India starts as the favourite to pinnacle the 10-team Group B while the league segment withinside the top department of the FIDE Online Chess Olympiad starts on Wednesday. Having shared the title with Russia last year, India is one of my favourites. Led through Viswanathan Anand, India is seeded third behind China and Russia.
In the first segment of the league, 40 groups (25 seeds and 15 qualifiers) are located in 4 groups of 10 teams. After the league, teams from every organization will qualify for the quarterfinals.
India and Azerbaijan are the rating favourites to occupy the 2 qualifying spots from the group. Hungary has motives to fancy its chances. France, Sweden, Slovenia, Shenzhen China, Belarus, Egypt and Moldova are the alternative groups.
Each match will have six games offering men, women, a junior boy and a junior girl. The time control is 15 mins plus a 5-second increment according to the move.
Top eight teams (as per average ratings):
1. Russia (2596), 2. China (2592), 3. India (2491), 4. Poland (2455).
5. Kazakhstan (2446), 6. Netherlands (2434), 7. Azerbaijan (2431), 8. Germany (2427).