by Curlan Campbell
- FIDE Master is third highest title granted by International Chess Federation
- 2,000 participants from 197 countries, competed in Budapest Olympiad
- 10-member Grenada team first-ever team to compete in an olympiad
17-year-old Renniel Gilbert proudly earned the title of “FIDE Master” (FM) after he and his teammates competed in the 45th Budapest Chess Olympiad.
This accomplishment is historic, as the FM title is the third highest in the game of chess, ranking behind International Master and Grandmaster, and above Candidate Master (CM) bestowed on chess players by the International Chess Federation (FIDE).
Gilbert achieved the title of FIDE Master due to his outstanding performance in the Olympiad, winning 7 out of ten games played up to 21 September; drawing one and losing 2, earning him 7.5 points, enough to elevate him to the rank of FIDE Master having defeated 2 FIDE Masters and one Candidate Master.
The global governing body for chess, FIDE, unveiled the list of 23 players granted the esteemed rank of FIDE Master. Gilbert was among them, qualifying him to skip the rank of Candidate Master.
Gilbert and his teammates were welcomed home with a ceremony by the Ministry of Youth and Sports and the Grenada Olympic Committee. “I came into the Olympiad with the thought of just doing my absolute best because I knew that was enough. And now, I have earned the title of FIDE Master. I wasn’t sure that would happen, but it did.” He said the experience further boosted his morale and confidence in chess. “We faced a lot of strong opposition. I actually played against the strongest player from all the countries we faced, because there are players from board one to board four, and I was on board one. Usually, every country puts its strongest player on board one. So I played against the strongest and won 75% of the games, so it was good.”
The closing ceremony marked the end of the Budapest Olympiad, where 2,000 participants from 197 countries, competed. The 10-member Grenada team made history as the first-ever team to compete in an olympiad. Stemming from the team’s participation and outstanding performance, Minister for Youth and Sports Delma Thomas, promised that Government will ensure that their efforts will be recognised at the national level.
“We are committed to providing some additional incentives that we will discuss after we plan some other sporting events. We want to involve not only you but also the para-Olympians who have not received any assistance from us upon their return. Therefore, we will have an additional engagement where we’ll be able to provide assistance to you and help promote the sport of chess,” she explained.
Minister Thomas stated that the ministry is “excited to introduce the game of chess in schools as a way to develop critical thinking skills” and that Government is “dedicated to supporting sports and the growth of our youth. We will continue to support young people in various sports across Grenada, including chess, football, and cricket. We understand the importance of nurturing talent at the grassroots level.”
Vice President of the Grenada Chess Federation (GCF) Carlyle Glean Jr stated that the foundation is hoping to engage young chess players in more tournaments as a means of improving their rankings and preparedness for international competitions. “In October, we plan to send 4 players to Aruba, all in the youth division: one aged 18 and under, one aged 12 and under, and one aged 10 and under. We aim to participate in rated games and have learned from our experience that our lack of tournament play has been a disadvantage. To address this, we are committed to sending teams to regional tournaments and hosting our own rated tournaments as frequently as possible.”
