By Kean Smith (kean@nimblemindschess.org)
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In today’s interview we will be talking with Janelle who travelled to this year’s Chess Olympiad as a supportive parent of her son Noah, who is representing The Bahamas at the 44th Chess Olympiad.  Janelle give a spectator’s view of this highly regarded chess event.

Interviewer:  I understand that you are in Chennai.  Where exactly is Chennai and what takes you there?
 
Janelle:  Chennai is in India, eastern India to be exact.  I am here because my son, Noah Albury, is playing in the 44th FIDE Chess Olympiad as a member of The Bahamas Open Team.  The Chess Olympiad is similar to the Olympics.  It is a chess tournament, held every two years, in which teams representing nations of the world compete in chess. One hundred and eighty-seven (187) countries are participating in this Olympiad.  The best of the best in chess are in India playing in this Olympiad:- Magnus Carlsen, Fabiano Caruana, Vishy Anand and R. Praggnanandhaa just to name a few.

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Interviewer:  One might say that you are far away from home.  What was it like travelling to India during a pandemic?
 
Janelle:  Might say?  We are far away from home.  It took us some 20 hours to travel from Nassau to Chennai, that does not include layovers and check in times.  Our route was Nassau to JFK NYC, JFK NYC to Dubai (we were originally supposed go through Qatar but because of late arrival into JFK from Nassau we missed all our connecting flights and had to spend the night in JFK airport, but that is a story for another time).  Then we took a flight from Dubai to Chennai.
 
Travelling to India during a pandemic was fine once I overcame the Covid psychological barrier.  Once I put myself in the mindset that this was something we were committed to doing and took all the Covid precautions I was comfortable.  And once I think my children, my 11-year-old daughter is also travelling with us, saw I was at ease they were comfortable.

Interviewer:  The Chess Olympiad is probably the largest team chess competition globally. What were your expectations attending your first Olympiad and have any of them been met? 
 
Janelle:  My expectations were that this experience would be a once in a lifetime experience.  I was not entirely sure what to expect but I knew that if would be a learning and growth experience for us all.  My expectations were high when preparing for this trip and the trip has exceeded all my expectations.
Three of these positive, lifechanging experiences are:

1.  The 44th Chess Olympiad has been very organized.  This is a global, high-level event and it is evident that a lot of time and money have gone into organizing this event.
2. The fierce competition and angst of the chess Olympiad as with any sport.  The Competition is high and what it takes for a player both mentally and physically is a lot.
3. The exposure not only to India’s culture but also to the cultures of all the other participants who one has the opportunity to interact with.

 
Interviewer:  What are the conditions/provisions (environment) for spectators especially parents?
 
Janelle:  There is an app called FollowChess where spectators can view and follow games.  At the Tournament site there is also a spectator spot where one can sit to view games from the sidelines.  There are very strict guidelines to enter this spectator space: no cell phones or cameras allowed.  Those items must be checked in before entry and security checks bags for these items.  I had a chess magazine in my bag, and they made me check that into storage as well.  There are also jumbo screens set up all around the tournament site streaming games live, but those screens only stream the top tier countries.
 
I kept myself occupied by walking around the tournament site, there is lots to see.  There is an exhibition hall, a food court offering Indian and international foods, live performances and games on the outdoor lawn and chess presentation on topics such as the Social Impact of Chess and Women in Chess.  Furthermore, there are other parents here namely Angela Pride, mother of Chika Pride, Bahamas Women's Olympiad Team and Harold and Shirlene Watson, grandparents of Jayla Cargilll, member of The Bahamas Women's Olympiad Team.   

Interviewer:  Finally, would you recommend chess as an activity for children to other parents?

Janelle:  I definitely would recommend chess to other parents.  Of course the benefits of chess are well documented. These benefits include development of analytical skills, cognitive skills, strategic thinking skills and increase in focus.  I was having a discussion with GM Renier Gonzales, Captain/Coach of The Bahamas Olympiad Open Team and he put it aptly in these words: - “You do not have to be smart to play chess. Chess makes you smarter.”
 
Chess also offers opportunities for young people to travel and discover the world, fully paid, to play chess.
 
 
Interviewer:     Do you have any photos you wish to share?

By Kean Smith (kean@nimblemindschess.org​ )

Our interview today, features Trinity.  She has represented The Bahamas on multiple occasions and is giving this interview from Chennai, India while she is having a very successful tournament.

​​ Interviewer: Hello Trinity.  I do not believe that you are a stranger to Chess Olympiads?  Besides this Olympiad, in which other Olympiad(s) you represented The Bahamas?
 
Trinity: Hello You are correct I’m not a stranger to Olympiad(s). My first Olympiad was in 2018 in Batumi, Georgia.
 
Interviewer:  How do those Olympiads compare?  Which one did you enjoy more and why?
 
Trinity:  Both Olympiads are memorable however I am enjoying this one more because not only is there more chemistry between me and my team members but also I feel as if I’m playing better against stronger opponents.
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Interviewer:  Have you represented The Bahamas at any other chess events?
 
Trinity:  I have played in more international tournaments representing the Bahamas. They include the 2017 CARIFTA in Jamaica.  I competed in the Under 16 Division.
I then went on to play in CARIFTA Junior Chess Championship in Willemstad, Curacao in April 2019 and also The North American Youth Chess Championship Kingston, Ontario, Canada in 2019.
 
