The Complete Olympiad 2026 Guide: British Isles & Microstates
By Cameron W. · Fri, 04 Sep 2026
No batch in this entire series comes close to this one for family storylines. Seven of the nine federations covered here field at least one shared surname across their Open and Women's rosters, siblings, and in a couple of cases a parent and child, playing for the same small nation at the same Olympiad.
No batch in this entire series comes close to this one for family storylines. Seven of the nine federations covered here field at least one shared surname across their Open and Women's rosters, siblings, and in a couple of cases a parent and child, playing for the same small nation at the same Olympiad. Ireland alone fields two such pairs. Guernsey and the Isle of Man add their own twist, fielding a single mixed team apiece with no separate women's section. Here is how Andorra, Guernsey, Ireland, the Isle of Man, Jersey, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Monaco, and San Marino line up heading into Samarkand.
Board order below is provisional, based on FIDE rating, until national captains submit their fixed lineups under the Olympiad Regulations.
Ireland
Open
Board 1 Spotlight: IM Kanyamarala Tarun (2417) leads a roster that includes IM Tom O'Gorman at board two, both names shared with players leading Ireland's women's team.
One to watch: IM O'Gorman Tom (2380), one half of the second of two family pairings spanning Ireland's Open and Women's rosters.
Prediction: Two IMs, a GM, and two FMs give Ireland a genuinely deep Open team, with the Kanyamarala and O'Gorman family storylines adding real color to the campaign.
Women
Board 1 Spotlight: WGM Kanyamarala Trisha (2289) leads a roster that includes O'Gorman Alice at board two, mirroring Ireland's Open team almost exactly.
One to watch: O'Gorman Alice (2009), completing the second family pairing alongside Ireland's Open board two.
Prediction: With two sibling pairs anchoring both Irish teams, this is as much a family story as a chess one, and Ireland's women's team has the titled depth to back it up.
Andorra
Open
Board 1 Spotlight: GM De La Riva Aguado Oscar (2428) leads Andorra's roster and may share a family connection with the women's team's own De la Riva Real Ariadna.
One to watch: FM Ribera Veganzones Serni (2305), Andorra's second-highest rated player.
Prediction: A single strong GM carrying a titled supporting cast gives Andorra's Open result real upside if De La Riva Aguado performs to his rating.
Women
Board 1 Spotlight: WFM Henderson de La Fuente Andrea (1982) leads a roster that includes sisters WCM Julia and WCM Alexandra Muratet Carmona at boards two and three.
One to watch: WCM Muratet Carmona Julia (1820), one half of a genuine sister pairing on Andorra's own roster.
Prediction: Between the Muratet Carmona sisters and a possible De La Riva family link to the Open team, Andorra's women's campaign carries real human interest alongside a solid, mostly titled roster.
Luxembourg
Open
Board 1 Spotlight: FM Bourg Nicolas (2254) leads a roster that includes IM Fred Berend at board two, sharing a surname with Luxembourg's women's board one.
One to watch: IM Berend Fred (2231), part of a family pairing that spans both of Luxembourg's teams.
Prediction: A titled top three gives Luxembourg a competitive, professional Open campaign.
Women
Board 1 Spotlight: WGM Berend Elvira (2255) leads a roster with a second WGM immediately behind her, and shares a surname with Luxembourg's own Open board two.
One to watch: WGM Wagener Anna (2160), giving Luxembourg two WGMs at the very top of its women's team.
Prediction: Two WGMs at the top, one of them part of a family storyline with the Open squad, make Luxembourg's women's team a genuine threat in the middle of this field.
Monaco
Open
Board 1 Spotlight: GM Efimov Igor (2263) leads a roster with an IM and two FMs, including captain Alexis Cahen playing at board four.
One to watch: IM Levacic Damir (2100), Monaco's only IM and a genuine source of points.
Prediction: A GM anchoring a titled roster gives Monaco a stable, competitive Open campaign.
Women
Board 1 Spotlight: WGM Dornbusch Tatiana (2184) leads a roster that includes sisters WCM Fiorina and WCM Svetlana Berezovsky at boards three and four.
