Barbados will face tough opposition in the opening round of the 44^th FIDE Chess Olympiad which pushes off in Chennai, India on Friday.

The Open team, which is seeded at no. 124 out of 188 teams, will come up against 31^st ranked Sweden, while the Women’s team, seeded at no. 111 out of 162 teams, face 31^st ranked Peru.

International Master Orlando Husbands, who is competing at his fourth Olympiad, spearheads the Open team that faces a Sweden line-up that includes all Grandmasters.

FIDE Master Justin Blackman is the only other Barbadian in the Open team to play at an Olympiad as newcomers Justin Parsons, Emar Edwards and Adam Roachford prepare for their debut.

Woman Candidate Master Katrina Blackman leads a youthful Women’s team which will clash with a Peru squad that includes one Woman Grandmaster, two Women International Masters and one Woman FIDE Master.

Reigning ladies national champion Hannah Wilson, 13, Chanon Reifer-Belle, 12, Gaybrianna Moore, 17, and Kiarra Eversley, 20, will all be making their first Olympiad appearance.

The Olympiad, which is a team event, will be played over 11 rounds in both the Open and Women’s sections and will conclude on August 9.  It is being contested by a record number of teams at the Four Points by Sheraton Mahabalipuram Resort and Convention Centre.

At the 2018 Olympiad in Batumi, Georgia, both Barbados teams were the highest-placed of the English-speaking Caribbean countries. The Open team finished 97^th out of 185 teams, while the Women’s team placed 99^th out of 151 countries. (BCF)