Liveblog from Kiel Day 2

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Player and spectators, in the foreground the captains for Schwäbisch Hall and Hamburg, today many fans especially from Hamburg are expected

The decisive day has come. Today Baden Baden plays Bad Königshofen and Schwäbisch Hall Hamburg for the title. After yesterday’s games, Baden Baden is only one board-point ahead Schwäbisch Hall and 2.5 board-points ahead Hamburg. Games will start at 9:00. According to Friedberg’s captain, the match Baden Baden-Friedberg was incredibly tight. The central question before the start is: which teams will change their team? All 4 teams can reinforce their team, but will they / can they? We will have the answer at 8:45.

13:45

Baden Baden has 4 points, congratulations to the new and old champion!

13:20

Hamburg won the last game, final result 4-2, therefore Baden Baden will be chmpion if they win.

13:10

Alina has won, 3-1, Karina as well, 4-1, Irina is fighting for the draw.

12:50

Ekaterina draw, pawn down, but active position, so conversion of the panw not possible. Score now: 2-1. Alina should win, Irina at least to me unclear, Karina better, but complicated (weak kings, opposite colored bishops, queens still on the board). If she can change queens, it should be won.

12:30

Board 5 draw (Fuchs-Daulyte), board 1 suddenly Alina a knight up, this should be won, I have to check what went wrong there. Ekaterina is now a pawn down, maybe she has risked too much.

12:20

1-0 for Schwäbisch Hall, Iva Videnova wins against Marta Michna after a nice attack. Irina is back in the game, she got her pawn back, refuced a perpetual and is now playing for a win.

11:40

Boards 1 and 2 look worrisome. The other boards look ok, but nowhere anything clear so far. Deimante is trying to put pressure on the c2 pawn, but with correct play this should still be draw.

11:30

Still all results are possible. Board 1: Alina has to play against the bishop pair, is probably slightly worse. Irina is a pawn down, this will become difficult. Iva on board 3 has space advantage, Ekaterina on board 4 now looks equal as she did not accept a black pawn sacrifice. On board 5 the endgame is still a little bit tricky, but draw is probable. Karina’s Winawer French on board 6 is still pretty unclear.

11:00

On board 2 Irina has given a pawn, we will see whether this was intended and whether she has enough compensation. Deimante’s game looks very drawish. Ekaterina has the better time and some initiative, she now can take a pawn, but then her king might get into some trouble.

09:50

I do not like Irina’s position on board 2, the black knight has found a good place on f5 and the pawn on f4 blocks the c1-bishop. All other positions are ok, Fuchs-Daulyte is a typical accelerated dragon – both with bishop pair, lots of exchanges, might end in a quick draw due to lack of material, if one side does not end up a pawn up. Alina’s bishops against Monika Socko (so far with 5/5) look good, I like her position.

09:30

Board 2 is very sharp and already discussed in the analysis room, but both players apparently know the position, they are playing very quickly.

09:15

Here the first information from Kiel, here the pairings:

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Hamburg is playing with the first 6, the Grand-Prix-runner-up Sara Khadelmalsharieh came into the team today. Bad Königshofen plays with the same team as yesterday, Baden Baden put in Anna Zatonskih. With these pairings now Baden Baden is clear favorite for becoming champion. We had expected a stronger team by Bad Königshofen, especially Olga Girya is missing.

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Irina Bulmaga against the Grand-Prix-Runner up

09:00

Here are the teams … but wait, it is not 9:00 yet.

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