A nice surprise pairing for the Open team in the final round of the 2026 Olympiad. San Marino! As I noted previously, they are a regular opponent for PNG, including in 2002 where we also played them in the final round (It was 2-2, but the draw in my game earned me an eventual FM title).
For this match PNG scored a narrow 2.5-1.5 win, which was enough to move us up to 9 match points (+4=1-6). Stuart Fancy won on board 1, while Bing Barredo won again on bd 2, completing an event that started with 5 straight losses, but then ended with 4 straight wins! A draw on the bottom board to Kavaea Evara was enough to ensure the match win.
The Women's team was up against Cape Verde seeded about 50 places higher. Nonetheless the team fought well, losing 1.5-2.5 ( 3 draws) and finishing the event on 8 points (+3=2-6). For a team without FIDE ratings, and taking part in the Olympiad for the 1st time, this was a fantastic achievement. Like the Open team, they really found their feet in the 2nd half of the event , once initial nerves an inexperience was overcome.
Both teams exceeded my initial expectations, with the Open team finishing 44 places above their starting rank (the best of all teams in the Open Olympiad). The team is also going home with a number of players earning their first FIDE ratings (and 2 titles), which will enable the federation to begin organising more FIDE rated events in the country.
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