Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched the torch relay for the 44th Chess Olympiad at the Indira Gandhi Stadium in New Delhi on June 19. India will be the first ever country to have the Chess Olympiad Torch Relay, with the International Chess Body, FIDE, instituting the Chess Olympiad Torch, which is part of the Olympic tradition.
Notably, to honour the Indian roots of chess, the Torch Relay for the Chess Olympiad will now always begin in India and travel across all continents before reaching the host country.
Torch will be taken to 75 cities within 40 days
FIDE President Arkady Dvorkovich ended over the torch to Prime Minister, who in turn handed it over to Grandmaster Vishwanathan Anand. In 2022 this torch will only travel within India but henceforth be taken to 75 cities in a span of 40 days before the final culmination of its journey at Mahabalipuram near Chennai. At every location, chess grandmasters of the state will receive the torch. Leh, Srinagar, Jaipur, Surat,
Mumbai, Bhopal, Patna, Kolkata, Gangtok, Hyderabad, Bengaluru, Thrissur, Port Blair and Kanyakumari are among the 75 cities.
Speaking on the occasion, PM Modi, who made a ceremonial move on the chess board against woman Grandmaster Kneru Humpy, said: “We are proud that the sport rose from its birth place and has made its presence felt all over the world. We are delighted to see chess return to its birth place and celebrate its success in the form of Chess Olympiad.”
Modi said chess is not just a game but has now become an educational tool and yoga and meditation are vital to success in chess.
Sports Minister Anurag Thakur, who also attended the grand event, thanked the PM for supporting sports. He said, “Whenever torch relay happens it will start from India. In 1956, India participated for first time in
Chess Olympiad and then took years to win a medal, but after that, never looked back”.
World chess body president Dvorkovich said he is grateful to the Indian government for hosting the prestigious event.
Today, India is the fastest growing chess country in the world. It’s a dream to host the Olympiad in India.
Chess Olympiad will be held in Chennai from July 28 to August 10, 2022
From July 28 to August 10, 2022, Chennai will host the 44th Chess Olympiad. The prestigious competition, which has been held since 1927, is being held in India for the first time and in Asia for the first time in 30 years. With 189 countries participating, this will be the largest Chess Olympiad ever. The tournament has already attracted a record 343 teams from 187 countries in the open and women’s sections.
