The biennial Chess Olympiad is one of the world's biggest sporting events, and the most important teams event on the world chess calendar.
Expected in Dresden are 1500 players from 150 nations, including 300-odd grandmasters, plus 450 organisers, 150 arbiters, 400 journalists, 300 delegates to the FIDE Congress and 15,000 visitors. Plus countless millions of spectators worldwide following the action online.
Australia will be fielding an open and a women's team, each five players and a team captain, of our best available players.
For the first time almost in living memory, recently-retired GM Ian Rogers will not be playing under the Australian flag, but our new young stars GM Zong-Yuan Zhao and GM-elect David Smerdon will be filling the breach.
Unlike most competing nations, the Australian teams receive no government support and must pay their own way, a burden compounded by the distance involved from Australia to Germany and the corresponding high air fares. The costs increase with every Olympiad. They can't do it alone, but depend on the support of the Australian chess community.
We ask you all to reach for the hip pocket, and give what you can to the ACF Olympiad Appeal. No donation is too large or too small - all will get the teams that much closer to Germany and will be acknowledged on this site.
All donors of $50 or more to the last Olympiad Appeal received email bulletins from the players direct from Turin. A similar thank-you gesture is anticipated from the players in Dresden.
Enquiries from organisations interested in sponsoring the teams
are most welcome
