Chess Olympiad Open Section: Who will reign supreme in Budapest?

By WGM Anna Burtasova

One hundred ninety-seven teams have registered for the open section of the 45th Chess Olympiad in Budapest. With FIDE currently encompassing 201 national federations, the registration numbers fall short by just four federations. As is often the case, not every registered team will make it to Budapest for various reasons. Nevertheless, this Olympiad is set to break participation records.

The teams from the USA, India, and China stand out as rating favorites, with the average rating of all team members exceeding 2700.

The USA has assembled an almost optimal roster. Fabiano Caruana, Wesley So, Leinier Dominguez, Levon Aronian, and reserve player Ray Robson bring the average rating to an impressive 2755. However, the team does not include the USA’s number one, Hikaru Nakamura (2802), or the current number five, Hans Niemann (2733). Niemann gained 45 rating points over the summer and did not make the cut before this leap. Nakamura also skipped the previous Olympiad in Chennai. This time, he’s absent again, despite being the world’s number two and a sure candidate for the first board. The USA has an extensive Olympiad record, having participated in 40 Olympiads and won 20 medals (6 gold, 6 silver, 8 bronze). Their latest successes were gold in 2016 and silver in 2018, with Nakamura being part of the team on both occasions.

In their home Olympiad in Chennai, India had the privilege of fielding several teams, and their youth team performed better than the main one. Gukesh D and his teammates (Gukesh, Sarin, Praggnanandhaa, Adhiban, Sadhwani) won bronze, while the main team finished fourth. Three players from the youth team made it to this year’s roster. Arjun Erigaisi (20 years old) leads the squad, followed by Gukesh (18), Praggnanandhaa (19), Vidit (32), and Harikrishna (38). Anand has stepped aside for the younger generation, and apart from him, all of India’s top-rated stars will be in action. Beside co-winning the 2020 Online Chess Olympiad and the 2022 bronze, India has never won medals at the Chess Olympiads. Now, they are stronger than ever and will definitely aim for gold.

China is seeded third with an average rating of 2724. The World Champion Ding Liren (2736) has given way to Wei Yi (2762) as the highest-rated player. The team also includes Yu Yangyi, Bu Xiangzhi, and Wang Yue. The Chinese squad is no longer as young as it once was, with no players under 25. Wei is 25, Ding is 31, Yu is 30, Bu is 38, and Wang is 37. For Bu, this will be his eighth Olympiad, reflecting the general trend in male Chinese chess. The first player born in 2001 or later appears only in the 32nd place on the rating list. It contrasts sharply with their women’s team, where three young talents occupy the top three boards this year. China won the 2014 and 2018 Olympiads with a similar lineup but did not participate in 2022 due to coronavirus restrictions. Whether these “veterans” can compete against the rising Indian and Uzbekistan squads will be one of the most intriguing aspects of the competition.

Defending champions Uzbekistan, who caused a sensation in Chennai, are seeded fourth and have the same lineup as two years ago: Nodirbek Abdusattorov, Javokhir Sindarov, Nodirbek Yakubboev, Shamsiddin Vokhidov, and Jakhongir Vakhidov. At 29, Vakhidov is the team’s “veteran,” with everyone else younger than 23. The average age of this team is just 22 years old, even younger than India’s average of 25 years. To bring in wisdom and experience, the team captain is former world champion Vladimir Kramnik.

What about Magnus Carlsen? He is leading the Norway squad, which includes Carlsen, Christiansen, Tari, Amar, and Urkedal, with an average rating of 2670 and a sixth starting rank. Having swept all possible chess titles individually, the world’s number one is eager to win team medals. His enthusiasm and leadership brought Norway to fifth place in 2016, their best result so far.

It is important to note that the team lineups are still provisional, and changes in the board order are possible. We might witness not only Ding Liren vs. Gukesh D (the two are set to play the world championship match but have never met at the board) but also Carlsen vs. Ding and Carlsen vs. Gukesh games – all very intriguing encounters.

Chess Olympiads are not only about teams and nations; they also gather talents from every part of the globe. Some names to closely follow include 13-year-old Turkish prodigy Yagiz Kaan Erdogmus, the youngest grandmaster in the world; 7-year-old Javon D James from Grenada, the youngest participant of the Olympiad; Ukraine’s legends GMs Ruslan Ponomariov and Vasyl Ivanchuk; and “the world’s strongest amateur chess player,” trader by day GM Luke McShane.

You can find all the team lineups here:

Chess-Results – 45th Chess Olympiad Budapest 2024