Leko and Polgar play for Hungary in Round 2. Photo © http://www.europe-echecs.com

England were in better shape in round two of the Chess Olympiad as they defeated Denmark 3-1. Nigel Short made his entrance in style and outplayed Peter Heine Nielsen, one of world champion Vishy Anand's trainers.

Short secured a small edge against the Petroff Defence and gradually improved his position throughout the 46 move game. Michael Adams was solid with black on top board although he had to survive one awkward moment and Gawain Jones was unfortunate not to win on board four after whipping up a huge attack. David Howell won handily, see below.

The pairings computer created some round three mismatches including Armenia v Faroe Islands, India v El Salvador, Nicaragua v Bulgaria and England v Malta.

England won 4-0 to stay in the leading group but ominously Russia crushed a strong Cuban team 3.5-0.5. The Russians were fortunate to defeat Poland 1.5-2.5 in the previous round as Alexander Grischuk held what had been a lost endgame in 114 moves.

David Howell played a lovely counter attacking game. White avoids the sharp Gruenfeld Defence but his 12.d4? allows a Gruenfeld type dark square assault.

L Schandorff - D Howell 38th Olympiad Dresden (2) English Opening

1.Nf3 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 d5 4.cxd5 Nxd5 5.Qa4+

White avoids the Gruenfeld Defence after 5,d4 Bg7 and plays for a small advantage

5...Bd7 6.Qh4 Bc6 7.Ne5

7.Qd4!?

7...Bg7 8.Nxc6 Nxc6 9.e3

9.g3 Ndb4!

9...0-0

White has the bishop pair but Black has superior development

10.Be2 e6 11.Qa4 Nce7!

Black intends to gain more space with c7-c5

12.d4? c5!

Any Gruenfeld player would make this move instantly. The bishop on g7 becomes a fearsome piece

13.Nxd5 Nxd5 14.dxc5 Nc3! 15.Qb4

15.bxc3 Bxc3+ wins the rook

15...Nxe2 16.Kxe2 Qg5 17.g3 Rac8

With his king in the middle and only his queen in play White's chances of survival are minimal

18.Bd2 Rxc5 19.Qxb7

19.Bc3 Bxc3 20.bxc3 Rb5 21.Qe4 Rb2+ 22.Kf3 Rd8 23.Rhd1 Rxd1 24.Rxd1 Qh5+ 25.Qg4 Rxf2+

19...Qg4+ 20.Qf3

20.f3 Qh3 21.Rag1 Rc2

20...Qc4+ 21.Ke1 Bxb2 22.Rd1 Rd8 23.Qe2 Qxe2+ 24.Kxe2 Rc2 0-1

V Akopian - H Ziska 38th Olympiad Dresden (3) Philidor Defence

1.Nf3 d6 2.d4 Nf6 3.Nc3 Bg4 4.e4 Nbd7 5.e5 dxe5 6.dxe5 Bxf3 7.Qxf3 Nxe5 8.Qxb7 e6 9.Bb5+ Ned7 10.Bg5 Qc8 11.Qf3 Rb8 12.Bxf6 gxf6 13.0-0-0 Bd6 14.Rhe1 Ke7 15.Nd5+ Kf8 16.Bxd7 Qxd7 17.Qxf6 Rg8 18.Qh6+ Rg7 19.Nf6 Qb5 20.Nxh7+ Kg8 21.Nf6+ Kf8 22.b3 1-0

