Guyana’s participation at the important 2014 Norway Chess Olympiad, scheduled for the beginning of August, represents a milestone for the sprinkling of local practitioners of the ancient game. The Olympiad promises to be an exciting affair as it is every chess player’s dream to attend the fabled and inspiring tournament. Carlsen and Anand will be there, Carlsen on top board for Norway, and Anand on top board for India. Kasparov and Karpov will be there, and so will be other accomplished grandmasters. At a modest count, some three to four hundred journalists will be reporting on the event.
In addition to play and the reportage on the games, there is also the anticipated FIDE Congress, during which elections will be held to determine the next President of FIDE. The incumbent, Kirsan Ilyumzhinov, will be opposing Garry Kasparov for the coveted job. Each country has a single vote, and therefore in this instance, Guyana becomes as modestly powerful as the economic behemoths. There has been much backroom discussion about the purchasing of votes, especially in relation to the economically impoverished nations. The international chess organization, FIDE, numbers 162 countries.
In Monday’s press release announcing the renewed participation of Guyana in the chess Olympiads, one notices the
