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Fortune
Teller - 1st installment
As of February 6, 2004
By ICCF-IM Valer Eugen Demian
Thanks go to GM-ICCF Arno
Nickel for his help with this edition of the Fortune Teller.
- Group 1
- A/B - La Dama
Clavada 26.5 (5), Chess Mail Tigers 25.5 (2), CCF Ukraine 23.0 (5)
are in a dogfight for qualifying into the top league. The Argentine
team has the best chance so far.
C - Qualification here is almost decided: Demc 21.5 (2) and
Rochade 5171 Amici 20.0 (3) are both in. Capea I 19.0 (3) needs
minimum ½ from last 3 as they hold the advantage on any tiebreak.
Panorama 18.5 (3) needs minimum 1.5 from 3 to secure a place here;
less than that and they go to league D.
D - Even with a higher total than some of the above "There's
a Weasel C on my CN" has finished its games for a total of 19.5
(0). There's a slim chance they might finish tied with Panorama
and qualify on tiebreak. Scotch Gambit 10.5 (4), Zitadelle Spandau
D 10.5 (2) and The Black Rook Team 9.5 will start in league D for
sure.
- Group 2
- A - Chess Victory
31.5 (0) has finished on top regardless of the remaining results.
Having lost only one match and no ties, their dominance was overwhelming.
B - After a neck-to-neck battle for the 2 qualifying spots,
The Trojan Knights 26.5 (2) and Stamp 26.5 (1) have the destiny
in their hands over Old Friends Team 26.5 (0). Only ½ point for
each qualifies them to league B. It will be tough to lose a spot
there when fielding a team with an average rating of 2418 as Old
Friends Team had ...
C - 4 Knights of lake Como 25.0 (1), Rochade 5171 Last Minute
23.0 (0) are in. Chess Mates Attack 13.5 (6) has the best chance
to catch the last train to league C
D - USA Chess Warriors 11.0 (9) need to fight tooth and nail
and get lucky to finish 7th. Anything less than that offers them
nothing better than league D. Moa Chess Club Torino 10.5 (1), ASC(I)
CC Team 7.0 (5) and Capea III 4.0 (4) will start the first season
right at the base.
- Group 3
- A - Alpine Rookies
29.5 (0) have fooled everyone with their team name and are the top
of the class. Congratulations are in order for this 6th rank team
at the beginning!
B - Centrum-Tczew 28.5 (0) and Chess Club Travertin 26.5
(2) got these spots with authority.
C - Diana 21.5 (6), Chess Mail Lions 21.5 (3), Europe 20.5
(3) cannot go anywhere higher of lower. Rochade 5171 Lions 18.5
(6) has the best chance to the last place in league C.
D - Knights and Queens 16.0 (4) are deadly on the chessboard.
However their position now offers very slim chances to move up a
level. Litsach 7.5 (5), Gambit Bandits 7.0 (2) and Capea IV 4.0
(7) have to go back to the drawing board next season.
- Group 4
- A - NSEL30 29.5
(0) left behind just a tie match in accomplishing the expected qualification.
That tie is a surprising result, but the bottom line counts in the
standings.
B - Rochade 5171 Bulldozers 23.0 (2), Les Mousquetaires du
Roi 22.5 (2) have the better of the remaining spots after the top
team.
C - Chess Mail Tal 20.0 (2), Turm Greifswald 20.0 (2), Springer
St. Toenis 19.5 (3) have distanced themselves enough from the teams
following them. Era 18.0 (0) holding the tiebreak and Kings Chess
Club 18.0 (0) can only sit and watch now as it is out of their hands
now. Imperium Szachow FIN-POL 16.0 (4) need a 2.5 points finish
now to claim the last league C spot. A tiebreak result at 18.0 (0)
is not good enough for them.
D - A. Scacchistica Napoletana I.T. 16.5 (0) and Atahualpa
7.0 (2) will need a much better performance next season.
- Group 5
- A - Bashkir Chess
27.5 (2) has almost squeezed into the top league. They need to hold
off CXEB-BRS 25.0 (3). Any square counts now in these remaining
games, with a huge one still going on board 4 between these two
top teams. If the Brazilians were supposed to be here, Bashkir Chess
came out of nowhere (originally ranked 7th). Their play has received
only praises all over the boards; definitely a team to watch during
the next season!
B - Zugzwang Bocholt II 24.5 (0) played solid and secured
a deserved spot.
C - Le Courrier des Echecs 23.5 (0), CC-Vikings 21.5 (1)
and Societa Scacchistica Novarese 20.5 (0) stopped into league C
after a close fight. Tarraco PC 19.5 (0) hopes are in somebody else's
hands as Back Rank Mates 18.5 (1) can catch them with a win and
knocked them down on tiebreak. However that would mean the end of
league A dreams for CXEB-BRS…
D - CC.COM 17.0 (0) announced in a surprising last move the
folding of their team after this qualifying season. Rochade 5171
- D.G. Chessknighs 12.5 (0) and Yetman Brothers Descriptive CM A
6 (1) could follow the same road.
- Group 6
- A - Latvian Gambit
29.0 (1) and Aljechin's Erben 28.0 (2) have no direct games left.
Gambits could come on top with a win no matter what, as they would
win on tiebreak. Other ties to less than 30 points apiece could
go in Aljechin's favour if they win their board 1 game.
B - SV Signal-Iduna 27.5 (0) has comfortably secured a spot
in league B.
C - Chess Mail Chigorin 24.0 (0), BCCA 23.0 (0), Dutchess
22.0 (1) and Ajemail 18.5 (2) are in league C.
D - Estense Scacchi 16.5 (2) can only destroy upper placed
teams' dreams, as a theoretical tiebreak possibility will not be
enough. Mysterious Rook 11.0 (2), Szachista 10.0 (2) and Yetman
Brothers Descriptive 3.5 (2) have lost all their hopes long ago.
- Group 7
- A - The Chessfriends
31.0 (0) beat everyone with a smile on their faces. Future opponents
in league A should not expect a friendly play from these killer
guys.
B - International Bishops - CC Team 26.5 (2) and Roszada
- Polska 26.0 (0) will get another shot al league A next season.
C - Randaberg Vikings 24.0 (1), Zitadelle Spandau B 23.0
(1), Old Masters 21.5 (0) and Partenopae Intern. Chess Team 20.0
(1) had an easy stroll with nobody to breathe down their necks.
D - Rotary Gambit 15.5 (0), Caballeros del Tablero 13.0 (0),
Chess Today Knights 10.5 (1) and especially U.K. Black Knights 4
(2) finished carrying their horses on their backs. It is tough to
outrace anyone like this.
- Group 8
- A - White Bishop
Chess Team 27.0 (3) or ALFA Team 26.5 (3)? That is the question.
The Italians have the tiebreak in their favour, so it must be all
or nothing for the Czechs.
B - Chess Mail Unicorns 25.5 (1) were indeed a mystery team
impossible to decipher for most of their opponents. Good result
and games!
C - Zugzwang Bocholt V 22.0 (3) a real deep club, September
Malbork Cup 21.5 (3) slow but patient, CC-Salzburg 20.0 (1) lower
than expected and Chess Club Potaissa Turda 19.0 (4) securing a
spot in league C only in January 2004 (!!) have to improve a lot
on the chess board to avoid future sub par results.
D - Rochade 5171 - FARM 18.5 (0) came close to produce a
small surprise. Stansco.com Netchess Knights 13.0 (0), E.C. Benedita
12.5 (0) and Zeinot Chess Team 5.5 (0) have to reconsider every
aspect in the upcoming season from participating, to playing.
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