I contributed a rather sad loss today.

I.osztály, Lilienthal Andor csoport
Sirály SE I – Újpesti KSE I 7,5:4,5
SENSE I – Palota Sakk I 5:7
BEAC II – Mattolda SSC I 7:5
Pénzügyőr SE III – Fabulon-Lombik 4:8
Aquaréna KSC III – Csepeli TK I 6,5:5,5
Barcza GSC I – MTK Budapest III 5:7

II. osztály, Bilek István csoport
Tabáni Spartacus II – A. Láng MKKE 7:5
HASE III-Hóbagoly – HÜSI SC II 4,5:7,5
Törekvés SE – Sárkány DSE II 6:6
BEAC III – SENSE II 7,5:4,5
Pestszentlőrinc II – Sirály SE II 3:9
Barcza GSC II – MTK Budapest IV 6:6

A HASE III. csapata szezonbeli 4. kontumálásáért 2 büntetőpontot kapott.

III. osztály, Szén József csoport
MTK Budapest V – Sárkány DSE III 8:4
Sirály SE III – HÜSI SC III 7:5
Palota Sakk II – ATTE-ARISZ 4,5:7,5
Újpesti KSE II – Aquaréna KSC IV 5:7

Aquaréna KSC V – Mattolda SSC II 5:7
Csepeli TK II – Pestszentimre 3,5:8,5
Pénzügyőr SE IV – ART 3F SE 8:4
Barcza GSC III – Rákosliget 6,5:5,5

Palczert,M-Yip

After 28.Bc2(Diagram)

I missed the best move.

See if you can do better than me.

After 28.Bc2

Selected Catalan games

Matlakov-Naiditsch

Open Catalan 5..a6 6.0-0 Nc6

21st European Teams rd8

After 20.Bxc7(Diagram)

Black is a pawn down. How should the defence be conducted?

After 20.Bxc7

Bosiocic-Yilmaz

Open Catalan 5..c5,6..Nc6

21st European Teams rd9

After 37..Ra8(Diagram)

White needs to do something otherwise ..a5-a4 etc is coming.

What do you recommend?

After 37..Ra8

Bosiocic-Gharamian

Open Catalan 7.Qc2 b6

21st European Teams rd8

After 15..ed(Diagram)

Black got into trouble early by unnecessarily allowing Nc6 and made matters worse with a bad pawn sacrifice.

White is two pawns up and looking to cash in for the full point. What do you suggest?

After 15..ed

Selected games in the Grunfeld Defence

Lalith-Aravindh

Exchange 7.Qa4+(D85)

55th ch-IND 2017

After 20..Qc5(Diagram)

White has an extra pawn but his bishop is passive and Black has a nice dark square blockade.

White do you recommend for White?

After 20..Qc5

Tari-Ftacnik

Exchange Variation 7.Be3 c5 8.Nf3 Qa5(D85)

21st European Teams rd6

After 24..Rf4(Diagram)

It is not so clear who is doing what to who in this opposite colored bishops middlegame position.

What do you recommend for White?

After 24..Rf4

Selected Open games

Both games from the EUTCh

Italian Game

Rapport-Howell

After 33..Bxa4(Diagram)

After 33..Bxa4

Spanish Opening

Jones-Almasi,Z

9.d4(C91) Yates Variation

Black had to hang tough in the early going but the game turned after some inaccurate play by White. This game show clearly the importance of studying endgames, in particular rook endings.

After 46.Ke3(Diagram)

Black has the more active rook and the better structure.

How can Black generate some winning chances?

After 46.Ke3

After 57.Ke5(Diagram)

Black has an extra pawn but needs to play accurately to convert.

After 57.Ke5

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Naiditsch-Rapport

Sicilian Kan(B42)

21st European Teams rd7

After 29.f3(Diagram)

Black is very active.

What do you recommend?

After 29.f3

Leko-Saric

Najdorf Sicilian 6.Be3 e5(B90)

21st European Teams Rd6

After 32..Kf7(Diagram)

White has a piece for two pawns but the Black pawn centre poses some technical conversion problems. Leko shows great technique and makes the win look easy.

What do you recommend?

After 32..Kf7

Women Rd9 Board Pairings

The ladies beat the Czech Republic 3-1.

Photo from Official site gallery

Women’s rd9 Games

Hoang-Worek

Colle-Zukertort

After 26..Rf7(Diagram)

White built up a nice attack on the kingside. Now it is time for the kill.

After 26..Rf7

Rank after Round 9

Open

The men woke up and smashed England 3,5-0,5.

Open rd9 Games

Here is a great game with no flashy tactical blows. The modest London System strikes again.

Berkes-McShane

Caro-Kann via London System(B13)

After 22..Bb8(Diagram)

White has a nice kingside buildup.

How would you continue? (Hint: find the attacking plan)

After 22..Bb8

Final Ranking after 9 Rounds

Women Board Pairings

Hungary beat Croatia 3,5-0,5 as the rating differential would predict.

Gara,A played a nice attacking game.

Gara,T showed some determination and ground out a long rook endgame.

Photo from Official site gallery

Women Rank after Round 8

Hungary is not having a great tournament so far, performing well below their initial 7th place seeding.

Open Board Pairings

A narrow loss for the men against Ukraine 2,5-1,5.

Almasi had a nice position on the black side of  a topical Berlin Defence but lost control and went down quickly.

Games from rd8

Gara,A-Purgar

After 21..Kh8(Diagram)

Black’s kingside looks rather loose and lacks defenders.

After 21..Kh8

Kravtsiv-Almasi,Z

After 29..gf(Diagram)

Black has the worse structure and his kingside is open.

After 29..gf

Women Board Pairings

The ladies ran into a brick wall and lost 3.5-0,5 to the Netherlands.

Photo from Official site gallery

Hungary left from Rd5