USA vs Italy 3-moves International match.

[rich beckwith]

After beautiful round 1 opening ceremony near "Olympic stadium" in Rome, complete with FID mascot, Round 1 (today's only round) was relocated for today
to a smaller but quieter tent as part of park family festival. USA opened with a 3-game lead.

Italy - USA team list, Round 1
1 Sergio Scarpetta (Captain) vs. Alex Moiseyev (Captain) 3
3 Matteo Bernini vs. Jim Morrison 1
0 Walter Celani vs Richard Beckwith 4
2 Claudio Ciampi vs. Tim Laverty 2 (WL)
2 Emanuele D’Amore vs. Joe Schwartz 2 (WL)
2 Daniele Berte cs. Charles Freeman 2 (DD)
2 Viviana Moretto (Woman) vs. Kim Willis 2 (Woman) (WL)
1 Elia Cantatore (Youth) vs. Alex Holmes (Youth) 3

William Docherty visited the match.

[Michael Holmes]

This is great news. Go USA! Go Alex Holmes!

[Ingo_Zachos]

Results of the 2nd round:

In board order, Italian players first.


1st board Dario Ghittoni - Alex Holmes 1-3
2nd board Elia Cantatore - Alex Moiseyev 0-4
3rd board Sergio Scarpeata - Jim Morrison 2-2
4th board Matteo Bernii - Tim Laverty 3-1
5th board Walter Celani - Clayton Nash 1-3
6th board Claudio Ciampi - Ryan Pronk 1-3
7th board Emanuele D'Amore - Chuck Freeman 3-1
8th biard Daniele Berte - Kim Willis 4-0

Score Round Two: ITA 15 USA 17

Overall Score after two rounds: ITA 28 USA 36

The games were played at the terraces of the Vila Borghese in a outdoor pavillon util round three.

[Ingo_Zachos]

Results of Round Three:

1st board: Vivana Moretti - Alex Moiseyev 1-3
2nd board: Dario Ghittoni - Mark Sokolovsky 2-2
3rd board: Sergio Scarpettta - Richard Beckwith 3-1
4th board: Matteo Bernini - Clayton Nash 4-0
5th board: Walter Celani - Ryan Pronk 1-3
6th board: Claudio Ciampi - Joe Schwartz 2-2
7th board: Emanuele D´Amore - Kim Willis 4-0
8th board: Daniele Berte - Alex Holmes 2-2

Score Round Two: ITA 19 USA 13

Overall Score after round three: ITA 47 USA 49

After the USA won thwe first round by 3 games and the 2nd round by one game, the Italians managed to close the score by winning round three with a 3 game margin.

[Ingo_Zachos]

Scores Round Four:

1st Board: Moretto-Morrison 0-4
2nd Board: Cantatore-Beckwith 1-3
3rd Board: Scarpetta - Nash 2-2
4th Board: Bernini-Pronk 3-1
5th Board: Celani -Sololovski 0-4
6th Board: Ciampi-Willis 4-0
7th Board: D`Amore- Holmes 2-2
8th board: Iacovelli-Moiseyev 1-3

Score Round Four: Italy 13,USA 19

Overall Score after 4th Round:

Italy 60, USA 68

The USA won thisround by four games and increased their overall lead.

Next round at 2.30 pm CEST.

[Michael Holmes]

Great to see such a close match and that almost everyone has contributed a win to the match for USA

[Ingo_Zachos]

Update International Match Italy-USA
-----------------------------------------------------


Round Five:
1st Board: Moretti-Schwartz 1-3
2nd Board: Cantatore-Nash 3-1
3rd Board: Scarpetta-Pronk 4-0
4th Board: Bernini-Freeman 4-0
5th Board: Celani-Willis 4-0
6th Board: Ciampi-Holmes 1-3
7th Board: D'Amore-Laverty 1-3
8th Board: Iacovelli-Morrison 1-3

Score Round Five: Italy 19, USa 13

Overall Score after Round Five: Italy 79, USA 81

Italy may have missed three more wins, but in the end the USA missed a win when Tim Laverty in great sportmanship offered a draw in a won position, as his time was down to less then a minute.

