10 October 2018

Fortune Will Return!

Boris Dolmatovsky’s photo spread from the closing ceremony of the Chess Olympiad in Batumi

And so, two weeks have passed in Batumi- a warm holiday-city on the banks of the Black Sea. The 43rdOlympiad ended with the total triumph of Chinese chess players, who won gold in men’s and women’s tournaments. We offer our congratulations to our friends and competitors! 

As ever, the Russians took a long time to get going and then went along rather quickly, but alas, the road ran out…The men’s team nonetheless managed to split 1st-3rd places, but only won bronze due to additional criteria. Our wonderful women were a little short on luck and they came home without medals; but never mind, fortune will surely return in upcoming tournaments. 

The closing ceremony took place in the State Theatre of Opera and Ballet. There were songs and dances, honorary speeches which occasionally resembled Georgian toasts and, of course, multiple prizes. Prizes for boards, prizes in various rating nominations and medals and cups for the heroes of the Olympiad. Attached below is a large photo report by Doris Dolmatovsky, who went from the theatre to a dinner for Russian chess players organised by the RCF President and the head coach of the men’s team Andrey Filatov.