A long wait of almost 100 years will end when India hosts the 44th Chess Olympiad 2022 for the first time in July, the All India Chess Federation (AICF) said today while kicking off the 100-day countdown to the event.  

World champions, Super Grandmasters and national champions will be among the top stars from over 150 countries participating in the biggest chess event in the world which will be held in Chennai from July 28 to August 10.

Five-time world champion Viswanathan Anand believes that the Chess Olympiad on home soil will inspire the upcoming Indian chess generation. "It is a lifetime opportunity for youngsters to get a glimpse of their idols, watch them play and possibly interact with them," said India’s first-ever Grandmaster.

Though the first Chess Olympiad was played in 1924 in Paris, the International Chess Federation (FIDE) began conducting it officially from 1927.

"We are sparing no effort to ensure that this Olympiad will be the best ever and hope that people will be talking about it for the next 100 years," promises Bharat Singh Chauhan, Secretary of the All India Chess Federation.

Hundreds of district-level players from Tamil Nadu have already put in their requests to witness the games live.

The playing teams will be declared by the respective countries in the first week of May. As the top 10 countries, including United States of America, China, India and Ukraine, are so evenly matched, the prestigious event is expected to witness an enthralling and exciting action in every round.

India and Russia had jointly clinched the gold in the last edition of the event which was held virtually in 2020.

The 44th edition of the tournament was initially scheduled to take place in Russia. However, due to the ongoing conflict in Ukraine, FIDE had invited new bidders and finally granted India the rights to host the Olympiad. 

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