USCF Announces 2008 Olympiad Teams
By Jerry Nash
July 17, 2008
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Jerry Nash
jnash@uschess.org
(Crossville, July 18, 2008) The United States Chess Federation (USCF) announced the teams and captains for the 38th Chess Olympiad scheduled for November 12 – 25, 2008, in Dresden, Germany.
The Chess Olympiads, begun in 1924, are the most prestigious of the world team tournaments organized by the World Chess Federation (FIDE).
Teams from more than 100 nations participate in this event scheduled every two years. In the previous two Olympiads, US teams achieved success in bringing home medals. In 2004, the US Women’s team won the Silver in Calvia, Spain, and in 2006, the US Men’s team captured the Bronze in Turin, Italy.
The 38th Chess Olympiad United States Teams
Men’s Team: Varuzhan Akobian, Gata Kamsky, Hikaru Nakamura, Alexander Onischuk, Yury Shulman, Captain – John Donaldson.
Women’s Team: Tatev Abrahamyan, Rusudan Goletiani, Irina Krush, Katerina Rohonyan, Anna Zatonskih, Captain – Michael Khodarkovsky and Coach – Gregory Kaidanov.
The players were selected by a formula which takes into account several factors including USCF and FIDE ratings. Yury Shulman and Anna Zatonskih also qualified by winning the 2008 US Men’s and Women’s Chess Championships.
The captains and coaches were selected by a vote of the players of each team. Significant modifications in the tournament format will impact the play at the 2008 Olympiad. The event has been reduced from 14 rounds to 11 rounds and scoring has been changed from game to match points.
Another change is the composition of the teams themselves. The men’s teams have been reduced by one alternate player to the current Four Boards plus One Board alternate player. The women’s teams have been increased by one player to an identical 4+1 composition.
Official Olympiad Website: www.dresden2008.com
Wow!! These are best available choices!!
My prognosis is:
MEN: BRONZE MEDAL
WOMEN: BRONZE MEDAL
This will be the most best result of USCF in history, if they fulfill my prognosis!! Good luck to all!!!
‘scoring has been changed from game to match points’
Is this the best formula for USCF?
I have trouble pronouncing 4/5 women’s surnames. Men are OK. This is very important because of proper cheering.
My only issue is that they did not use FM Paul Truong as the Women’s team captain, when he already has that experience.
I think FM Truong is the only women’s team captain to lead the US to team and individual medals. I read somewhere that the team won 2 gold and 2 silver medals under his captainship while no other team has won even a single one.
The men’s team has a chance to medal. The women’s team has no chance to medal. Sad!
I think the match points should help the U.S. and maybe hurt countries that pad their points total by racking up tons of 4-0 or 3.5-.5 scores against weaker teams (for example China, although with possibly 4 2700+ players on the team, it probably won’t hurt them much).