National chess captain Loris Nathoo feels there is still enough time for the national chess team to have over the board preparation for participation in next year’s Chess Olympiad.
The Chess Olympiad was scheduled to be held in Russia from August 5-17 but was postponed earlier this year because of the coronavirus pandemic.
Locally, preparations for the selection of the team have been put on hold as there are no over the board tournaments being held said Nathoo who added that the exact venue for the Chess Olympiad has not yet been determined.
“They’re looking at two options Russia and Georgia,” he told Stabroek Sports yesterday.
Nathoo said preparations for the Olympiad have been paused because of the pandemic and the National Chess Championships have also been shelved temporarily.
“Don’t know exactly when Covid-19 will allow for over the board games to be held,” he said.
“We did not get to hold the 2020 National Championships. That was postponed and the year is almost finished,” he added.
Nathoo said while the junior players have been more active, there have been a couple of online tournaments for senior players, the last one was won by Irshad Mohammed.
A release from the FIDE Council in March, stated that both the Olympiad (to be held in Moscow) and the FIDE Congress (Khanty-Mansiysk) have been postponed.
The release added that they have been rescheduled for the summer of 2021 at the same locations:
“So given that we have a new date some 10 months into the future we still have time enough for tournaments to be held before selecting the team,” Nathoo said.
Following is the statement from FIDE on the postponement of the Chess Olympiad.
“Dear members of the chess community,
As you know, the Chess Olympiad is the most popular FIDE event, attended by thousands of people, including players, coaches, officials, and spectators. The mission of Chess Olympiads is not only to determine the sportive results but also to popularize our game and unite chess lovers around the world in this truly global sports festival.
At the same time, FIDE is deeply concerned about the growing COVID-19 pandemic and its impact on people’s lives.
Taking into account the reports from the World Health Organisation (WHO) indicating the constant increase in the number of cases worldwide, and given today’s IOC statement regarding the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games, FIDE has decided to postpone the 44th Chess Olympiad (including the competition for players with disabilities) and the FIDE Congress.
These events, to be held in Moscow and Khanty-Mansiysk during the summer of 2020, are rescheduled to the summer of 2021 at the same locations. FIDE will continue to work hard in order to support various chess activities, at the same time caring first and foremost about the health and well-being of the entire chess community.”
Guyana last participated at the 43rd Chess Olympiad in Batumi, Georgia in 2018.
