Andrey Filatov: Russian Team's Lineup for Online Olympiad is Optimal

Interview of the CFR President in TASS.

The lineup of the Russian national team for the FIDE Online Olympiad, to be held for in online format for the first time, is optimal and set to the maximum goal, highlighted President of the Chess Federation of Russia (CFR) Andrey Filatov in his interview to TASS.

Yesterday, the CFR announced the national team lineup for the chess Olympiad.

The team captain is GM Alexander Motylev. Representing the Russian team are: men - Alexander Grischuk, Ian Nepomniachtchi, Daniil Dubov, Vladislav Artemiev; juniors - Andrey Esipenko and Alexey Sarana; women - Kateryna Lagno, Aleksandra Goryachkina, Alexandra Kosteniuk, Valentina Gunina; girls - Polina Shuvalova, and Margarita Potapova.

“The team’s lineup is optimal. As has always been the case, we have selected the best-rated players with the utmost goals in mind,” highlighted Filatov. “We have formidable opponents, especially China and the USA, and everyone is determined to win.”

Each team will feature six main players (with at least one junior male and female players, and two women) and six reserve players. Time control is 15 minutes per game with a 5-second increment for each move. The first FIDE Online Olympiad is scheduled for July 22 through August 30. The Russian team is to begin from the final stage on August 19.

"This Olympiad to be a milestone event in the history of sports. Sometime in the past, chess players made up their mind to introduce the concept of a world champion, and other sports followed suit. As we are getting ready to hold the first online event of this magnitude, I am confident that other federations and sports organizations will follow suit and adapt our experience for their future competitions. When the world goes through a pandemic, sports can and should develop online," Filatov emphasized.

At the end of March 2020, FIDE announced the World Chess Olympiad, the first-ever chess Paralympiad and FIDE Congress's postponement. The opening ceremony of the World Chess Olympiad, the World Chess Paralympiad, the FIDE Congress and General Assembly, was held in Khanty-Mansiysk, and the main tournament of the Chess Olympiad in Moscow.

Original in Russian