[Bill Salot]

Me. Bernini is scorching us!

[chipschap]

Three rounds to go; anything can happen. Such a close match! I don't think either team will walk away with it.

[Ingo_Zachos]

Update International Match Italy - USA
--------------------------------------------------

Round Six Pairings:

1st Board: Moretto-Nash 9-13 23-18 11-16
2nd Board: Cantatore-Pronk 10-15 24-19 15x24
3rd Board: Scarpetta-Laverty 9-13 23-19 11-16
4th Board: Bernini-Sokolovsky 11-16 22-18 8-11
5th Board: Iacovelli-Holmes 11-16 24-19 16-20
6th Board: Ciampi-Moiseyev 10-14 24-19 7-10
7th Board: D`Amore-Morrison 9-14 23-19 14-18
8th Board: Berte-Beckwith 9-13 24-20 6-9

Top Scorers:
So far GM Matteo Bernini has a score of 17 points from 20 possible, ie 85 percent.
On the US-team GM Alex Moiseyev is on 13 from 16 possible points, ie 81 percent.
The match-up Bernini-Moiseyev will take place, according to the schedule, in the 8th and last round.

[Michael Holmes]

USA is still ahead by one game. Go USA! Go Alex Holmes! This is a very close match and looks like it will come down to the last round......possibly the last game or two.
Michael

[Ingo_Zachos]

Update International Match Italy - USA
--------------------------------------------------

Round Six Results:

1st Board: Moretto-Nash 0-4
2nd Board: Cantatore-Pronk 1-3
3rd Board: Scarpetta-Laverty 4-0
4th Board: Bernini-Sokolovsky 3-1
5th Board: Iacovelli-Holmes 1-3
6th Board: Ciampi-Moiseyev 2-2
7th Board: D`Amore-Morrison 2-2
8th Board: Berte-Beckwith 1-3

Score Round Six: Italy 14, USA 18

Overall Score after Round Six:

Italy 93 USA 99


Top Scorers:
So far GM Matteo Bernini has a score of 20 points from 24 possible, ie 83 percent.
On the US-team GM Alex Moiseyev is on 15 from 20 possible points, ie 75 percent.
The match-up Bernini-Moiseyev will take place, according to the schedule, in the 8th and last round.
Meanwhile the US youth board player Alex Holmes scored 16/24, losing no game, but has to face Bernini now in round seven.

[Ingo_Zachos]

Update International Match Italy - USA
--------------------------------------------------

Round Seven Results:

1st Board: Moretto-Laverty 1-3
2nd Board: Cantatore-Freeman 2-2
3rd Board: Scarpetta-Willis 4-0
4th Board: Bernini-Holmes 4-0
5th Board: Celani-Moiseyev 0-4
6th Board: Ciampi-Morrison 2-2
7th Board: D`Amore-Sokolovsky 2-2
8th Board: Berte-Schwartz 3-1

Score Round Seven: Italy 18, USA 14

Overall Score after Round Six:

Italy 111, USA 113

Bernini taking both games from previously udefeated Alex Holmes. He won all rounds with a fantastic 86 percent score. Can Alex Moiseyev stop him tomorrow in the last round?
Score is now back to a very narrow one game lead by the USA.

[Michael Holmes]

Good news. USA is still ahead. Go USA
Go Alex Holmes

[chipschap]

So Italy wins by ONE game. What a great match! Congrats to the winners and congrats to team USA for a hard-fought battle that was decided by the narrowest possible margin.

Had Michele played, would it have been different (i.e. more in Italy's favor)? Who knows? There will be "what-ifs" for months to come, but one thing is certain: one of the greatest international matches in checker history has taken place.