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The 44th Chess Olympiad opens on Friday 29 July in India. The tournament will see players from 187 countries compete. The first is for a country that wants to emphasize its long tradition in the game.
With our correspondent in Bangalore, Como Bastin
The competition was originally scheduled to take place in Russia, but the pandemic and then the outbreak of war in Ukraine prevented it. Taking advantage of this opportunity, in just three months India has organized a tournament that it wants to serve as a symbol of national pride.
Until August 10, players will compete in the coastal city of Mamallapuram. The inauguration ceremony was held at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Chennai on Thursday. Located in the state of Tamil Nadu, the city is dubbed the “chess capital” of India. The roughly 2,000 tournament participants were greeted with great fanfare by the sound and light show.
A chance to see Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin, usually political opponents, unite in celebration. Narendra Modi praised the speed with which such events were organized. MK Stalin, on the other hand, underscores the historical roots of chess among Tamils.
India have high hopes for their young players. Four of the favorites are under 18. Indian chess star Viswanathan Anand, several world champions, hands the torch to the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu. This torch caused a new crisis with Pakistan, which canceled its participation, after passing through the disputed Kashmir region.
