23 September 2018

Vladimir Putin Meets Russian National Teams

President of Russia wishes good luck to them at Olympiad in Batumi.

Photo from Alexandra Kosteniuk's archive
Photo from Alexandra Kosteniuk's archive

The President of the Russian Chess Federation Vladimir Putin met the Russian national chess teams in Sochi and wished them good luck at the forthcoming Olympiad in Batumi.  

The Russian national men's team with Vladimir Kramnik, Ian Nepomniachtchi, Sergey Karjakin, Dmitry Jakovenko, and Nikita Vitiugov has the second starting number. The rating favorite is the U.S. team, a current Olympic champion. Main rivals of the Russian chess players, besides the American team, are chess players from China, Azerbaijan, India, Ukraine, France, Armenia, England, and Israel. Head coach of the Russian national men's chess team is Andrey Filatov, its coaches are Alexander Motylev and Alexander Riazantsev. 

The women's tournament is headed by the Russian team consisting of Alexandra Kosteniuk, Aleksandra Goryachkina, Valentina Gunina, Natalija Pogonina, and Olga Girya. Head coach of the Russian national women's chess team is Sergei Rublevsky, its coaches are Vladimir Potkin and Evgeny Najer. Main competitors of the Russians are the teams from China, Georgia, Ukraine, India, France, Poland, and Kazakhstan. 

The Russian teams have been attending the final training camp in Sochi from which they will go to Batumi.  

General sponsor of the Russian national chess teams is FGC UES. General partner of the Russian Chess Federation is PhosAgro. 

Website of the Olympiad

Tournament page