There can be no doubt that Team SVG Chess continues to give of its very best at the Chess Olympiad currently being held in Chennai, India. Having secured a win and a draw on two consecutive rounds those being rounds’ 3 and 4, the St Vincent and the Grenadines team was paired with Central African Republic for round 5.
This saw the following boards arrangements (1) Archeveq Vianney Bebondi Koualet who is rated at 1679 against Chinedu Enemchukwu whose rating stands at 1889, (2) Florent Kourakoumba a 1677 rated player had Brian Cottle an unrated player facing him, (3) Sabbas Libert Ndoma whose rating stands at 1387 faced off with the unrated Oris Robinson and (4) Leroy Dolle Degross battled James Schneider, both players not rated.
Team SVG Chess made light work of the Central African Republic players defeating them 4-0. This meant that both Oris Robinson and James Schneider were securing their very first wins of the Olympiad. Robinson hopes to keep this winning going and he had 3 losses before this whilst James has 1 lost and 1 win.
The Vincentian team will play unchanged tomorrow Wednesday August 2rd 2022 with rated 1889 player Chinedu Enemchukwu on board 1 coming up against FIDE Master Ricko Depaune of Nauru who is rated at 1726, Brian Cottle, unrated, will play on board 2 and will clash with Thubalkain a player with the rating 1941, whilst on board 3 Oris Robinson faces off with Yoshi Harris, both of whom are not rated. The final board, board 4 will see the clash between James Schneider and Selu Jed Taleka . Taleka is rated at 1672 while Schneider is yet to be rated.
Ugur Mentes will sit in the reserve chair for a second consecutive round.
Meanwhile, off board, President of the SVG Chess Federation and Head of Delegation participated in meeting of the FIDE Planning and Development Commission yesterday August 1. Session focussed on how to improve the game across the globe. Bruce spoke to the need for FIDE PDC to focus on Federations in their embryonic stages in a manner different to established ones.
On August 2nd it was his participation in the Commission on Education. Great emphasis was placed on chess in education, looking at how the sport can be integrated in the curriculum of schools from pre school to university.
Discussions were held bilaterally between St. Vincent and Grenada and St Vincent and the BVI informally to pursue having an expert in the region to assist in the presentations to state officials and in particular Ministers of Education.
On Wednesday August 3rd President Bruce will attend meeting of the Constitutional and Ethics Commission.
The players will have Thursday to rest their brains in preparation to resume on Friday 5th August 2022.
