2. GM Palac (2563) – IM Sanchez (2090) 1/2-1/2
This game was played in the Panama – Croatia match. Mladen Palac is a strong Croatian GM that was the Croatian champion as recently as 2012. This particular game was pretty ho-hum; at no point did either player have any serious advantage, which speaks to the solidity of Sanchez.
1. IM Collins (2495) – Liu (1920) 1/2-1/2
The largest rating discrepancy on this list. It’s pretty incredible that a class player can hold a seasoned pro like Collins to a draw in such an important event; especially considering that Collins had a tangible advantage most of the game.
Stay tuned tomorrow I’ll be presenting the biggest upsets of the second round! Keep checking back here for updates and all things Olympiad related. See you people tomorrow!