I don't remember the last time the US won the chess Olympiad. Tomorrow is the key pairing imo. If the US can defeat Russia, I think US wins. Pairings (scroll down a little) http://chess-results.com/tnr232875.aspx?lan=1&art=2&rd=8&flag=30&wi=821
Well, US adopted (lured) two powerful players since the last Olympiad. Their top three players are currently in the top ten of FIDE's ratings list. That's a strong lineup. Go US!
The games are played individually unlike doubles tennis. The team score is tallied from individual results - this is the only "teamness" of it. Big difference. I wish there was a chess relay the way there is in the Olympics. Maybe every ten moves, the players rotate into a different game on the team. it would be funny to watch if the clock is low on the switch There is team strategy in that a player may take a draw when normally he wouldn't, and there is jockeying to get the right match-ups by the team captain (for example you might see US #1 and #2 switch against Russia because Nakamura has Kramniks' number). Otherwise, the game itself is almost identical as if it were played individually. I think it is cool.
I was referring to Davis and Federation cup in tennis...Similar events in Golf till it eventually backfired, case in point Rio Olympics...
I enjoyed being on a chess team way back when. It gave a sense of camaraderie in an otherwise, individual competition. Or we could have a bughouse tournament, switching partners around. It was fun playing against Dlugy in that!
Right, see the top players in the world list below. I wouldn't call it adopted or lured in the case of Caruana, but probably yes in the case of So. Caruana is for all practical purposes as American as anyone in America I have ever seen.
Interesting ... I hadn't realised there were only 20 rating points between Caruana, Vachier-Lagrave, Kramnik, Aronian and Nakamura!