Old Hands Stage Comeback To Defeat Snowdrops
The 'Old Hands" made a dramatic comeback to defeat the Snowdrops in the 2012 edition of this challenge in the Czech Republic.
The team of 4 young women players, the "Snowdrops", had enjoyed a significant 10-6 lead at the halfway stage of this double Scheveningen competition (each team member plays each player on the other team twice).
However the veteran male players, the "Old Hands", staged a convincing comeback to turn the tables on their opponents to win 17-15.
The Old Hands team were GM Vlastimil Hort, GM Wolfgang Uhlmann (pictured), GM Fridrik Olafsson and GM Oleg Romanishin. The Snowdrops team were IM Valentina Gunina, IM Tania Sachdev, WGM Alina Kaslinskaya and WIM Kristýna Havlíková.
The final standings
| O1 | O2 | O3 | O4 | O1 | O2 | O3 | O4 | 15 | ||
| S1 | Valentina Gunina | 1 | 0 | ½ | ½ | 0 | ½ | ½ | ½ | 3½ |
| S2 | Tania Sachdev | 1 | 1 | ½ | ½ | 1 | 1 | ½ | ½ | 6 |
| S3 | Alina Kashlinskaya | ½ | 0 | 1 | 0 | ½ | ½ | 0 | 1 | 3½ |
| S4 | Kristýna Havlíková | 0 | 1 | ½ | ½ | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| S1 | S2 | S3 | S4 | S1 | S2 | S3 | S4 | 17 | ||
| O1 | Fridrik Olafsson | 1 | 0 | ½ | 1 | 0 | 0 | ½ | 1 | 4 |
| O2 | Wolfgang Uhlmann | ½ | 0 | ½ | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 4 |
| O3 | Vlastimil Hort | ½ | ½ | 1 | 1 | ½ | ½ | 0 | ½ | 4½ |
| O4 | Oleg Romanishin | ½ | ½ | 0 | 1 | ½ | ½ | 1 | ½ | 4½ |
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The guest of honour was 90 year old Yuri Averbakh, the oldest living grandmaster
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Tania Sachdev enjoying the snow on the free day (photo by Pavel Matocha)
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Alina Kašlinskaja and Valentina Gunina keeping warm in Prague (by Sergey Movsesian)
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Fridrik Olafsson defeated Valentina Gunina in round five
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Oleg Romanishin defeated Alina Kashlinskaya in round 6
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Wolfgang Uhlmann defeated Kristýna Havlíková in round 7, and Alina Kashlinskaya in round 8
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Tania Sachdev holding one of the "Snowdrop" trophies
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The closing ceremony in Poděbrady
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Photos (unless otherwise credited) by Anežka Kružíková at the official website.
