Chess Grand Master Bologan visits Guyana Chess Federation Campaigns for Russia’s former Deputy PM for President of Fide

Aug 30, 2018 Sports

Arkady Dvorkovich is being backed by Russia and Grand Master Bologan.

By Sean Devers
President of the Guyana Chess Federation (GCF) Attorney of Law and Politician James Bond said the one-day visit by 46-year-old Viktor Bologan Moldovan, Chess Grandmaster and Chess author has many benefits for the GCF, especially with the 43rd Chess Olympiad Batumi set to start in Georgia from September 23.
Bond told the gathering at the National Resource Centre on Tuesday that the development of Chess in small federations like the GCF does not get the attention or funding they need to move Chess forward.
“The federation will benefit from the Grandmaster’ experience and his ideas on Chess in Schools, Chess in Prisons and this trip could be the first of many,” Bond informed.
Bond feels another benefit will be the training of the team here for the Olympiad and the Grand Master will give some tips to team members.
There is also a benefit for Bologan, who in 1996 successfully defended a doctoral thesis on the structure of preparation of high level chess players at the Russian State University of Physical Education, Sport, Youth and Tourism and is throwing his support behind a new candidate for president of the global chess body, Fide.
Russia is backing 46-year-old Arkady Dvorkovich, who Bologan says has an impressive CV in both chess and politics. He stated that Dvorkovich was Deputy Prime Minister for six years and headed the Organising Committee for the FIFA World Cup, and organised the 2014 Magnus Carlsen vs Vishy Anand world title match at Sochi.

Viktor Bologan, Moldovan chess grandmaster play against members of the National Chess team including National champ Wendell Meusa (left).

If Bologan get Guyana to pledge their support for Dvorkovich that would be his benefit of his brief trip to Guyana. Bond disclosed that Greece’s Georgios Makropoulos, the FIDE Deputy President and Chief Administrator, is contesting against Dvorkovich at the elections set for October 3.
Kirsan Nikolayevich Ilyumzhinov, a businessman and politician, was the President of the Republic of Kalmykia in the Russian Federation from 1993 to 2010, and he has been the President of FIDE, the international governing body for the game of chess, since 1995.
Before the parties had a closed door session to debate what Bologna’s man could do for small Chess Federations like Guyana, the Grand Master took on members of the national Chess team which included National Champion Wendell Meusa at the same time.
The Chess Olympiad is a biennial tournament where teams from all over the world compete. FIDE organises the tournament and selects the host nation. Guyana’s 2018 Chess Olympiad Batumi team to Georgia comprise 10 players; a five-member Guyanese open and a five member women’s team.
The Open team is Glenford Corlette, Anthony Drayton, Taffin Khan, Wendell Meusa and Loris Nathoo while the Women’s team is made up of Sheriffa Ali, Nellisha Johnson, Shazeeda Rahim, Sasha Christina Shariff and Maria Varona-Thomas.