38th Olympiad Dresden (GER), 13-25 xi 2008 (GER), 13-25 xi 2008 Leading Round 2 Results 14th Nov 2008. 3pm GMT start.
Br.	21	POL Poland (POL)	Elo	1.5-2.5	1	RUS Russia (RUS)	Elo
1.1	GM	Miton Kamil	2604	½-½	GM	Kramnik Vladimir	2772
1.2	GM	Wojtaszek Radoslaw	2599	½-½	GM	Grischuk Alexander	2719
1.3	GM	Gajewski Grzegorz	2577	½-½	GM	Morozevich Alexander	2787
1.4	GM	Bartel Mateusz	2602	0-1	GM	Jakovenko Dmitry	2737
Br.	28	SLO Slovenia (SLO)	Elo	1-3	11	GER Germany 1 (GER)	Elo
2.1	GM	Beliavsky Alexander G	2619	½-½	GM	Naiditsch Arkadij	2678
2.2	GM	Pavasovic Dusko	2597	0-1	GM	Khenkin Igor	2647
2.3	IM	Borisek Jure	2548	½-½	GM	Gustafsson Jan	2634
2.4	IM	Skoberne Jure	2501	0-1	GM	Fridman Daniel	2630
Br.	2	UKR Ukraine (UKR)	Elo	2.5-1.5	22	SRB Serbia (SRB)	Elo
3.1	GM	Ivanchuk Vassily	2786	1-0	GM	Ivanisevic Ivan	2658
3.2	GM	Karjakin Sergey	2730	0-1	GM	Solak Dragan	2595
3.3	GM	Eljanov Pavel	2720	1-0	GM	Kovacevic Aleksandar	2581
3.4	GM	Volokitin Andrei	2659	½-½	GM	Perunovic Milos	2580
Br.	23	BLR Belarus (BLR)	Elo	1-3	3	CHN China (CHN)	Elo
4.1	GM	Azarov Sergei	2613	½-½	GM	Wang Yue	2736
4.2	GM	Zhigalko Sergei	2592	0-1	GM	Ni Hua	2710
4.3	GM	Fedorov Alexei	2584	½-½	GM	Wang Hao	2696
4.4	GM	Zhigalko Andrey	2568	0-1	GM	Li Chao B	2622
Br.	4	AZE Azerbaijan (AZE)	Elo	3-1	25	SVK Slovakia (SVK)	Elo
5.1	GM	Radjabov Teimour	2752	½-½	GM	Movsesian Sergei	2732
5.2	GM	Mamedyarov Shakhriyar	2731	1-0	GM	Ftacnik Lubomir	2571
5.3	GM	Gashimov Vugar	2703	1-0	GM	Petrik Tomas	2487
5.4	GM	Mammadov Rauf	2631	½-½	IM	Vavrak Peter	2478
Br.	26	MDA Moldova (MDA)	Elo	1-3	9	ARM Armenia (ARM)	Elo
6.1	GM	Bologan Viktor	2682	½-½	GM	Aronian Levon	2757
6.2	GM	Svetushkin Dmitry	2588	½-½	GM	Akopian Vladimir	2679
6.3	GM	Khruschiov Alexey	2499	0-1	GM	Sargissian Gabriel	2642
6.4	GM	Sanduleac Vasile	2443	0-1	GM	Petrosian Tigran L	2629
Br.	10	USA United States (USA)	Elo	2-2	27	GRE Greece (GRE)	Elo
7.1	GM	Kamsky Gata	2729	½-½	GM	Papaioannou Ioannis	2597
7.2	GM	Nakamura Hikaru	2704	½-½	GM	Kotronias Vasilios	2587
7.3	GM	Onischuk Alexander	2644	1-0	GM	Halkias Stelios	2584
7.4	GM	Akobian Varuzhan	2606	0-1	GM	Mastrovasilis Dimitrios	2572
Br.	12	ESP Spain (ESP)	Elo	2.5-1.5	29	BIH Bosnia & Herze (BIH)	Elo
8.1	GM	Shirov Alexei	2726	½-½	GM	Predojevic Borki	2615
8.2	GM	Vallejo Pons Francisco	2664	½-½	GM	Saric Ibro	2559
8.3	GM	Illescas Cordoba Miguel	2604	1-0	IM	Stojanovic Dalibor	2455
8.4	GM	San Segundo Carrillo Pablo	2564	½-½	IM	Bogut Zeljko	2464
Br.	30	SWE Sweden (SWE)	Elo	1-3	13	IND India (IND)	Elo
9.1	GM	Berg Emanuel	2623	0-1	GM	Sasikiran Krishnan	2694
9.2	GM	Agrest Evgenij	2574	½-½	GM	Ganguly Surya Shekhar	2603
9.3	GM	Hillarp Persson Tiger	2543	0-1	GM	Geetha Narayanan Gopal	2548
9.4	GM	Cicak Slavko	2564	½-½	GM	Sandipan Chanda	2579
Br.	14	ROU Romania (ROU)	Elo	2.5-1.5	31	ARG Argentina (ARG)	Elo
10.1	GM	Istratescu Andrei	2633	½-½	GM	Felgaer Ruben	2591
10.2	GM	Parligras Mircea	2611	½-½	GM	Peralta Fernando	2557
10.3	GM	Lupulescu Constantin	2594	1-0	IM	Kovalyov Anton	2571
10.4	GM	Vajda Levente	2582	½-½	IM	Flores Diego	2568
Br.	32	DEN Denmark (DEN)	Elo	1-3	15	ENG England (ENG)	Elo
11.1	GM	Hansen Lars Bo	2570	½-½	GM	Adams Michael	2734
11.2	GM	Nielsen Peter Heine	2662	0-1	GM	Short Nigel D	2642
11.3	GM	Schandorff Lars	2520	0-1	GM	Howell David W L	2593
11.4	IM	Rasmussen Allan Stig	2513	½-½	GM	Jones Gawain C B	2548
Br.	16	CUB Cuba (CUB)	Elo	2.5-1.5	33	UZB Uzbekistan (UZB)	Elo
12.1	GM	Dominguez Perez Leinier	2719	½-½	GM	Kasimdzhanov Rustam	2672
12.2	GM	Bruzon Batista Lazaro	2623	½-½	GM	Iuldachev Saidali	2511
12.3	GM	Quezada Perez Yuniesky	2580	1-0	GM	Barsov Alexei	2513
12.4	GM	Hernandez Carmenates Holden	2580	½-½	GM	Safin Shukhrat	2510