Guyana was the first team to be interviewed at the 43rd Chess Olympiad in Batumi, Georgia, for the popular online magazine, Chess Base. During the Olympiad, at a conservative estimate, millions are in tune with the accredited magazine.
The euphoric feeling following the interview, however, did not translate into initial successes for the Guyana chess teams. The men’s team is classified at Number 150 among the 185 teams from 183 countries, while the women’s team is at 129.
Guyana faced Albania (No 60) in the first round and lost all of their games. The women opposed Venezuela (No 55) and lost by a similar margin. The practical individual Elo-rating determines the manner in which a team is numbered.