The Norwegian Chess Federation has announced the four teams that will represent Norway at the 2014 Chess Olympiad in Tromsø. The top team, which features World Champion Magnus Carlsen on first board backed up by four more grandmasters, was described by the chairman of the selection committee as “the best Norwegian national team in history”.

Magnus Carlsen is going to represent Norway for the first time since the 2010 Olympiad | photo: Georgios Souleidis

Norway’s first teams

The Norwegian first team in the Open Section will look as follows:

• GM Magnus Carlsen (Stavanger Chess Club)
• GM Simen Agdestein (Oslo Chess Club)
• GM Jon Ludvig Hammer (Oslo Chess Club)
• GM Kjetil Lie (Asker Chess Club)
• GM Leif Erlend Johannesen (Oslo Chess Club)

Grandmasters Simen Agdestein, Jon Ludvig Hammer and Leif Erlend Johannesen

Thomas Robertsen, Chair of the Elite Committee of the Norwegian Chess Federation, commented: 

This is the best Norwegian national team in history. The first team in the open section consists exclusively of grand masters. We have a world champion, and some very good players who if they are in form can be a match for anyone. Magnus leads the way, but has a wonderful collection of strong players behind him; a great blend of creativity, experience, solidarity and tremendous will. This bodes well!

The Norwegian Chess Federation has strong hopes of seeing the best ever performance by the Norwegian team at the Chess Olympiad, and is really looking forward to seeing this team playing at home in Tromsø in August. With live broadcasts on television and the internet, Norwegians can begin looking forward to a very exciting competition at the highest level.

The women’s first team consists of:

• Sheila Barth Sahl (Black Knights)
• Niina Koskela (SOSS (Selskapet for Osloemigrerte Sørlandssjakkspillere))
• Olga Dolzhikova (Oslo Chess Club)
• Ellen Hagesæther (Academic Chess Club Oslo)
• Silje Bjerke (Chess Club of 1911)

Thomas Robertsen explained:

On the women’s side, we have also named an extremely experienced and strong team. These are the best players in the country, and they are committed to really performing at the Olympiad. This is a very solid squad.

Norway's second teams

The remaining teams are as follows:

Open second team:

• IM Frode Elsness (Moss Chess Club)
• IM Frode Urkedal (Chess Club of 1911)
• IM Torbjørn Ringdal Hansen (Chess Club of 1911)
• IM Aryan Tari (Vålerenga Chess Club)
• Johan Salomon (Nordstrand Chess Club)

Reserves:

• IM Espen Lie (Asker Chess Club)
• GM Rune Djuurhus (Nordstrand Chess Club)

Women’s second team:

• Monika Machlik (Tromsø Chess Club)
• Ellisiv Reppen (Oslo Chess Club)
• Line Jin Jørgensen (Stavanger Chess Club)
• Edit Machlik (Tromsø Chess Club)
• Anita Grønnestad (Bergen Chess Club)

Reserves:

• Torill Skytte (Oslo Chess Club)
• Yerazik Khachatourian (Oslo Chess Club)

Robertsen added:

Both second teams will also be exciting to follow. There is a good geographical spread on the women’s side with players from Oslo, Stavanger, Bergen and Tromsø. It’s unlikely Norway has been represented by twins before, and it is nice that the Machlik sisters also come from the host city of the Chess Olympiad.

Edit and Monika Machlik will both represent Norway at the 2014 Chess Olympiad in their home city | photo: Tromsø Sjakklubb

The Norwegian Chess Federation adds:

• The board order will be determined closer to the start of the championship.
• In the event one of the first team players withdraws, he or she will be replaced by a player from the second team.
• Two of the players in each of the second teams are based on the commitment to talent in the national recruit teams. This applies to Aryan Tari, Johan Salomon, Monika and Edit Machlik. In the event that one of these players is forced to withdraw, they will be replaced by other young talents from the national recruit teams.