The battles have intensified in both sections of the World Senior Team Championship as the event has reached its halfway mark.
In the 50+ category, going into Round 5, Kazakhstan, USA 1, Italy, and England 1 shared first place with 7 team points each (three wins and one draw).
Round 5 featured key matchups on the top boards, with USA 1 facing England 1, while Kazakhstan took on Italy. Both encounters were crucial in the fight for the lead. After a long five-hour battle, USA 1 wrested victory by a score of 2.5–1.5, while Italy joined them in 1st place after narrowly defeating Kazakhstan by the same margin.
Senior 50+ – Standings after Round 5
Similarly, in the 65+ category, the situation was also unclear prior to Round 5, as six teams were tied for 1st place: FIDE team, England 1, Germany, Italy, Israel, and France I, each with 7 team points.
In the 5th round, the top contestants were pitted against each other. Matches between Israel and England 1, as well as between the FIDE team and Italy, both ended in draws, giving France 1 the sole lead with 9 team points after their victory over Germany.
Although the women’s categories have been merged with the Open sections due to an insufficient number of participants, the ladies have delivered strong and competitive performances in both groups.
In the 50+ section, Kazakhstan Women, with three wins and one loss, stood in joint 5th place going into Round 5, while Czech Republic Women, USA Women, and England Women shared 14th–20th place alongside several other teams.
In Round 5, the Kazakhstan Women’s team was paired against one of the top seeds, Alkaloid Chess Club, and lost. The Czech Republic women’s team joined them with 6 team points in shared 8th–13th position after beating Brazil 1. The USA and England women’s teams were paired together and drew their match, remaining on 5 team points.
In the 65+ section, FIDE Women led the women’s race before Round 5 with 5 team points, sharing 15th–20th place, followed by Latvia Women and Germany Women, both on 4 team points, while Poland Women had a difficult start, losing four matches.
In Round 5, all women’s teams except one were defeated by their respective opponents, while Poland Women managed to secure a draw, resulting in no changes to their standings.
Following the 5th round comes the long-awaited free day, with options for organised excursions around Durrës and Berat, as well as participation in an open rapid tournament. After this break, the players will return refreshed and well-rested for the final portion of the competition and the decisive last rounds.
Stay tuned for the exciting finish!
Text and photos: WFM/IA Georgia Grapsa
Official website: https://wstcc.com/