Team Profile

In the legacy of José Raúl Capablanca, Cuba's team is led by the talented duo of GM Lenier Domínguez and 2000 World Junior Champion, GM Lázaro Bruzón. Both should make quite an impression. The bottom two boards are also strong with veteran GMs Jesús Nogueiras and Walter Arencibia.

Both Domínguez and Bruzón scored well in the 2000 Olympiad (as teens) and competed in the 2001-02 FIDE World Championships. Both made it to the second round before losing to GM Boris Gelfand and GM Kiril Georgiev, respectively. Playing in top-flight competition will pay dividends in this tournament and both players are still improving.

With virtually the same team from 2000, look for Cuba to make an impression with their combination of youth and experience.

Links

Cuban Chess Federation