Prime Minister Narendra Modi has launched the historic torch relay for the 44th Chess Olympiad at Indira Gandhi Stadium in New Delhi.
This year, for the very first time, the International Chess Body, FIDE, has instituted the Chess Olympiad Torch which is part of Olympic tradition but was never done in the Chess Olympiad.
India is first-ever country to have the Chess Olympiad Torch Relay.
FIDE President Arkady Dvorkovich handed over the torch to Prime Minister, who in turn then handed it over to Grandmaster Vishwanathan Anand.
This torch will then be taken to 75 cities in a span of 40 days before the final culmination at Mahabalipuram near Chennai. At every location, chess grandmasters of the state will receive the torch.
The 44th Chess Olympiad will be held in Chennai from July 28 to August 10, 2022. The prestigious competition, which has been organised since 1927, is being hosted in India for the first time and in Asia after 30 years.
