CHENNAI: The city is all decked up in squares of black and white. There is a Thambi (the mascot) in every street corner welcoming all and at the same time reminding us of the magnitude of the sporting extravaganza in hand. The excitement is palpable. The anticipation is exhilarating. The 44th Chess Olympiad is finally here. It’s only poetic that the city that’s hosting it is lovingly called the cradle of chess.
Chennai has an excellent chess legacy and can boast of producing 26 Grandmasters. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is set to declare the Olympiad open at a grand Opening Ceremony at the Jawaharlal Nehru Indoor Stadium in Chennai on Thursday. Accompanying him will be Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin, Union sports minister Anurag Thakur and TN governorn R N Ravi.
It had been quite a daunting task for the organising committee and the state government to get the venue ready on time. After the world body (FIDE) stripped the rights off Moscow in February, the TN government showed immense interest and eagerness to host the event. The All India Chess Federation (AICF) and the government worked together to bring the Olympiad here.
To ensure its smooth running, among other things, the organisers have constructed one of the largest temporary sports infrastructure facilities in the country (can host close to 1,000 players at a time) in Mahabalipuram. The torch relay, that was launched by the PM in New Delhi, reached Chennai on Wednesday after traversing close to 20,000 km in 40 days. A total of 22,000 police officers and personnel will be deployed in a five-tier security arrangement in the wake of the PM’s visit.
Draw today
On Thursday, the teams will find out who they will be playing at the draw ceremony. The format will be a 11-round Swiss system with teams playing 11 matches (four games constitute a match across as many boards) from July 29 to August 10. The team with the highest number of points will be declared winners.