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The Olympiad's Sixth Man

Dresden, 17/11/2008
Though they will never make a move over the board, the decisions and advice of a federation’s captain can impact a team’s success in a big way.

When a team’s match ends, their work begins. Consider the myriad of questions they must answer: What lineup will I use next round? How can I best prepare my players? How do I keep them in a positive frame of mind? And overall, what can I do or say to help my team achieve its best? Most of their work the public will never see – speeches and preparation are usually closed-door affairs.
Many captains cite positive reinforcement as their most time-consuming job. Serbian Women’s Team Captain GM Nenad Ristic said, “The most important thing is to find the moment to do some changes in the team and to make motivation for the team to have specific results.” Ristic said that while he handles the spirit of the team, he does not involve himself in specific opening preparation unless something happens to be in his repertoire. Instead, the team relies on Team Coach GM Veljko Jeremic. This divide between captain and coach is quite common for teams that have the luxury of such strong supporting staff.  Many captains of smaller federations take on duel responsibility as captain and coach.
Ristic said he alone is responsible for setting the lineup each day. “If you are talking to players, there will be dissonant tones,” he explained. This format is unlikely to work without mutual confidence in each other and Ristic said trust is the most important attribute to have with your players. Sri Lankan Team Captain FM Sunil Weeramantry agreed that keeping an upbeat mood of the team is paramount.  “If somebody loses badly, you try to emphasize the positives of the game,” he said.
Weeramantry, who has played for first board for Sri Lanka on numerous occasions, understands the stress of representing his native country. When asked which role was more taxing, he answered without hesitation: “Being a player – I don’t have to put myself on the line (as a captain).” He emphasized giving his team reasonable goals. “If you come in as the 100th seed, you set expectations accordingly,” he said, adding that finishing 10-15 positions higher is usually the standard for smaller nations. “You are not shooting for the moon.” Both Ristic and Weeramantry remain by their players’ side until the last game ends. “For them, it is important to see me around for basic support,” Ristic said. “Even if they need water, I am ready to be everything.” 

Mike Klein