2008 Chess Olympiad

Hola! No posts last night, I was just too tired after spending some time reporting on Round 2 of the Olympiad at Chess Femme News. I just concluded updating Chess Femme News with Round 3 information - on the link above click on November, 2008 and then click on November II for the latest news. There are plenty of photographs available through links at Susan Polgar's blog, there is also lots of photos at Chessdom and Chessbase. I find the level of press coverage on this Olympiad has been - quite frankly - remarkable! I've been writing about the chess Olympiads for years, in current and defunct websites and I've never seen this level of interest before. I have no explanation for it - perhaps something is going on behind the scenes with Susan Polgar (in charge of English-speaking press relations and serving as an Ambassador at Large for the Dresden organizers) pushing for coverage in the international media. In any event, the Associated Press has been publishing stories every day (thus far); press in India always follows events where they're countrymen and women are participating closely (USA papers could take a lesson from the Indian chess coverage); press in the Philippines is eagerly following young GM Wesley So's and their national team's progress. Jamaica has press coverage. So does Indonesia. A young Indonesian female player, Irene Kharisma Sundakar, is a star in her home country and has generated lots of interest in the Olympiad. The UK; Azerjaiban; Armenia; etc.