Jon Freeman (3rd from left in the photo) from Weymouth represented England 3rd Team at FIDE World Senior Chess Championships
The English 3rd team finished 9th out of 33 teams participated.
Jon performed well with 3.5 points from 9 rounds with 2 wins and 3 draws
His best game was in 4th round against Belgian player, Aragons-Melham
The game, with Jon’s comments, can be seen here
Congratulations to Jon for his amazing performance on the international stage of chess which is indeed a proud moment for Dorset Chess.
Jon’s entertaining report of the experience can be read below.
FIDE World Senior Team Chess Championships
An alternative and personal view
I was up at the crack of dawn to fly to Krakow. I had been selected for the England Seniors 3rd team. Transport had been arranged for us from the airport and it was somewhat surreal standing behind over 65 world champion, John Nunn, whilst the driver helped him with his suitcase. Once on the coach, I noticed John already had his phone out and was looking at chess positions. I sat with a couple of the Welsh team and discussed where we could get a beer!
But just after our arrival at our hotel, we were whisked off to the opening ceremony in the magnificent Slowacki theatre. Our enjoyment of this splendid building was only slightly spoilt by a lot of long and boring speeches but we all cheered up when the dancers came on (that is, some of cheered up, we are chess players, after all). I saw my friend Andrew Smith who was playing for Ireland, despite being English, having been head-hunted by Tim Harding, who I also met. We had a chat at the ‘canapes and coffee’ after the speakers and dancers had finished and I chatted for so long, I missed the rest of the English contingent leaving and had to return to the hotel with the Irish team. There was an amusing story on the way back about an Irish guy who had seen 2 players playing a R+BP+RP v R ending (or R+((a+c pawns) or (f+h pawns)) v R – algebraic is so much more succinct!). After they had finished, the Irish person went over and told them how they should have played it. It was only later that he was told he had been talking to Paul Keres.
So, onto the chess the next day. Our team beat the German 3rd team with a draw for me. The next day we played Finland 1st team. We lost the match and I lost a game lasting 4 hours and 38 minutes (imagine that in the Dorset League!). I was shattered already with 7 games still to go.
There were 4 players in a team but most teams had 5 players so a team member could have a rest day every now and again. However, there was no such relief for our team because our 5th player had to pull out of our team just before the tournament due to a medical issue (I guess these things happen when your team is ‘senior’).
So, John, Stephen, Brian and I had to soldier on for all 9 games. Nevertheless, we beat New Zealand first team in our next match with another draw for me (it is fantastic that New Zealand sent a team all that way!).
Before round 4, I had a late breakfast with GM Jonathan Mestel (yes, these crazy things happen when you share a venue with the England first team, on another day I had breakfast with GM Tony Kosten). Jonathan used to have so much hair it must have been difficult to have a conversation with him because it was hard to see his face, but the hair has gone now to revel a kind, articulate and very amicable gentleman. The draw for round 4 came out while we were still having breakfast, so I asked Jonathan if he normally prepared for his next opponent given the start was only a few hours away or just relaxed. He replied, ‘well, there is no normal for me, I haven’t played for 15 years!’ But he then opined that it was silly to walk in to something your opponent played only 2 weeks ago.
With such advice from a GM, I looked up games from my Belgian opponent, with whom I had been paired in round 4, and found he played 4. Qxd4 against the Sicilian, so I prepared a line against that. The game started and he played 4. Nxd4!
Well, what an exciting game it was! I remembered why I play chess. He sacrificed the exchange and then a piece and I had to give a rook back to reach a drawish R+P endgame. My opponent then completely misplayed the endgame, lost 2 pawns, and I reached a R+RP+BP v R (or R+(a+c) pawns v R) position. O to be Paul Keres, or even better, that Irish chap who told him how to play such endings! Anyway, I prevailed and had my first win for England! We beat Belgium 1st team 3-1 and after 4 rounds we were in joint 3rd place with the England 2nd team!
After 3 games in 3 days lasting a total of over 12 hours, maybe tiredness crept in and I played poorly in the next round, but the team still drew 2-2 with Germany. The second team lost so we were now ahead of them! However, we received an unwanted downfloat and next we were drawn to play the England 2nd team. Theoretically, their worst player is better than our best player, and I had to play IM Chris Beaumont. I lost and the 2nd team ’put us in our place’ by the score of 3-1.
My pre-game preparation wasn’t going well. I had seen Chris played the London system so I expected that (can you prepare for the London system?) but he played the English against me (in round 7, I saw my opponent played an early Qb6 in the Sicilian so I prepared for that; he played the French. In round 9, I noticed my opponent usually played 1…e5; against me, he played the Sicilian).
Playing black against an IM was an interesting and educational, if painful, experience. In the Dorset League, if you repel your opponent’s attack, usually you have a level position or can look forward to a potentially winning counter-attack or endgame. Against an IM, they simply attack you again!
At last, we had a rest day and, refreshed, I won my next game and we drew 2-2 with Denmark but the following day I lost and we lost 3.5-0.5 to a strong Italian team. We were now heading back down towards mid-table but a win in our last match (a draw for me) meant we finished 9th out of 33 teams which I think is fantastic for a third team! Our team, John, Stephen, Brian, and I got on really well together and I hope to see them all again sometime.
I set out with 4 aims – 1. Represent England at some level, 2. Contribute to the team (team performance and team spirit), 3. Win at least one game (Yeah, I set the bar low), 4. Enjoy the experience!
Well, I achieved all 4 aims and came home happy!
Jon Freeman 16/7/24
