More corona than chess!

Before Round 5 on Tuesday the Czech government banned gatherings of 100+, so with 400 players in two adjacent hotels the organisers got round it by using partition walls. Thus we were using exactly the same space but divided into ‘rppms’ with players having to keep to their own, though there was still mingling in the refreshment area and toilets I played an uneventful draw in Rd  5, sat out Rd 6, then before Round 7 on Thursday the Czech government reduced gatherings from 100 to 30.

We were told that Round 7 would be the last round and prizes awarded accordingly. There are all sorts of rumours about Prague airport being closed, but although some of the English have changed to earlier flights home, most of us are holding our nerve and hoping our Sunday flights won’t be cancelled. I;m on Easyjet to Luton and I had a reassuring email from the company. Their website shows the flight as normal but I suppose it could be at the mercy of more stringent government measures. My hotel has changed dinner time from 7-9.30 to 5-8.

I had another draw against a supposedly weaker Sweden 2 opponent in the last round. I’ve been tending to get to a balanced middle game, but shorter on time, and then being offered a draw. The England 1 team has performed poorly P7 W2 D2 L3, well below their seeding. All I can claim is being unbeaten, P5 W1 D4 L0, and to have lost fewer rating points (just 4) than my team mates