The International Chess Federation (FIDE) approved a bid from Chennai, India, on March 15, to host this year’s Chess Olympiad. The biennial event began in 1927 and is hugely popular, attracting some 175 countries and approximately 2,000 players. It will be held from July 26 to August 8, tentatively. This year’s 44th Chess Olympiad was programmed initially for Russia but the FIDE Council approved a motion for an alternative venue.
The city of Chennai is the capital of Tamil Nadu with a population of seven million. Its most famous son is grandmaster and a former world chess champion Viswanathan Anand. Chennai was also the home to Manuel Aaron, India’s first international master in chess. Currently, India is considered a chess powerhouse worldwide boasting 70 grandmasters and a number of lesser masters.
At the moment, some of those masters are assisting a select group of our Guyanese youngsters with developing our chess abilities. In 2013, Chennai hosted the world championship match between Magnus Carlsen and Anand.
The change in the schedule of the Olympiad from September to July would impact the Gaico Grand Prix Tournaments, and perhaps, the Guyana Chess Federation’s (GCF) National Championship. If both the Grand Prix and the Nationals are used as the yardsticks for gaining entry into the Olympiad, it means the GCF has to complete the cycle of tournaments before mid-June. FIDE requests each participating nation for the Olympiad to submit their teams and officials’ names one full month before the start dates.
During the last Grand Prix Tournament at which the four top finishers were Anthony Drayton, Adrian Roopnarine, Davion Mars and Loris Nathoo, there was, regrettably, a sprinkling of players. For the second Grand Prix however, my prediction is there will be a dramatic increase.
Chess game
White: Adrian Roopnarine
Black: Loris Nathoo
Event: Gaico Grand Prix, Georgetown, Guyana. March 27, 2022
Type of Game: Ruy Lopez
1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 d6 4. O-O Nf6 5. Re1 Be7 6. h3 O-O 7. c3 a6 8. Ba4 b5 9. Bc2 Bb7 10. d3 h6 11. Be3 d5 12. exd5 Nxd5 13. d4 Nxe3 14. fxe3 Bf6 15. Qd3 g6 16. Nbd2 Bg7 17. h4 f5 18. h5 e4 19. Nxe4 fxe4 20. Bb3+ Kh8 21. Qxe4 Na5 22. Qxg6 Nxb3 23. axb3 Bxf3 24. gxf3 Rxf3 25. Kg2 Rf6 26. Qd3 Qd5+ 27. e4 Qg5+ 28. Qg3 Qxh5 29. Qxc7 Rg6+ 30. Kf2 Rf8+ 31. Ke3 Qf3+ 32. Kd2 Rg2+ 33. Kc1 Qd3. O-1. White resigns. White cannot prevent mate on the c2 square.
