The Ukrainians played superb chess in yesterday´s third round to establish themselves at the top of the standings with their third consecutive 4-0 win of the 36th Chess Olympiad in Calvia, Mallorca. On board one GM Vassily Ivanchuk (2705) played ferociously with the white pieces and turned back GM David Navara´s (2620) Sicilian defence.

The 2001 FIDE champion GM Ruslan Ponomariov (2710) (who, a few minutes before the start, smiled when I showed him the Jamaican flag on my "Reggae Boyz" football shirt) displayed good form with the black pieces to defeat GM Zybynek Hracek (2595) in another Sicilian on board 2. The rout was made good by GMs Andrei Volokitin (2652) and Pavel Eljanov (2629) who beat GMs Vlastimil Babula (2571) and Jiri Stocek (2569) on boards 3 and 4, respectively.

The men from Kiev have now sped to a perfect 12 points and their championsip aspirations will be put to the severest test in round four as they will face the defending champions Russia (4th on 10.5) who will have the white pieces on boards 1 and 3.

 Russia showed ominous form in spanking Sweden 4-0 behind wins by GMs Alexander Morozevich (2758), Alexander Grischuk (2704), Alexey Dreev (2698) and Vadim Zviagintsev (2650) over GMs Evgenij Agrest (2604) and Tiger Hillarp Persson (2523) and IMs Johan Hellsten (2564) and Emanuel Berg (2529) on boards 1-4, respectively.

CAPABLANCA´S MEN WIN!

Elsewhere Cuba and Latvia played to three draws on boards 2-4 but on board 1 GM Lazaro Bruzon(2637), the 2000 world junior champion, defeated GM Daniel Fridman (2578) to ensure that Capablanca´s men won the match 2.5-1.5. The Cubans are 12th on 9 points and will next face the Netherlands also on 9.

India rested GM Vishy Anand for the second time in 3 rounds but were too good for Philippines, winning 3-1 with two wins and two draws. The USA faced Iran in battle and prevailed 3-1 with wins by Soviet-born GMs Alexander Shabalov (2608) and Boris Gulko (2600) over IM Morteza Mahjoob (2455) and FM Amir Mallahi (2383), respectively. The Americans (13th on 9 points) will next battle India also on 9.

 England continued to make progress as, although drawing on two boards, GM Michael Adams (2740) and GM Jonathan Speelman (2629) defeated GM Sune Berg Hansen (2551) and IM Davor Palo (2526), respectively to win 3-1 in what sounds like a football result! The English, hunting their first-ever Olympiad title, are 15th on 8.5 points and will next face Canada (9).

BIG WIN BY THE MEN FROM "BIM"

Barbados won their first match of the campaign by belting Bermuda 4-0 behind wins by IM Kevin Denny (2334), FM Delisle Warner (2291), Terry Farley (2247) and FM Phillip Corbin (2242) against Zuzana Kovacova (2039) - another female in the men´s section!!!), Nick Faulks (2056), Bobby Miller and Larry Ebbin, respectively. The Barbadians (in 71st position with 6 points) will face Austria (5.5).

SHANE MATTHEWS LOOKING GOOD

Jamaica´s Reggae Chess Ambassadors  lost a tough encounter 1.5-2.5 to the Dominican Republic after losses by Duane Rowe (2197) and Russel Porter (2176) on boards 2 and 3, respectively. On the top board Shane Matthews (2251) won a piece against IM Jose Dominguez (2353) and converted his advantage excellently to notch the only win for the West Indians. The young Jamaican rastaman Malaku Lorne (2110) continued to display true grit and, although having only one pawn to his opponent´s two in a tense endgame, held FM Elvis Hernandez (2307) to a draw on board 4, the arbiter agreeing with team captain Ian Wilkinson, who intervened, that the final position had been repeated thrice. Hernandez looked surprise. In the fourth round Jamaica (in 104th position on 3.5 points) will have the black pieces on boards 1 and 3 against Malaysia (108th on 3.5 points).