Christopher Kreuzer wrote: ↑Thu Aug 09, 2018 3:24 pm
Heh. Good spot. I am sure there are other such connections as well, especially if you look at Ireland, Scotland and Wales (and the Channel Islands and so on) and some of the weaker Anglophone countries. A more obscure example is John Dempsey who transferred in 2015 from SCO to the ISV (the US Virgin Islands) and is also playing in this Olympiad.
So far as Ireland is concerned, NO. Some of our players on both teams may have foreign-looking names but I don't think any are of British background. (The women's top board, who is a barrister I think, may be working in England now.)
On the men's team, obviously Alex Baburin was originally from Russia but he's an Irish citizen and has been here for about 25 years now.
Alex Lopez (as he prefers to call himself) is from Cork; Stephen Jessel has one Irish and one French parent.
On the women's team, we have two of Romanian background but Diana is from Limerick. This is her third olympiad and she's only 18.
Ioana (nee Gelip), who is non-playing captain and Irish women's champion, is unfortunately not eligible until next time.
The Plaza Reino clan (there's quite a few of them) transferred from Spain to Ireland a couple of years ago.
Next time around (or the olympiad after that) I expect we shall have some players with Indian and Chinese names, all born in Ireland.
Tim Harding
Historian and FIDE Arbiter
Author of 'Steinitz in London,' British Chess Literature to 1914', 'Joseph Henry Blackburne: A Chess Biography', and 'Eminent Victorian Chess Players'
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