Chess Life Online: Chess Buzz

Background on the Olympiad

Background on the FIDE Olympiad

The international chess federation, FIDE, regularly schedules its Olympiad, a major team event bringing together players from around the world to compete for both team and individual medals. Each team plays 4 individual games each round, and most countries send teams of 6 players, with 4 playing and 2 sitting out each round. Many teams also have a captain, whose strategic role is to determine which of his/her team members will play which board each round. While normally the highest-rated player takes Board 1, it may make more sense in terms of the team score to put a stronger player lower on the scale. Individual medals are based on results for Board 1, Board 2, Board 3, and Board 4, so a player who shifts from Board 1 to Board 2 (as GM Yermolinsky did several times at the last Olympiad in Yerevan, Armenia, when teammates were ill) is helping his/her team, but may be hurting his/her own medal chances.

At the previous Olympiad in Armenia in 1996, the overall U.S. Olympiad Team captured the bronze medal behind Russia (gold medal) and Ukraine (silver medal). The U.S. has excellent chances for a medal-finish again in 1998.

The 1998 event is being held in Kalmykia, a semi-autonomous area associated with Russia, and home of FIDE President Kirsan Ilyumnizhov. A special Chess Village was under construction for the event. The players' village, cottages with individual rooms, was completed in time, but the tournament hall is still being finished.

As the home federation, Russia is entitled to field three teams. Their "A" team will be captained by GM Peter Svidler. Kasparov, Karpov,and Kramnik are not attending this year.

Telecommunications coming out of Kalmykia have been somewhat uncertain, and the trip coming in from Moscow took longer than expected. The first round, scheduled for Saturday, had to be cancelled, and the event will now be 13 rounds rather than 14. Round 1 will now begin on Tuesday, September 29.

Teams from about 100 countries are competing. See last week's Chess Buzz for a list of all countries pre-registered.

We welcome your feedback about our site! Please write to: feedback@uschess.org

Well, that's the buzz for this week.

Have a hot story for us? A trend you want us to look into? An item only chessplayers can appreciate? Write webmaster@uschess.org

Return to Welcome Page
Return to CHESS LIFE ONLINE
Chess Life Online Archives includes index to past issues of Chess Buzz and Fun Facts

Return to top of page | Return to CHESS LIFE Online

This page was last updated October 5, 1998