Meet the Teams

The U.S. Olympiad Team

In January of 2010, GM Hikaru Nakamura achieved an unbelievable 6 points from 8 games, earning him the gold medal on board one and leading the team to a silver medal finish. In the following game, Nakamura demonstrates how dangerous the King’s Indian Defence can be.

GM Gata Kamsky has been a world-elite player for 15 years and has claimed the scalp of many strong GMs. While his style has been described as dry, Kamsky can slug it out in sharp attacking games. In the following battle, Kamsky dismantles former World Champion Vladimir Kramnik in an ultra-sharp Botvinnik Semi-Slav.

Another top player that has ably represented the U.S. is GM Alex Onischuk. In addition to being a strong GM, Onischuk is the model of sportsmanship. However, if you face him over the board, it is clear that Alex is out for blood, which he earned against GM Giovanni Vescovi at the 2002 Poikovsky Cup.

GM Varuzhan Akobian has served as both player and coach for many U.S. teams in international competition. In addition to winning strong events like the 2004 World Open, Var is the consummate team player. He helped the U.S. team achieve bronze medals in the 2006 and 2008 Olympiads and coached the silver medal team at the 2009 World Team Championship. In the following game against GM Aleksander Wojtkiewicz, Akobian shows us a beautiful combination of tactical prowess and clean technique.

Rounding out the team is new-comer GM Ray Robson. At the tender age of 17, Robson is already considered a mainstay in American chess. Ray is known for his sharp tactical eye and deep opening preparation, which he demonstrated nicely against the super strong Vietnamese GM Le Quang Liem.

The U.S. Women’s Olympiad Lineup