The International Chess Federation (FIDE) has published the teams which will participate in the 45th Olympiad in Budapest, Hungary, from September 11-22, 2024. The average ELO rating per team is calculated to determine which team starts at the top, and likewise at the bottom.
Naturally, the top teams are the ones with the highest ratings, and are the favourites to win the Chess Olympiad. This year, the USA with a rating of 2758, India 2755 and China 2729, are the three top teams entering the Olympiad, according to the ELO seeding list. Uzbekistan, although winning the Olympiad in 2022, is ranked fourth, with an ELO rank of 2684.
In the Open tournament, Guyana is listed at 153 from 193 countries with an ELO rating of 1897. It is ranked above the Maldives, Aruba, Cayman Islands, Dominica, Grenada, the Bahamas, Belize, and others. Ronuel Greenindge has been named as captain of the Guyana team. FIDE has not named the members of the various teams for the Olympiad.
In the local 2024 National Junior Championship, the final games were being contested last Wednesday morning. Queen’s College student Kyle Couchman had played undefeated up to that point, conceding a draw only to Ricardo Narine and was opposing Sachin Pitamber. I followed the live game on the internet. The position was equal but I gave white, Couchman, the edge in the ensuing battle. Couchman and Pitamber are the two strongest participants in the tournament. Aditi Joshi, employing the Sicilian defence as black, scored a 17- move draw with Pitamber. This was a remarkable development as Pitamber is one of the strongest juniors in Guyana. Therefore, congratulations to Aditi!