One to watch: WCM Berezovsky Fiorina (1937), one half of Monaco's own sister pairing.
Prediction: A WGM and WIM at the top, plus the Berezovsky sisters further down, give Monaco's women's team both quality and a compelling storyline.
Liechtenstein
Open
Board 1 Spotlight: Krieger Markus (2184) leads a roster that includes CM Andrew Heron and FM Marcel Mannhart, both sharing surnames with players on Liechtenstein's women's team.
One to watch: FM Mannhart Marcel (2047), part of a family pairing that spans both Liechtenstein teams.
Prediction: A modest, partially titled roster with two family storylines running through it; Liechtenstein's Open result will likely come down to its top two boards.
Women
Board 1 Spotlight: WCM Sele Timea (1790) leads a roster that includes Mannhart Sophie and Heron Doris, both sharing surnames with Liechtenstein's Open team.
One to watch: Mannhart Sophie (1533), completing one of two family pairings spanning Liechtenstein's rosters.
Prediction: With two unrated players and two family storylines, this reads as a developmental Olympiad for Liechtenstein's women's team, driven as much by family ties as by results.
Jersey
Open
Board 1 Spotlight: CM Gurner Jem (2108) leads a roster that includes Paul Carpenter and Gus Weber, both sharing surnames with players on Jersey's women's team.
One to watch: Weber Gus (1739), part of a family pairing spanning both Jersey teams.
Prediction: A single titled board carrying an otherwise untitled roster, with two family storylines adding interest to a modest Open campaign.
Women
Board 1 Spotlight: WCM Ruddy Rachel (1676) leads a roster that includes Daisy Carpenter and Sarah Weber, both sharing surnames with Jersey's Open team.
One to watch: WCM Carpenter Daisy (1523), completing one of two family pairings spanning Jersey's rosters.
Prediction: With two unrated players and two family names carried over from the Open side, Jersey's women's team looks focused on experience over results.
Guernsey
Open
Board 1 Spotlight: Potter Alexander (1883) leads a single mixed team that includes WCM Gerda Nevska at board two, one of only two federations in this batch without a separate women's section.
One to watch: WCM Nevska Gerda (1815), the only titled woman playing directly alongside her male teammates rather than on a dedicated roster.
Prediction: With two CMs and a WCM spread through a five-player team, Guernsey's single combined roster gives it a modest but stable campaign.
Isle of Man
Open
Board 1 Spotlight: FM Wu Li (2266) is the Isle of Man's only titled player, leading an otherwise untitled roster with no separate women's team fielded.
One to watch: Gumireddy Sanjay (1890), the clearest second scoring option behind board 1.
Prediction: A single strong board carrying an untitled supporting cast; the Isle of Man's result will depend heavily on Wu Li's individual form.
San Marino
Open
Board 1 Spotlight: FM Volpinari Danilo (1971) leads a roster with three FMs spread through the lineup.
One to watch: FM Righi Ezio (1869), San Marino's second FM and a near-certain fixture near the top of the confirmed lineup.
Prediction: Three FMs give San Marino a stable, moderately titled Open campaign in the lower half of this group.
Women
Board 1 Spotlight: Krasnova Elena (1674) leads an entirely untitled roster, with two of five players unrated.
One to watch: Lazzarini Giulia (1461), the clearest second scoring option behind board 1.
Prediction: With no titled players and two unrated boards, San Marino's women's team looks set for a developmental Olympiad focused on experience.
The regional picture
This is the most family-rich batch in the entire series: Ireland's two sibling pairings, Andorra's Muratet Carmona sisters and possible De La Riva connection, Luxembourg's Berend pairing, Monaco's Berezovsky sisters, and Liechtenstein and Jersey each carrying two family names across their rosters. Guernsey and the Isle of Man add a different kind of story, fielding single mixed teams rather than separate women's sections. Ireland stands out as the strongest roster on paper, while San Marino and the Isle of Man close the group at the more developmental end. Across nine small federations, the sheer density of shared surnames says something real about how tightly knit these national chess communities are.
