Chapter 114: The Olympic Matter
Unlike any other sport that the Olympic was held every four years, chess had its own schedule where the event would be held once every two years. However, that didn’t make the event itself less glorious. Hell, some even argued that this was the biggest chess event on the planet, far more important than the world championship match.
After all, this was where all the greatest players gathered and tried to win honor for their country. If the world championship match was tied to the individual, and winning the Olympic gold was tied to the entire nation, the process itself would be far more difficult. That was why the Chess Olympiad was such a significant event for all players worldwide.
So, to hear that they were about to be ’drafted’, although as reserve members, was enough to stun both Sheva and Claudia to the core. They just froze in their chair, all the snacks in their hand falling on the table messily. However, none of them cared about it, as their brain was still disconnected after Irfan had just dropped the bomb here.
In the end, it was Anna who voiced her concern here. "Master Irfan, when you said Olympic, it is the ’real’ Olympic, right? Not something else with a similar name?" She asked hesitantly.
"Of course, it is the real one. Can you even name another event that carries the same name and weight in the chess world?" Irfan snorted as if he was offended at the insinuation that he would joke about this. "What? Do you think that it is too early for them to be involved in such a big matter?" He asked, catching Anna’s hesitation.
"This..."
Words seemed to be stuck in her throat as Anna was startled that Irfan read her mind perfectly. Indeed, she thought that it was still a bit too early for Sheva and Claudia to get involved in the Olympic matter. Hell, she even doubted herself here, thinking that she was still too young to represent the country in the highest stage like this. Fortunately, Irfan caught her expression again and explained quickly.
"Don’t worry, I can assure you that this is not a reckless decision, and everyone also agrees with this." The IM said. "At first, the projected squad will be Master Susanto, Priasmoro, me, Yoseph, and one more player for the reserve squad. However, my performance in the Jakarta International Chess Festival last month really forced me to realize that I have gotten rusty."
"But you are still good, Master!" Anna complained weakly.
"Not good enough for the national member, though." Irfan shook his head quickly. "So, rather than going for the old rusty me, it is better to give the spot to the youngster, and in this case, Arfan is definitely the best candidate. Then, the discussion spiraled down, and Priasmoro suddenly said If Arfan qualified as a member, why not give Sheva a chance to earn his spot for the last spot?"
That... Was somehow pretty logical and acceptable. It was a little bit of a surprise to hear Master Priasmoro Novendra recommend Sheva to get the last spot, especially since they had never met each other before. Still, the requirement itself was quite harsh. It was not easy to raise the rating up to 200 points, let alone doing it in the next two months. It was like trying to get blood from a stone, which was impossible to do.
"Then, what about me and Ia?" Anna asked once again, remembering that they were involved in this mess too.
"Well, since we are trying to include Arfan and Sheva here, why not you two for the women’s section? I mean, it is not like we have a lot of good players there, right?" Irfan shrugged nonchalantly. "For the women’s team members, Master Irene, as the captain, has already proposed to include you, Laysa, and Claudia as a part of the team together with her and Medina. You should’ve seen the theme here, right?" He asked, knowing that the girl was smart enough to connect the dots.
"Yeah, you are trying to mix the veterans and the youngsters." Anna caught the idea instantly.
"Exactly." Irfan nodded satisfactorily. "You cannot deny that the regeneration of chess players in our country is way too slow. Hell, except for Priasmoro and a couple of IMs, I cannot see how elite players could be born in this barren land. However, the appearance of you lot gives us hope that maybe we could push chess in this country into the next level. So, we are going to bet on you here, putting you into the biggest stage, even if you all are still lacking experience."
Anna nodded begrudgingly, starting to accept the reason. Still... "Is it okay to bet the entire country’s result on us?" She asked, still finding it hard to believe.
"Don’t worry, it is not like we have ever had any good results before." Irfan dismissed her concern once again.
This time, Anna felt the corner of her mouth twitching, inwardly mumbling, ’Even if it is true, can you really say something like that out loud?’
"Anyway, what do you think, Shev, Ia?" Irfan asked the two teenagers who were still dozing off, trying to get the topic back on track. "Even though I want to give the spots to you both, we still think it is unfair for the others to let two teenagers with no experience fill the place, although it is only for the reserve members. That is why we are putting such a harsh requirement, wanting you to prove to the veteran players your capability first. Can you do that?"
This time, both Sheva and Claudia stared at each other for a moment, communicating silently. Honestly, the requirement was too harsh even for them. However, that was probably what it took to be a part of the National team. If they couldn’t even achieve that, it only meant they were not ready to represent this big country on the biggest stage in the world.
Still... Thinking about the prospect of their bright future here, instead of getting pressured, somehow, the two teenagers find themselves to be more motivated than ever. With a quick glance at each other, they both grinned widely before nodding at Irfan firmly.
"Just wait, Master Irfan. In two months, you will find that we deserve to be on the national team more than anyone else! Sit tight and watch!"