By Sourit Sanyal
For the very first time in history, India would be hosting the 44th Chess Olympiad that will run from July 28 to August 10. With players coming from 187 countries, the global body of chess, FIDE (Federation Internationale des Echecs) announced Chennai as the host for this year's Chess Olympiad.
The Tamil Nadu government was quick to prepare for the global event and decided to host it at Mamallapuram near Chennai. The town is also known by the name of Mahabalipuram, a UNESCO World Heritage site that houses the 7th-8th century Hindu Group of Monuments.
This time, 188 teams feature in the open section and 162 teams play in the women's section. But how did Tamil Nadu manage to get the hosting rights for the 44th Chess Olympiad at Mamallapuram?
Quick Preparations
The last Asian city to host the Chess Olympiad was Dubai in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) back in 1986.
The event was going to take place in Russia, the country that originally bagged the hosting rights. But due to their ongoing war and invasion of Ukraine, FIDE decided to host it in some other country.
India faced challenges from Poland and Uzbekistan, where the two countries were keen to host the event. All India Chess Federation (AICF) Chief Bharat Singh Chauhan prepared the bid after shortlisting a venue at short notice.
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Funding And Mascot
Chauhan approached the MK Stalin-administered government of Tamil Nadu as the state was on AICF's list as one of the potential hosts. According to him, the state bureaucracy worked efficiently and proposed Mamallapuram as the host.
The coastal heritage spot, situated two-hours away on road from Chennai was able to win the approval of FIDE in March. The international chess federation was impressed with Mamallapuram's infrastructure, roadway connectivity, beaches and luxury resorts that will house many chess-enthusiasts across the globe.
The TN government sanctioned ₹92 crore and deployed 37 IAS officers across various departments to ensure appropriate measures and preparing the infrastructure for the event.
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This event has also got an official mascot called Thambi, a knight clad in veshti-sattai (dhoti-shirt). Music director AR Rahman took charge as the music director for composing the theme song for the global event.
Across the state, the Chess Olympiad was promoted with roads and bridges being painted in Chess colours. There were Chess competitions held across all the 38 districts of Tamil Nadu with the winners bagging a chance to watch the Olympiad live at Mamallapuram.
Commencement
The event was inaugurated by PM Narendra Modi on July 28. All the 700 boards will be in action from July 29. Around 1,400 players across 187 countries are expected to touch down in Chennai for the Olympiad.
India is a serious contender in the 44th edition of the event, where they have been seeded second, just behind the USA. Five-time world champion Viswanathan Anand would be mentoring team India.
30 players spanning across six teams would be representing India in the event. India's open team has got some top ranked players, including the likes of Pentala Harikrishna, Vidit Santosh Gujrathi, Arjun Erigaisi, D Gukesh and SL Narayanan.
But it is India's women's team that is ranked number one. The team has got the likes of grandmaster Koneru Humpy, Harika Dronavalli, Vaishali R, Tania Sachdev and Padmini Rout.
India has tied for gold medal with Russia during the 2020 Chess Olympiad, that took place virtually due to Covid-19 norms. Before this, India won the bronze medal in the 2014 Olympiad that took place at Tromsø, Norway.
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Participation
Russia has been banned from participating in the ongoing Chess Olympiad at Tamil Nadu following their invasion of Ukraine.
Another powerhouse, China has also decided to withdraw from the competition without any reason. During an event in Madrid, China's top player and world number two Ding Liren said that "No, I think the Chinese team will not play."
Pakistan also opted out of the competition, citing India's torch relay through Kashmir on July 21 as the reason behind the withdrawal. India's Ministry of External Affairs was quick to hit at Pakistan, saying that it is "highly unfortunate" that Islamabad has "politicised" the prestigious international tournament.
The erstwhile Soviet Union has won the record number of gold medals in the Chess Olympiad, winning 18 medals. The second position is shared between Russia and the USA with six gold medals.
