A historic moment for the Caribbean nation Grenada as it will take part in its first-ever Chess Olympiad at Budapest from September 10th to 23rd, 2024. The Grenada Chess Federation has released their team of five male and five female players alongside two non-playing team captains.
The Grenada Chess Federation has named the first team selected for Chess Camp 2024, which is to participate from August 19 to August 23, 2024, at the Grenada Boys’ Secondary School Auditorium.
Representing Grenada in the Open Tournament are Jones Renniel Gilbert, Tyler Thomas, Javon James, Gennard Roberts, Carlyle Glean Jr., and Vladimir Mendez. Competing in the Women’s Tournament are Rockisha Flanders, Achazia Lewis, Naziyah James, Tauriel Frank, Bernel Chitan, and Denise Bouah.
The Chess Olympiad is a team competition for national chess federations winning gold medals and the title of strongest chess nation. Over 190 teams will join the Open section. Grenada’s participation highlights its openness and commitment to encourage sports and gender equality.
The 45th Chess Olympiad will be split into two tournaments. The first among them is the Open Tournament, this contest opens for players who have an Elo rating below 2300. Secondly, the Women’s Tournament is available to female players with a rating below 2200 Elo.
The competitions will be held in a Swiss format (11 rounds) with the usual time control (90 minutes per game plus 30 seconds ahead from move one).
Before the commencement of the 45th Chess Olympiad, Grenada’s female chess players went through an intense three-month training session sponsored by FIDE from March to June 2024. Dr. Denise Bouah, a certified coach from South Africa, led sessions to sharpen the skills of the five selected women for the Olympiad.”
The Ministry of Youth and Sports of Grenada also extended their warm wishes to all the selected team members who will compete in the 45th Chess Olympiad. Grenada Prime Minister Dickon Mitchell praised the Chess Federation for setting a new historic record as it is Grenada’s first team to take part in the Chess Olympiad. He expressed his excitement in light of the following, “A major achievement for Grenada on the International sporting stage, and we have no doubt that our team will do us proud.”
The Grenada Chess Federation’s hard work and vision are highlighted through Grenada’s participation in the 45th Chess Olympiad 2024. The team now looks to take on the best of Europe as it heads for Budapest, having received all its love and support from home.
The 45th Chess Olympiad in Budapest witnessed a landmark moment for the first time in history when around 184 women’s teams competed alongside 196 teams in the Open Section. It marks a big step towards gender equality as this was the closest ratio of men’s to women’s teams in the event’s history.
