Chess

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 03/09/2016 (3577 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

If you didn’t get your fill of Olympic competition this summer in Rio, it’s time to focus on the chess world’s equivalent — the Olympiad, currently being held in Baku, Azerbaijan.

Held every two years, the Olympiad is the chess world’s most impressive collection of strong players and teams battling for supremacy in separate men’s and women’s sections. This year’s edition has about 180 teams representing 176 countries.

I was fortunate enough to attend the opening of the 2012 Olympiad in Istanbul. The opening ceremony was an impressive display of Turkish music, dance and culture, and it was fascinating to see the world’s best chess players all gathered in a single room.

Even at Istanbul four years ago, the Baku organizers had a display indicating they were hard at work preparing for 2016. By all indications, they are intent on putting on a memorable show.

The tournament is being held in the opulent Baku Crystal Hall, which can hold 25,000 spectators. Organizers have a budget of 13.3 million euros, which should ensure a smooth-running event. Chess fans around the world can view the action online, and organizers estimate at least five million are doing so every day.

Of course the games have not been without controversy. Armenia, a chess powerhouse, especially at the Olympiads, refused to send a team. Armenia and Azerbaijan continue to have border conflicts.

With the Armenians out of the picture, the top three teams considered favourites to win on the men’s side are Russia, China and the U.S. In the women’s competition, Russia and China will likely dominate.

Canadian fans will be watching intently to see what Canada’s newest international competitor can do. Evgeny Bareev switched from the Russian to the Canadian federation last year, and he heads the country’s squad with a rating of 2675.

On two separate occasions, Bareev, in 1992 and again in 2002, was ranked the fourth-strongest player in the world. Though he retired from active tournament play in 2010, he has continued coaching and training, and there’s little doubt that he will make a major contribution to Canada’s fortunes as he resumes active competition.

The second strongest Canadian player is Anton Kovalyov at 2617, followed by Eric Hansen at 2582, Thomas Krnan at 2450 and Alexandre Lesiege at 2497. Canada’s average rating is 2560.

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Aleksandar Zashev and Kevin Gentes shared first in this year’s Abe Yanofsky Memorial with 6.5 points. Gustav Baron and Blair Rutter were next at 5. Rutter won top U2000 prize, followed by Tony Boron with 4.5. Colin Prince and Will Bonness shared third U2000 with 4.

Larry Samson and Max Russo won top U1800 with 6 points, followed by Kevin Booth and Cory Letain at 5.5. Newcomer Evheniya-Diana Furda scored 5 points.

Zachary Piche scored 4.5 to take U1400, with Bruce Leaden second at 3.

Arvin Dawa, meanwhile, won the final of the 2016 Manitoba Closed with a 2-0 match victory over Tony Boron in the final. He is Manitoba’s newest National Master at a rating of 2239.