Greenland’s national chess team wrapped up its final training day in Copenhagen before departing for the Chess Olympiad in Uzbekistan, where it will compete under Greenland’s flag for the first time.
Final Training Matches and Team Spirit
The session at the Greenlandic House featured three team matches against a selected side from Køge. The opening match was played at a longer time control, with Køge edging it 2.5–1.5. The standout result came from 12-year-old Jarnis Christensen, who defeated Greenland Chess Federation chair Carl Fleischer in 20 moves. Virginija Meškėnienė also scored a win on the top board and later won a drawing for a chess set.
With the time control shortened for the remaining rounds, the momentum shifted. Greenland swept the second match 4–0 and secured the third 2.5–1.5, closing the day with an overall 8–4 victory.
Beyond the scoreline, the matches offered practical rehearsal for ideas developed during the team’s Copenhagen camp and highlighted contributions from youth and women’s chess through Christensen’s upset and Meškėnienė’s top-board performance.
Players exchanged small gifts after play, with the Greenlanders receiving pens from Køge and the Danish side receiving mugs featuring a polar bear. A team photo was taken in front of a polar bear skin donated years ago to the Greenlandic House by the late Danish travel entrepreneur Simon Spies.
The squad is scheduled to review the games with head coach Grandmaster Henrik Danielsen on Saturday and begin its journey on Sunday. The Olympiad in Uzbekistan will mark Greenland’s first appearance at the event as a national team under its own flag.