What Is Chess Olympiad?
The Chess Olympiads are international competitions where teams of top players compete for their respective countries. The best chess enthusiasts from around the world represent their countries on a global level and they do this by competing in FIDE-organized tournaments like those hosted at least once every two years (or four cycles).
The Chess Olympiad is an international competition that does not have any official ties with the Olympics. In essence, it’s the FIDE’s Team Champion when they win this event and are considered by many players as one of the strongest chess nations around!
Opening Ceremony
The 44th Chess Olympiad is set to be a historic event, with 2200 chess players from 180 countries expected at the games. The inauguration ceremony will take place in Jawaharlal Nehru stadium and matches played throughout Mamallapuram.
The opening ceremony will be attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister, MK Stalin Sports Minister Anurag Thakur, and FIDE president Arkady Dvorkovich. Additionally to these politicians, there have been reports that AR Rahaman or Rajinikanth may add some color to this mega event, an indication of how much they respect the Indian chess grand-master Pragnannandhaa!
Significance Of Chess Olympiad Event
Chess has been around for centuries and is still one of the most popular games in today’s society. The Chess Olympiad began as an informal competition between national teams, but it soon became known across the world due to its incredible talent pool.
FIDE, the international chess federation governing body of chess has been in operation since 1927 and currently oversees Olympiads. The first official tournament was held back then with many more to come until World War II broke out putting an end to their annual events which resumed after the 1950 Dubrovnik Olympiad where they introduced another two-year cycle for us all to enjoy!
The Stakes Are High This Olympiad Season
The game of chess has been around for centuries and this year it’s making headlines again. The Olympiad will be running between July 28- August 10, with delegations from over 180 countries descending into Mamallapuram outside Chennai City in southern India’s Tamil Nadu State!
India chess federation is looking to make history at this year’s World Team Championship. The Indian team has yet again been drawn into an exciting competition with them being seeded second behind only the United States and ahead of defending champions Russia, China, and Canada among others who will be competing for gold on their home soil.
The six Indian teams will be led by five-time world champion Viswanathan Anand who has some of the most exciting talents in chess. They’ll find themselves at home among thousands as they compete for gold against other countries’ finest players, all while representing their country with pride!
The players have been put through team training sessions over the past few weeks. Some of them are still playing tournaments and feeling jet lag, while others arrived just in time for this major home tournament that will soon be kicking off with an exciting atmosphere surrounding it all!
The favourites for the 2022 edition of the chess Olympics are India and the 2016 open champion United States. The hosts will be represented by GMs Fabiano Caruana, Levon Aronian, Wesley So & Leinier Dominguez while Sam Shankland has also qualified to compete in this event!
Chess Frenzy Grips Chennai
The event has been marketed like no other before it, with advertisements popping up all over town and social media hashtags galore and if you’re driving around town today, be sure to watch out for these symbols of chessboard-inspired elegance. They’ve become an iconic part of this country’s history during their time here hosting the Olympiad!
The Historic Napier Bridge
The Napier Bridge, a historic landmark built over River Coovam and connecting Fort St. George with Marina Beach was erected in 1869 by Governor of Madras Francis Napier who also happens to be an ancestor of MK Stalin’s as well! The influential personas that have crossed this bridge include superstar Rajinikanth & Supriya Sahu–the principal secretary for environment etc., department Of Environment And Forest In crore State Government Of Tamil Nadu
The iconic Bridge that is always decorated with lights and themes, has now been painted like a chessboard for the upcoming event in Tamil Nadu. The surface of this bridge constructed during the British era has been colored into black & white squares on all sides to represent pieces on an engrossing game board!
To spice up the Olympic Games, buses will be painted black and white with a smiling younger brother Thambi on them. These special vehicles ply between Mahabalipuram (a 60 km distance) and Chennai’s Mofussil Bus Terminus where you can catch other routes to your destination or stay in one place for more adventure!
Thambi- a chief mascot peers down from most buses and metro trains, as well as the entrances of important government offices, and this horseman clad in a white veshti and sattai with folded hands. Memes about him have already rolled out on websites like Facebook where there is an entire section dedicated to jokes titled “Thambiyin sodhanaigal” created by popular Tamil comedian Vadivelu who voices over audio clips while cycling through different scenarios during his cycle rides throughout Chennai city.
Conclusion
This campaign could end up being one for the history books. Regardless, young Indian sports fans bred on cricket and European football might suddenly find chess ambushing their social media feeds over the next week or so. It’s just an opportunity to get them acquainted with our country’s best players by name!
The Tamil Nadu government has announced a holiday for schools, colleges, and non-essential government offices in four districts on July 28th when the Olympiad is set to begin. The Tamil Nadu authorities are doing everything they can so that this event will go off without any hiccups or problems!