Interviewer:  I understand from reading FIDE’s website that you have provisionally earned a Candidate Master Title during this Olympiad.  What does this mean to you?  How do you feel about this?
 
Trinity:  You are correct again I have provisionally earned a Candidate Master title during this Olympiad. It means so much to me because I always wanted a title and to know I played well enough to earn one this Olympiad is just epic. I feel super proud of this achievement in my chess career because I finally felt as if I’m moving on up.
 
Interviewer:  Do you have any memorable games and moments from this Olympiad?
 
Trinity:  Yes I have a memorable game from this Olympiad it was Round 7.  I played a Woman Candidate Master and came out on top.  And overall it’s the best game I played yet. The most memorable moment however is when we got a 4-0 result in round 8 because the whole team came together and celebrated and I got an inside look of each player as an individual.  I also enjoyed going to the Zoo and seeing the elephants.

Below are links to summaries of the World Chess Federation 2022 Candidates Tournament which is being held at the Palacio de Santona in Madrid, Spain from 16 June, 2022 - 5 July, 2022.

The following players are participating in this double round robin tournament:

GM Ding Liren (2806)
GM Alireza Firouzja (2793)
GM Fabiano Caruana (2783)
GM Ian Nepomniachtchi (2766)
GM Richard Rapport (2764)
GM Hikaru Nakamura (2760)
GM Teimour Radjabov (2753)
GM Jan-Krzysztof Duda (2750)

The winner of this event earns the right to face the World Chess Champion, GM Magnus Carlsen in a chess match.

Candidates 2022 - Round 4

Candidates 2022 - Round 3

Candidates 2022 - Round 2 

Candidates 2022 - Round 1

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By Kean Smith (kean@nimblemindschess.org) 

In today’s article we are featuring an interview with Noah Albury who qualified for the first time as a member of The Bahamas Olympiad Chess Team.  This is significant because Noah is a junior (Under 20) and won against the highest titled player in The Bahamas Chess Federation during the qualifying tournament.
 
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Interviewer: Noah, congratulations on qualifying for The Bahamas’ Chess Olympiad Team 2022.  When, where and what is the expected format of this year’s Chess Olympiad? 
 
Noah: Thank you for the congratulations. This year’s Olympiad is in Chennai, India from July 28 to August 10. It will be over the board, face to face play. The expected time control is 90 minutes per 40 moves with an additional 30 minutes after the 40th move and an increment of 30 seconds after each move.
 
 
Interviewer: Would this be the first time that you represent The Bahamas at an international chess tournament?  If no, then please list the tournaments and which sections you participated. 
 
Noah:This would not be the first time I have represented The Bahamas in an international tournament. I have represented The Bahamas in the [following tournaments]:

• CARIFTA Junior Chess Championship (Willemstad, Curacao in April 2019);
• The North American Youth Chess Championship (Kingston, Ontario in August 2019);
• the ISF World Schools Online Cup (October 2020), and
• the Online Chess Olympiad (August 2021).

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​Interviewer: How did you get involved in chess?  Please share one of your earliest experiences with chess? 
 
Noah: My earliest experience with chess was in 6th grade when one of the students brought a chess board into class. My classmate taught me the basic moves. My classmates and I played around with it for awhile and that was my first introduction to the game. A couple months later my mother saw me teaching my sister to play and was impressed with how well I was explaining the moves to my sister. She did some research on coaches and I started taking lessons. I started playing the game in late 2018.


Interviewer: Following your earliest experiences, at which point did you decide to pursue chess as an extra-curricular activity?
 
Noah: I decided to pursue chess as an extracurricular activity in Grade 8, in 2018. At the time I began participating in tournaments and playing more games.

Over the Covid lockdown I also assisted the former President of BCF, Mr. Elton Joseph, to teach little children basic chess moves. I earned my FIDE Developmental Instructor certification in 2019. 
 
 
Interviewer: Many people believe that chess is a good activity for school age children.  Do you believe this?  How has learning and playing chess benefited you? 
 
Noah: I do believe that chess is a good activity for school children. Learning chess has afforded me many travel opportunities. I enjoy the challenge of the game, it makes you think and is a very competitive sport. I love chess!
 
 
Interviewer: You qualified for the Chess Olympiad team during the Easter Qualifier which was played on Saturday 23 April, 2022.  During that tournament you played the black pieces against FM Cecil Moncur.  At which point do you believe you were able to equalise?   
 
Noah: The game was always even, but I started to gain an advantage when he traded pieces into a winning endgame for me.
 
 
Interviewer: Also, at what point during that game did you gain the initiative and what was your plan to maintain it or to convert it into a win? 
 
Noah: I gained the initiative in the endgame when I started using my bishop to attack his pawns. They couldn’t be protected and this guaranteed a win for me. At Move 29, when I moved e5 (see chess diagram below) I started to win. I won with only 4 seconds left on the clock.  
 

Interviewer: Finally, what did the result of the game against FM Moncur mean to you and why? 
 
Noah: My victory meant a lot to me because I proved that no matter how good someone is, they are able to be beaten. It also meant a lot to me because FM Moncur was my first chess teacher. I respect him, know how good he is and know there is still a lot I can learn from him.
 
 
Interviewer: Noah, thank you for agreeing to this interview and I wish you all he best during the upcoming Chess Olympiad and many good moves with your chess.  I look forward to hearing about your experience at your first Olympiad.
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