Rapid 2019, Halfway Point - Croad Leads

After 4 rounds of this year's Rapid tournament there is only one player left on full points, and that's Nic Croad. While Anthony and Scott were engaged in drawing with each other, Nic was busy giving Russell a hard time.

Here is how you beat Russell Dive in 23 moves, at least if you are Nic Croad:


Upset news - Peter Stöveken has been having a rollicking time in this tournament beating some of our leading lights - in round 2 it was Arthur Pomeroy, and in round 4 it was fifth seed Brian Nijman. He took time off winning in between, by losing to Alan Aldridge. In the third round Paul He, rated 1494 beat Bill Forster (1920), and Matt Ross (unknown rating) beat Alan Winfield. New player Boopathy Sripathy (rating also unknown) drew with Robert Laking in round 3 and beat Lawrence Farrington in round 4.

Cross Table after 4 Rounds (of 8)

No Name                  Loc  Total  1    2    3    4  

1  Croad, Nicholas       2312 4     20:1 22:1  6:1  5:1
2  Wastney, Scott        2346 3.5   32:1 13:1 11:1  3:½
3  Ker, Anthony          2374 3.5   34:1 31:1 19:1  2:½
4  Sellen, Ian           2020 3     26:1  7:1  5:0 12:1
5  Dive, Russell         2391 3     28:1 29:1  4:1  1:0
6  Stone, Andrew         1942 3     39:1 23:1  1:0 25:1
7  Benitez, Edgar        1816 3     38:1  4:0 30:1 23:1
8  Stöveken, Peter       1786 3     49:1 21:1 12:0 19:1
9  Nyberg, Michael       1987 3      0:½  0:½ 50:1 33:1
10 Winter, Ryan          1835 3     48:1 19:0 35:1 20:1
11 Jackson, Ross         1950 3     47:1 45:1  2:0 24:1
12 Aldridge, Alan        1889 2.5    0:½ 40:1  8:1  4:0
13 Tanoi, TE             1920 2.5   37:1  2:0 26:1 18:½
14 Timergazi, Layla      2069 2.5    0:½  0:½ 28:1 17:½
15 Laking, Robert        1587 2.5    0:½  0:½ 16:½ 27:1
16 Sripathy, Boopathy    1000 2.5    0:½  0:½ 15:½ 34:1
17 Sole, Michael         1735 2.5    0:½  0:½ 37:1 14:½
18 He, Caleb             1635 2.5    0:½  0:½ 44:1 13:½
19 Nijman, Brian         2099 2     27:1 10:1  3:0  8:0
20 Ross, Matt            1500 2      1:0 43:1 29:1 10:0
21 Pomeroy, Arthur       1969 2     30:1  8:0  0:½  0:½
22 Lyall, Gordon         1844 2     43:1  1:0  0:½  0:½
23 Chen, Wei Kai         1732 2     44:1  6:0 45:1  7:0
24 Brockway, Andrew      1658 2      0:½  0:½ 40:1 11:0
25 Rossiter, Philip      1700 2      0:½  0:½ 42:1  6:0
26 Wevers, Alexis        1490 2      4:0 36:1 13:0 40:1
27 He, Paul              1494 2     19:0 48:1 31:1 15:0
28 Rabina, Romeo         1557 2      5:0 46:1 14:0 37:1
29 Winfield, Alan        1937 2     46:1  5:0 20:0 47:1
30 Darr, Samuel          1359 2     21:0 49:1  7:0 42:1
31 Forster, William      1920 2     50:1  3:0 27:0 41:1
32 Ashe, Michael         1504 2      2:0 37:0 38:1 44:1
33 Mullan, Brett         1742 2     40:0 39:1 41:1  9:0
34 Farrington, Lawrence  1530 1.5    3:0 50:1  0:½ 16:0
35 Hurndell, Robert      1430 1.5    0:½  0:½ 10:0 36:½
36 Dunlop, Rafe          1000 1.5   45:0 26:0 46:1 35:½
37 Webster, Jamie        1200 1     13:0 32:1 17:0 28:0
38 Cameron, Will         1100 1      7:0  0:½ 32:0  0:½
39 Kibblewhite, Daniel   1271 1      6:0 33:0  0:½  0:½
40 Ackroyd, William      1000 1     33:1 12:0 24:0 26:0
41 Cooke, Xandi          1100 1      0:½  0:½ 33:0 31:0
42 Mulheron, Oscar       1000 1      0:½  0:½ 25:0 30:0
43 Asher, Bruce          1181 1     22:0 20:0  0:½  0:½
44 Ebarle, Joshua        1000 1     23:0 47:1 18:0 32:0
45 Paley, Yonah          1000 1     36:1 11:0 23:0 46:0
46 Osborne, Geoff        1250 1     29:0 28:0 36:0 45:1
47 Van der Hoorn, Thomas 1300 1     11:0 44:0 48:1 29:0
48 Carroll, Lewis        1170 1     10:0 27:0 47:0 50:1
49 Mukherjee, Raash      1100 0      8:0 30:0  0:0  0:0
50 Theodosiou, Andreas   1247 0     31:0 34:0  9:0 48:0