Drum Interviews @ Dresden Olympiad!
GM Pontus Carlsson (Sweden) – Carlsson was Sweden’s 16th GM and the second Black player to earn the coveted GM title. In this interview, he gives a candid interview about the Olympiad, rule changes, his career and his future. Carlsson always speaks candidly on issues and if you’ve seen him in person, he is certainly a man with an original sense of style (12:25 minutes).
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GM Pontus Carlsson (Sweden)
Photo by Daaim Shabazz.
Sani Mohammad and Adeyemi Lekan (Nigeria) – The President and Vice President of Nigerian Chess Federation discuss the historic Olympiad trials along with the teams’ performances and the future of Nigerian chess. There is also the issue of visas which is touched on. Lekan asserts that this was the best possible Nigerian team and explains why. Interesting. (10:33 minutes)
Barthelemy Bongo Akanga Ndjila (Gabon) – The Gabonese Chess Federation is only one year old and this is the first Olympiad ever. Unfortunately, the tournament ended on a sour note when the team forfeited on board #1 resulting in a protest. Clearly distraught and disappointed, he explains the situation in his second-language, English. (13:34 minutes).
Lewis Ncube (Zambia) – The current Vice President for FIDE discusses a number of issues including visa issues in Dresden, 2010 Olympiad, Africa’s progress, FIDE new Olympiad rules, and his future in FIDE. He closes by mentioning the importance of Amon Simutowe in the promotion of chess. (14:43 minutes)
GM Levon Aronian (Armenia) – Leading his team to a second consecutive gold medal, the affable Grandmaster talks about the Olympiad environment, the Armenian motivation leading upto the gold medal. Notice that Aronian speaks English without much of an accent. (4:16 minutes)
‘asserts that this is the best Nigerian team and explains why’.
Talk of the soft bigotry of lowered expectations. A team that came 102nd. ! is the best Nigerian team ever? Wow!
Ahmed,
He did not say it was the best team ever. His point was that the 2008 team did no worse than the 2006 version. This was the best team they could field this year. It is a surprising when you find that the 2006 had three IMs (Adu, Aikhoje and Akintola) and two 2250s while the 2008 team had one IM, one 2250+, one 1988 and two unrateds. If we look at results, the 2006 team had +4 -6 =3 (one forfeit loss) while the 2008 team had +3 -5 =3. These are roughly identical records. He gives an interesting rationale for this, but listen to the interview for yourself.
I Great guy!!!
We’ve been together in the African Continetal meeting!
I was representing ANGOLA.
I would like, if you don’t mind please, to send me the picture of that meeting. I need them to show to my president and all the mates from ANGOLA CHESS FEDERATION
Thank you in advance and best regards.
p.s. sorry for my english
Pais Pinto
Oi Pais Pinto!
It was nice meeting you in Dresden. There are many pictures. I will post a few, but you can find them here.
https://picasaweb.google.com/daaimshabazz/2008ChessOlympiadRound09#
African Continental Meeting
FIDE Continental President, Dabilani Buthali (Botswana)
Angola Delegates listen to FIDE Treasurer, Nigel Freeman
Buthali, South Africa’s Omar Esau and CACDEC Chair Allan Herbert listen intently to Algeria’s Lakhdar Mazouz, member of FIDE’s Verfication Commission.
Florencio Campomanes pays the African conferees a visit!
L-R: Akinola Abidemi (Nigeria), Dr. Omar Esau (South Africa), Sani Mohammad (Nigeria), Dr. Daaim Shabazz (USA), Andolo Ambasi (Kenya)