
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Result
|
Black
|
|
1
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IM Crouch,
Colin (2373)
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1-0
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Dukaczewski,
Piotr (2228)
|
|
2
|
Stachanczyk,
Jacek (2256)
|
0-1
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CM Ross,
Chris (2231)
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|
3
|
Hilton,
Stephen (1914)
|
0-1
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Gunajew,
Rafal (2260)
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4
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Mackowiak,
Marek (2165)
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1/2-1/2
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Gallagher,
John (1730)
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Round 4.
India A 1.5 – 2.5 United Kingdom
|
Board
|
White
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Result
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Black
|
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1
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Krishna,
Udupa (1885)
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0-1
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IM Crouch,
Colin (2373)
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2
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CM Ross,
Chris (2231)
|
1-0
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Swapanil,
Shahs (1884)
|
|
3
|
Kishan,
Gangolli
(1972)
|
1-0
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Hilton,
Stephen (1914)
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4
|
Hodgkins,
David (1738)
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1/2-1/2
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Darpan,
Inani (2015)
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Round
5
United
Kingdom 1.5 – 2.5 Spain
|
Board
|
White
|
Result
|
Black
|
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1
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IM Crouch,
Colin (2373)
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1/2-1/2
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FM
Desanjose Candalija, Eduardo (2238)
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2
|
Palacios
Perez, Manuel (2166)
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0-1
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CM Ross,
Chris (2231)
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3
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Hilton,
Stephen (1914)
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0-1
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Enjuto
Velasco, Roberto (2132)
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4
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Clemente
Llamero, Roberto (2134)
|
1-0
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Gallagher,
John (1730)
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Round
6.
Ukraine
3.5 – 0.5 United Kingdom
|
Board
|
White
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Result
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Black
|
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1
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Grigorchuk,
Sergey (2302)
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1/2-1/2
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IM Crouch,
Colin (2373)
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2
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CM Ross,
Chris (2231)
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0-1
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Shepelev,
Igor (2217)
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3
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Konev,
Victor (2128)
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1-0
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Hilton,
Stephen (1914)
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4
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Hodgkins,
David (1738)
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0-1
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Yatsishin,
Ivan (2137)
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Round
7.
Germany
2.5 – 1.5 UK
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Board
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White
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Result
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Black
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1
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IM Crouch,
Colin (2373)
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1/2-1/2
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FM
Mueller, Oliver (2265)
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2
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Schellmann,
Frank (2110)
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1/2-1/2
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CM Ross,
Chris (2231)
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3
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Hodgkins,
David (1738)
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1/2-1/2
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Dobierzin,
Olaf (2060)
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4
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Pohlers,
Juergen (1991)
|
1-0
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Gallagher,
John (1730)
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Round
8.
Slovenia
0.5 – 3.5 UK
|
Board
|
White
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Result
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Black
|
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1
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Mlacnik,
Franc (2124)
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0-1
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IM Crouch,
Colin (2373)
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2
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CM Ross,
Chris (2231)
|
1-0
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Muri,
Emil (2018)
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3
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Znuderl,
Matej (1986)
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1/2-1/2
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Hilton,
Stephen (1914)
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4
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Hodgkins,
David (1738)
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1-0
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Cizman
Gregor (1784)
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Round
9.
UK 1 –
3 Russia
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Board
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White
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Result
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Black
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1
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IM
Crouch, Colin (2373)
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1-0
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IM
Meshkov, Yuri (2390)
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2
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Smirnov,
Sergei (2333)
|
1-0
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CM Ross,
Chris (2231)
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3
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Hilton,
Stephen (1914)
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0-1
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IM
Krylov, Sergey (2337)
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4
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FM
Babarykin, Stanislav (2280)
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1-0
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Gallagher,
John (1730)
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Final
standing
1ST Russia
2ND Ukraine
3RD Spain
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