44th Chess Olympiad: PM Modi to launch first-ever torch relay on June 19

New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi will launch the historic torch relay for the 44th Chess Olympiad on June 19 at 5 PM at Indira Gandhi Stadium, New Delhi. He will also address the gathering on the occasion, a press release from PM’s office said.

The Chess Olympiad Torch relay is being organized by International Chess Body, FIDE, for the first time, similar to the Olympic tradition India will be the first-ever country to have the Chess Olympiad Torch Relay, the release said.

FIDE President Arkady Dvorkovich will hand over the torch to Prime Minister, who in turn will hand 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.

Notably, taking the Indian roots of Chess to a greater height, this tradition of Torch Relay for the Chess Olympiad will henceforth always begin in India and travel across all continents before reaching the host country, the press release added.

The 44th Chess Olympiad will be held in Chennai from July 28 to August 10, 2022. The prestigious competition, which has been organized since 1927, is being hosted in India for the first time and in Asia after 30 years. With 189 countries participating, this will be the largest participation in any Chess Olympiad.