2010 NZ Olympiad teams

[Garvinator]

Heheh; I'm old enough to remember that the NZ Nationals didn't fund Chess Olympiad teams either.

The answer is obvious. Keep tossing the bastards out till there is a government who does fund

[Qbert]

Robert Wansink tends to stand for parliament in the South Dunedin electorate. Perhaps if he added a pledge to fund the NZ Olympiad team in perpetuity to his ticket, he would not only get more votes, but form a new movement that sweeps to power....

[Adamski]

Robert Wansink tends to stand for parliament in the South Dunedin electorate. Perhaps if he added a pledge to fund the NZ Olympiad team in perpetuity to his ticket, he would not only get more votes, but form a new movement that sweeps to power....

I knew Robert well, from an early age. Later on he became well-known for aiming for the end game, at which he was very adept. Is he active again in NZ chess circles, Quentin? That would be a good thing for NZ chess.

[Tony Dowden]

Then how come the Kiwis got rid of Labour last election while the Aussies elected Labor instead?

I can't see how any kind of comparison is valid. The trans-Tasman Labours are like apples and oranges. Actually Australian politics is so venal that I doubt they're both fruit

[Garvinator]

I can't see how any kind of comparison is valid. The trans-Tasman Labours are like apples and oranges. Actually Australian politics is so venal that I doubt they're both fruit

They are definitely lemons.

[Tony Dowden]

I knew Robert well, from an early age. Later on he became well-known for aiming for the end game, at which he was very adept. Is he active again in NZ chess circles, Quentin? That would be a good thing for NZ chess.

'Bob' (as he prefers) has had a bizarre but remarkably consistent record of playing chess around about once every 12-13 years and then disappearing off the radar in between times. He would also play incredibly strongly considering his inactivity. For instance, I remember I won the NZ rapid title within a year or so of being comprehensively outplayed by Bob in a minor rapid event in Dunedin the early/mid-1990s.

I always felt that Bob was never the same after losing to Murray Chandler in a National Schoolpupils event in Christchurch in 1974. The critical Wansink-Chandler match-up was a Najdorf Sicilian Polygaevsky variation with sacrificial play from both sides. If I remember correctly, before this event Bob had already played in the NZ Championship once (or even twice) and had also won both the North and the South Island championships. In 1972-73 he was the most impressive junior talent - but then along came Chandler with a Magnus Carlsen-like ascent to the top of NZ chess in only three short years.

Murray was (is) NZ's best ever player but Bob Wansink must rank as one of the best 'undeveloped talents' NZ has had.

[Adamski]

'Bob' (as he prefers) has had a bizarre but remarkably consistent record of playing chess around about once every 12-13 years and then disappearing off the radar in between times. He would also play incredibly strongly considering his inactivity. For instance, I remember I won the NZ rapid title within a year or so of being comprehensively outplayed by Bob in a minor rapid event in Dunedin the early/mid-1990s.

I always felt that Bob was never the same after losing to Murray Chandler in a National Schoolpupils event in Christchurch in 1974. The critical Wansink-Chandler match-up was a Najdorf Sicilian Polygaevsky variation with sacrificial play from both sides. If I remember correctly, before this event Bob had already played in the NZ Championship once (or even twice) and had also won both the North and the South Island championships. In 1972-73 he was the most impressive junior talent - but then along came Chandler with a Magnus Carlsen-like ascent to the top of NZ chess in only three short years.

Murray was (is) NZ's best ever player but Bob Wansink must rank as one of the best 'undeveloped talents' NZ has had.

Thanks, Tony. Brings back memories. I hope Bob rises from the chess ashes at least once or twice more! Last I knew he was unemployed but wrote an article published in The Listener on how one can survive comfortably on the dole. Before that he drove a truck. Any more recent news of him, other than standing in elections? (OK a bit off topic, but at least it is on an NZ chessplayer who I am sure would not disgrace NZ in an Olympiad.)

[Qbert]

Bob was last seen spectating at the South Island Chp in Dunedin last year. He hinted that he would play in open events from time to time if they were advertised in the paper (he doesn't refer to the club website) and he did play in a 6-palyer RR rapid at the beginning of 2008 (winning 5/5 against a field in no way able to challenge him) which was advertised in the paper as open to all-comers rather than seasoned club members. He earned a free membership to the club but didn't exercise it. previously he also spectated (but didn't play) at the Nigel Short Simul in Dunedin a few years ago and pointed out to me that where I repeated the position I could still play for a win. (I was more concerned to avoid the loss as there would have been no other games still going at that stage). He would be in contention for the team if he was active for sure.

[Tony Dowden]

Various individuals - including veteran FM Bob Smith and Natasha Fairley (and maybe Gino Thornton??) - are rumoured to have been selected for the Siberian Olympiad but it's not clear if the NZ teams have been officially announced. (If so I can't find it).

Despite the likelihood that it will be a weaker team than usual, Bob's selection would very impressive given that this must be about his 11th (or 12th?) olympiad since his first at Haifa in 1976.

[lost]

Various individuals - including veteran FM Bob Smith and Natasha Fairley (and maybe Gino Thornton??) - are rumoured to have been selected for the Siberian Olympiad but it's not clear if the NZ teams have been officially announced. (If so I can't find it).

Despite the likelihood that it will be a weaker team than usual, Bob's selection would very impressive given that this must be about his 11th (or 12th?) olympiad since his first at Haifa in 1976.

I can confirm the Women's team. It is Maroroa, Milligan, Fairley, Wu and Eachen. Viv Smith is the Team Captain!!

I don't know the Men's team, but am trying to find out who is in the team.

lost

[Kevin Bonham]

All but one of the top 10 women applied for the Olympiad. Impressive.

That is indeed impressive; it's fairly rare that we get nine women applying for the Olympiad fullstop.

Does NZ have an activity requirement to apply?

[flukey]

I got an email saying the team was (in no order) Thornton, Smith, Steadman, Han, and Lukey.

I had thought Garbett had tossed his hat in the ring late on, but clearly not.

To be frank, it's a pretty disappointing line up but I guess the whole Siberian thing was just too much of a put off.

[CivicChessMan]

NZCF has no activity rule for Olympiad candidates.

[CivicChessMan]

Congratulations to all the players selected for the Olympiad.

Siberia didn't seem to put off the women . If the men had followed suit, then I'm not sure that flukey would have been one of the names announced.

Here are the current NZCF rankings for the open team: 7, 9, 10, 17 and 19. For the women: 1, 2, 4, 5, 6.

[arosar]

I got an email saying the team was (in no order) Thornton...

Thornton? You mean Gino?

AR