In 1st round I was paired with 2nd number - strongest player of Estonia - GM Meelis Kaneps. I sacrificed pawn for strategic compensation but did not play too precious (I should had to play 19...c4! instead of 19...Ra8?!) and after 24...Qc7? (24...Qb8 ) 25. d6 exd6 26. Nd5! (I missed this move) my position become hopeless.
There were few surprises in 1st round:
1) Young 14 years old talented guy Toms Kantans (also Smiffy knows him in Playchess where he is Kantans) with ELO 2148 managed to win famous chess theoretican GM Evgeny Sveshnikov (ELO 2510)
2) Another talented (but not so young) guy Ingemars Jesse (ELO 2081) won IM Georgios Souleidis (ELO 2431) from Greece.
3) Old (71 year) Latvian chess veteran Janis Klovans (ELO 2428) could not win Aleksandrs Smirnovs (ELO 2045) and made only draw (there was extreamly sharp position in which Smirnovs made perpetual check).
Results after 1st round and pairing for 2nd:
http://www.chess.lv/lv/jaunumi/?newsid=89
In 2nd round I will have to play with quite weak girl who have ELO below 2000. And I will have white.
Originally posted by TyrannosauruschexWell in this tournnamet are playing 2 strong girls - Laura Rogule (WGM, ELO 2265) and Katrina Skinke (ELO 2197).
Yeah, you could have probably said it was a boy and nobody would have noticed but now we know it is a girl.... ohhh I wouldnt like to be you if you lost that.