Salem says Olympiads are prestigious and different
baku — Over 3,100 players from 176 countries competed in the 42nd Chess Olympiad held in Baku, Azerbaijan from September 1-14. The 11-round event is regarded as one of the most anticipated events in the chess world as teams vie for prestige and bragging rights as the Olympiad champions.
Taking everyone at the edge of their seats were USA and Ukraine in the open category which was eventually won by USA while China clinched gold for the women’s team. After he finished with another win for a total 6.5 points out of nine games, Khaleej Times caught up with Grandmaster Salem AR Saleh who uses strong tactics on board one for the UAE.
The event marks the Grandmaster’s fifth Olympiad, competing since the age of 13 and bagging numerous titles such as the Asian crowns in the traditional and blitz versions in 2015. He is currently UAE’s number one and is ranked 25 in Asia. Q: How was your performance overall? A: The games were very interesting and I liked the quality of the situations, it was a good event with me squeezing through with a full point a number of times. Q: Do you consider the end game to be your toughest one? A: The games I have played were all equally tough but the one which I lost was the most unpleasant. I started and played against a very strong opponent from Poland. The end game might not have been my toughest but it was one of my best. Q: How did you find the Olympiad? A: Baku had a great atmosphere, it’s always a pleasure to be in an Olympiad. My team did ok, not so great but not too bad either. We played against higher rated opponents, making draws but we are getting unlucky with the pairings who keep on getting stronger everyday. Q: How do you find Baku? A: Baku is a beautiful city, I came here a very long time ago and everytime I come, it is improving every time. I first came in 2014 and two years after there are big changes, it’s getting more and more beautiful, has nice weather, a beautiful boulevard and good food. Q: How does this Olympiad compare to the previous ones? A: This is the best organised one, there are more teams than previous ones. Q: Where are you competing next? A: I am not sure exactly but one worthy of note is my tournament in December which is the World Blitz and Rapid. I will try to play something before that, but as a student I have already been missing Business administration classes. Q: How are you balancing being a grandmaster and a student? A: The college I am in is very supportive, I am doing ok amidst missing classes. It would be difficult to compensate but I can do it. Q: Should chess be part of the Olympics? A: I think it will be very interesting even though I think Olympiads are separate. It’s also prestigious and different. I honestly cannot tell which one would be better, both are very interesting.