India will be hosting the 2022 World Chess Olympiad. It will be the 44th edition of the tournament, originally supposed to be held in Russia.
In a historic moment for India, it will be hosting the FIDE World Chess Olympiad 2022. The 44th edition of the prestigious chess tournament will be held in Chennai from July 28 to August 14, with over 2,000 participants after India successfully won the rights to host the event. It was initially supposed to be held in Russia before the rights were taken away due to its ongoing invasion of Ukraine.
The President of All India Chess Federation (AICF) and the Organizing Committee Dr Sanjay Kapoor, Tournament Director Mr Bharat Singh Chauhan, Principal Secretary Youth Welfare & Sports Development Department Government of Tamil Nadu, IAS Ms Apoorva, Five-time World Chess Champion Grandmaster Viswanathan Anand, Chairman of Gujarat State Co-operative Banks Mr Ajay Patel and Member Secretary, Sports Development Authority of Tamil Nadu, IAS Dr R Anandakumar were in attendance in New Delhi on Friday to receive the official hosting rights on behalf of India.
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The Government of Tamil Nadu and Honourable Chief Minister Thiru MK Stalin, along with the team at AICF, carried out tremendous efforts to bring the FIDE 44th World Chess Olympiad 2022 to India. The prestigious competition, organized since 1927, will be held in India for the first time and in Asia after 30 years.
Speaking at the occasion, FIDE President Arkady Dvorkovich said, "It's an honour and privilege to be here. It is a historic moment as India will host the FIDE World Chess Olympiad for the first time. The place which produces more Grandmasters than any other country truly deserves to host the FIDE World Chess Olympiad. I can see a clear interest to host the best-ever FIDE World Chess Olympiad in Chennai."
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Indian chess grandmaster and five-time World Chess Champion Viswanathan Anand, who was also present at the event in New Delhi, said, "I am delighted that the 44th FIDE Chess Olympiad will take place in Chennai. I want to thank the Tamil Nadu Government, especially Chief Minister Thiru MK Stalin, and everyone else who has brought the competition to India. I would also like to thank FIDE and FIDE President Arkady Dvorkovich. And, also credit must be given to the All India Chess Federation [AICF] for moving very fast, and I am confident that the competition will be a great success."
The President of All India Chess Federation, Dr Sanjay Kapoor, said, "Today, I am overjoyed, and as the President of AICF, I would like to share this joy with the people of India. The FIDE World Chess Olympiad has never been hosted in India, but in 2022, the long wait is finally over. It's a matter of pride for the entire country to host this event. Going by the number of countries participating in the tournament, it will be the biggest sporting competition ever hosted in India."
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The Tournament Director Bharat Singh Chauhan expressed, "This is a historic moment for the AICF and all of us. It is going to be the biggest sporting event hosted by India. We expect participants from 160-190 countries to participate in the competition. We will host this event with the support of all chess players."
