2016 Olympiad - Baku

[Matt Mackenzie]

Any chance of telling it, then?

Sorry, I have no confirmed facts. I just believe strongly that something happened which should not have happened, and a lot of African chess players have a right to be very cross. That number of teams being confidently expected and not showing up is more than bad luck.

How does it compare with previous events?

[Alex Holowczak]

Any chance of telling it, then?

Sorry, I have no confirmed facts. I just believe strongly that something happened which should not have happened, and a lot of African chess players have a right to be very cross. That number of teams being confidently expected and not showing up is more than bad luck.

How does it compare with previous events?

Without digging up the data, extremely unfavourably. There seemed to be a marked increase in teams not being in the city/country for Round 1, but also an increase in such teams being paired. I barely recall it being a problem at all in Tromso.

[NickFaulks]

I barely recall it being a problem at all in Tromso.

Tromso was actually the exception, because they decided not to put teams in the first round draw unless they had confirmed their presence at the captains' meeting. This produced almost no empty boards, which was not considered in keeping with the proud traditions of the Olympiad, so in Baku the idea was abandoned.

There is nothing new about African teams hoping to play and then finding they are unable for various reasons to manage the trip. What appears to have been different this year is that you get the impression that many of them were still expecting to come at a very late stage.

[Christopher Kreuzer]

There is nothing new about African teams hoping to play and then finding they are unable for various reasons to manage the trip. What appears to have been different this year is that you get the impression that many of them were still expecting to come at a very late stage.

May I ask if such teams were expecting funding (e.g. to cover travel) from various sources (both within and outside FIDE) and whether the lack of such funding and the lack of clarity until very late on, was tied up with FIDE politics and extra-FIDE chess politics and FIDE finances? i.e. Were some (mainly African?) teams promised funding that never materialised?

[Kevin Thurlow]

"Were some (mainly African?) teams promised funding that never materialised?"

Were there visa problems?

[NickFaulks]

May I ask if such teams were expecting funding (e.g. to cover travel) from various sources (both within and outside FIDE)

You may ask, but it's the big unanswered question. Bermuda was eligible for travel assistance, and it was made absolutely clear from the start that we had to buy our own tickets, with our own money, and would in due course be refunded a fixed amount per player. I would be very surprised indeed if the FIDE office told any federation a different story, but once a rumour is started, combined with wishful thinking, it can be difficult to put out the fire.

The travel grants are a very magnanious concept, perhaps too much so. People tend not to value things that simply drop into their laps.

[Roger de Coverly]

Were there visa problems?

Nigel Short was reporting that the visas for the English party arrived only shortly before they were due to travel and that numerous obstacles were placed in the obtaining of visas. Strange really for a country regarded as an oligarchy, that a high level decision to put on a hopefully prestigious international event should potentially be thwarted by low level minions dealing with visa applications.

[NickFaulks]

Were there visa problems?

No. There were technical annoyances with the online system providing visas in advance, but it was always clear that it was possible to arrive at Baku airport with a letter of invitation and get a visa there.

[Alex Holowczak]

May I ask if such teams were expecting funding (e.g. to cover travel) from various sources (both within and outside FIDE)

You may ask, but it's the big unanswered question. Bermuda was eligible for travel assistance, and it was made absolutely clear from the start that we had to buy our own tickets, with our own money, and would in due course be refunded a fixed amount per player. I would be very surprised indeed if the FIDE office told any federation a different story, but once a rumour is started, combined with wishful thinking, it can be difficult to put out the fire.

The travel grants are a very magnanious concept, perhaps too much so. People tend not to value things that simply drop into their laps.

I must confess it seemed slightly strange to me that Bermuda, Guernsey and Jersey were eligible for travel assistance. None are known for being impoverished backwaters...

[NickFaulks]

and that numerous obstacles were placed in the obtaining of visas.

The special, streamlined visa system was instigated too late, wasn't tested properly and there were annoying technical issues. I'm sure Nigel knows perfectly well that there was never any possibility of players being refused entry.

[NickFaulks]

I must confess it seemed slightly strange to me that Bermuda, Guernsey and Jersey were eligible for travel assistance. None are known for being impoverished backwaters...

I can't speak for the Channel Islands, but there are players in Bermuda who have defaulted club games because they didn't have the bus fare.

[Alex Holowczak]

I must confess it seemed slightly strange to me that Bermuda, Guernsey and Jersey were eligible for travel assistance. None are known for being impoverished backwaters...

I can't speak for the Channel Islands, but there are players in Bermuda who have defaulted club games because they didn't have the bus fare.

Conversely, there was presumably a significant amount of private money was coming in for the party.

I imagine FIDE/the organisers must have had some sort of formula that put countries into one of the categories, rather than just do it on an ad hoc basis. I'm not sure which boxes were ticked by Bermuda that weren't ticked by, say, Wales.

[NickFaulks]

Conversely, there was presumably a significant amount of private money was coming in for the party.

Nope, party is largely self-financing nowadays, except that team members bring in copious quantities of Gosling's Black Rum.

[Roger de Coverly]

I'm not sure which boxes were ticked by Bermuda that weren't ticked by, say, Wales.

One of them is general population. The ECU has "small nations" competitions, which don't include Wales.

[Alex Holowczak]

Conversely, there was presumably a significant amount of private money was coming in for the party.

Nope, party is largely self-financing nowadays, except that team members bring in copious quantities of Gosling's Black Rum.

Ah, fair enough then! Still seems strange that Bermuda qualifies, though.