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(December 2002) As predicted by many close followers of the international chess scene, the powerful Russian team once again captured first place at the 35th Olympiad, which ended November 2002 in Bled, Slovenia. The six players initially named to the Russian team were Garry Kasparov, Evgeny Bareev, Alexander Morozevich, Alexander Grischuk, Alexander Khalifman, and Peter Svidler. Bareev was replaced at the last minute by Sergei Rublevsky.

The Russians finished with 38.5 points (+10-1=3 in match results), a point ahead of Hungary (37.5; +10-1=3) and well ahead of third place Armenia (35.0; +7-3=4). Olympiad standings are determined by the total number of points rather than by the results of individual matches.

The Russian team won 25 games, lost 4, and drew 27 to win the gold medal which they have held since the collapse of the Soviet Union more than a decade ago. Their single lost match was against silver medal winner Hungary -- Kasparov, Grischuk, and Khalifman drew, while Svidler lost.

The team can count on deep reserves. There were 23 Russians on the FIDE top-100 rating list for October 2002. Counting Bareev, the team included six of the top seven Russian players, all ranked among the top-15 in the world. World no.2 Vladimir Kramnik was the only name missing from the Olympiad squad

The top results are likely to continue for a long time into the future. Kasparov, who will celebrate his 40th birthday next April, was the oldest player on the squad. Grischuk, who turned 19 during the tournament, was the youngest. If he had played on the American team, which tied for 37th through 45th with 30.5 points (+7-5=2 in matches), Kasparov would have been the second youngest player.

The team had almost the same composition as the gold medal team at the 34th Olympiad, Istanbul, two years earlier. Since that event was held at the same time as the Kasparov - Kramnik World Championship match, neither player was able to participate, and Konstantin Sakaev was the sixth man for the Russians.

Kasparov (b.1963; +6-0=3 for the 35th Olympiad) needs no introduction here. Since winning the 1982 Moscow Interzonal at age 19, he has been a perennial fixture in World Championship competitions. Between 1984 and 1990, he contested five World Championship matches with Anatoly Karpov, followed by matches with Nigel Short (1993), Viswanathan Anand (1996), and Kramnik (2000). Look for an About article on this great player at some time in the near future. The other Russian players might be less well known to About visitors, so let's take a brief look at their records.

Evgeny Bareev (b.1966) is often overlooked in discussions about the best players in the world. World under-16 champion in 1982, he became a Grandmaster at the advanced age of 23. The collapse of the Soviet Union gave him new opportunities to play. He won the annual yearend Hastings tournament three years running (1990-1992) and eventually broke the 2700 barrier which unofficially marks the SuperGM class.

In 2000, Bareev was one of Kramnik's seconds for the successful match against Kasparov. He reached round 5 (eight players remaining) in the last two FIDE World Championship knockout tournaments -- 2000 New Delhi and 2001 Moscow -- before losing to eventual finalists in both events. Earlier in 2002, he won the prestigious Corus tournament at Wijk aan Zee, Netherlands, a half point ahead of Grischuk, and achieved a performance rating of 2827 in the category 18 tournament. He has a man-machine match scheduled against Hiarcs 8 at the end of January 2003.

Alexander Grischuk (b.1983; +4-1=6) is a few weeks younger than FIDE World Champion Ruslan Ponomariov. He burst into the public spotlight at the 2000 FIDE knockout tournament, where he survived until the semifinal round, losing to eventual runnerup Alexei Shirov. He is a dedicated team player and has played for Norilsk, winners of the 2001 European Club Cup, September 2001; the Russian team, runnerup at the 5th World Chess Team Championship, October 2001; and the NAO Chess Club, 4th place at the 2002 European Club Cup, September 2002. At 2000 Istanbul, playing in his first Olympiad, Grischuk won the bronze medal for his performance as second reserve.

Alexander Khalifman (b.1966; +5-0=4) is perhaps the best known member of the team after Kasparov. He qualified for the 1994 FIDE Candidate Matches, the last cycle held under the old World Championship qualification system, but was eliminated in the first match by Valery Salov. His greatest personal triumph was winning the FIDE World Championship at the 1999 Knockout Tournament in Las Vegas. He is also the driving force behind GMChess.com (www.gmchess.com).

Alexander Morozevich (b.1977; +3-0=8) is the second youngest member of the team. His wild style, variously described as original and brilliant, makes him a real crowd favorite. In the 2001 FIDE Knockout Tournament he lost in round 4 to Ponomariov. He has a personal web site at Morozevich.com (www.morozevich.com) with games, pictures, and analysis.

First reserve Peter Svidler (b.1976; +5-2=2) has been a man to watch since winning the Russian championship in 1994. He reached the semifinal round of the 2001 FIDE knockout tournament before being eliminated by Ponomariov. Second reserve Sergei Rublevsky (b.1974; +2-1=4) represents the great body of chess talent underlying the Russian team. He would be the top player in most countries of the world, but is only another 2600 GM in Russia.

The members of the team have also represented Russia in other top class national team events. Khalifman, Grischuk, Svidler, and Rublevsky participated in the China - Russia Chess Summit, Shanghai, September 2001, where the Russia men's team beat the Chinese team 21.5-14.5. In Russia vs. the Rest of the World (a.k.a. Match of the New Century), Moscow, September 2002, our seven Olympiad subjects were joined by Alexey Dreev, Karpov, Kramnik, Alexander Motylev, and Vadim Zvjaginsev. The event saw a surprising 52-48 victory for the rest of the World.

Having the whole world on the other side may be the only way to beat the Russian team.

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