Photo: ChessBase.

Havana, June 4 (JIT)-- With Carlos Daniel Albornoz (2,614 Elo points) and Yerisbel Miranda (2,269) as their top references in the world ranking, the teams that will represent Cuba in the Budapest Chess Olympiad 2024 were formed. 

The rosters announced this Monday by Carlos Rivero, president of the Cuban Chess Federation, respond to a selection process in which the results were taken into account from the closing of the 2023 national competition until the most recent update of the ranking, just three years ago.

The current national monarch Luis Ernesto Quesada (2,574), Dylan Berdayes (2,519), Omar Almeida (2,518) and Elier Miranda (2,511) also appear in the men's squad.

Dylan and Elier make their debut in a team that will try to improve the nineteenth place achieved two years ago, when the Indian city of Chennai hosted the job festival with 188 teams registered in the so-called Open segment.

The island's female quintet is now completed with Yaniela Forgas (2,234), Maritza Arribas (2,169), Oleiny Linares (2,168) and Ineymig Hernández (2,149), all with previous experiences at that level and also determined to surpass what was done in the 2022 edition, when they closed in 19th place.

Rivero clarified that the absence of Lisandra Ordaz, who had her insurance due to her status as national queen, responds to a request from the player herself for personal reasons.

Regarding the selection method, the manager recalled that it is based on a mathematical formula based on several parameters related to the accumulated Elo, performances in the tournaments and the quality of the rivals faced.

«It is a calculation that is equal for everyone and that allows us to make comparisons, taking comprehensive performance as a reference. It's not just about assessing how many points you made in a certain tournament, but also against who you got them," explained the national commissioner of the Science Game.

Rodney Pérez was ratified as coach-captains for the squad without distinction of sex, and Aramis Álvarez in the women's squad.

In the previous version of the chess competition, the representation of Uzbekistan was the most outstanding in the Open section, with those of Armenia and India 2 as escorts.

Among the women, the Ukrainian squad shone, while those from Georgia and India completed the podium, in that order.

The chess Olympics are the most popular event on the international scene of this sport. In addition to medals for the best teams, the most outstanding players on each board are rewarded.

The teams are defended by four starting players defined prior to each match, and the fifth serves as a substitute.