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44th Chess Olympiad Is A Tournament Of Many Records: PM Modi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi declared the 44th Chess Olympiad open at a grand function held at JLN Indoor Stadium, Chennai on Thursday. R N Ravi, Governor of Tamil Nadu, Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, M. K. Stalin, Union Minister Anurag Singh Thakur and L Murugan, President of International Chess Federation (FIDE), Arkady Dvorkovich, were also present on occasion. Addressing the gathering, the Prime Minister welcomed all the players and chess lovers from all over the world to India.

Citing Kashmir, Pakistan pulls out on Chess Olympiad eve

Pakistan raised the Kashmir spectre to pull out of the 44th Chess Olympiad in Mamallapuram on the eve of the event, citing India's torch relay passing through Kashmir on June 21. The 13-member Pakistani contingent had already checked into the team hotel in Mamallapuram when they were informed they would not be taking part. In a statement, Pakistan's foreign ministry said that India has chosen to politicise this prestigious international sporting event by passing the torch relay through Jammu and Kashmir. It said the matter would be raised with the International Chess Federation. Accusing Pakistan of politicising the event, the MEA said the UTs of J&K and Ladakh "have been, are, and will remain an integral part of India."

Chess Olympiad: Time to play the right moves

India, with six teams, will be one of the favourites in the 44th OlympiadIt was in 2013 that home boy Viswanathan Anand lost the World Championship title at India's chess capital, Chennai. Nine years have gone by and top-flight chess is back in Tamil Nadu with the 44th Olympiad starting at Mamallapuram, a sea town 60 km from Chennai, on Friday. Chennai is all geared up, the iconic Napier Bridge has been painted in black and white and the event's mascot Thambi --- the knight clad in a traditional south Indian attire of white shirt and veshti --- is on every other billboard. The players are trooping in - there are about 2000 from about 187 countries - and the excitement around the event is palpable. There's a sense of missing out though with Russia not being there -- being barred from world events due to the Ukraine war -- and China preferring to stay away. But there will be no shortage of star value as the likes of World no. 1 Carlsen, Fabiano Caruana, Levon Aronian and Anish Giri will be in action. And then, there will be six Indian teams (three in open and three in women's categories) - trying to better their bronze won in 2014 over-the-board Olympiad.

Pakistan pulls out of Chess Olympiad; India hits out at Pak for 'politicising' sporting event

Pakistan on Thursday pulled out of the Chess Olympiad being held in Tamil Nadu, prompting India to hit out at the neighbouring country for "politicising" the sporting event. Hours after Pakistan announced its withdrawal over the Olympiad's torch relay passing through Jammu and Kashmir, External Affairs Ministry Spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said it was "highly unfortunate" that Pakistan has "politicised" the prestigious international event. Bagchi asserted that the Union Territories of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh "have been, are, and will remain an integral part of India." "It was the politicisation of the event," Bagchi said, referring to Pakistan's decision.

Pakistan boycotts Chess Olympiad in Chennai; India says decision 'highly unfortunate'

Pakistan said on Thursday that it will boycott the International Chess Federation event in Chennai citing the torch relay of the event passing through Jammu and Kashmir, a move termed by India as "highly unfortunate". Pakistan was invited by the International Chess Federation (FIDE) to participate in the 44th Chess Olympiad scheduled to be held in Chennai, India, from July 28 to August 10.

Chess Olympiad: On every board, India have strong players, says Viswanathan Anand

Mentor feels team will be able to deal with the pressure of expectationThe 44th Chess Olympiad is going to be different for the Indian team for many reasons. Even as Chennai gears up to host the country's first-ever Olympiad and is one of the favourites for a podium-finish, the Indian team will not be having the services of legend --- Viswanathan Anand --- as a player. The 52-year-old five-time World champion spoke to TOI on Wednesday about the significance of the event, India's chances and more. Excerpts:How do you see the Olympiad making a difference to Indian chess?It's a big event and I think it shows that Chennai can organize an event of this scale. Secondly, with players from across the world flying in --- it's a good way to project your city and it will be talked about a lot in the coming weeks. I give credit to the organisers for having done a commendable job. Ahead of the tournament, is there less pressure on you now that you are a mentor and not a player?Yeah, probably. I hope to be able to enjoy it in the capacity of a mentor and see how it goes. Many feel the Indian team without you as a player is weak. How would you react to that?I think we have a fine set of players. On every board, we have strong players who can deliver and we hope to come up with a good show. Do you reckon there is a lot of distraction for the Indian team with all the talk of podium-finish and expectations of a gold medal?I think it's inevitable. You can't pretend that it's an unwanted thing and its part of the modern world. We appreciate that there is a lot of attention ahead of the Olympiad and I am sure the players know how to block it out.

With some changes, I don't rule out a return to World Championship cycle: Magnus Carlsen

During a chat with TOI, the 31-year-old spoke on his decision to not play the next World Championship clash, Norway's chances at the Olympiad and more. Excerpts:Was there a flashpoint when you realised you were not up for the World Championship final anymore?I have been thinking about this for quite a while. It's been on my mind, I would say, for the last one-and-half years and I have been pretty sure that I would not play another match after the one in 2021.

All eyes on India ahead of the 44th Chess Olympiad

With powerhouses Russia and China missing, India will be fielding three teams each in the Open and women's sections respectively. Though the five-time world champion and legendary Viswanathan Anand has chosen not to play and donned the mentor's hat this time, the Indian teams, nonetheless, wear a formidable look. The Indian 'A' team, seeded second behind the star-studded USA is likely to be among the main challengers for the top prize along with Norway led by Carlsen and Azerbaijan. The youthful India 'B' squad coached by R B Ramesh, is seeded 11th and can be counted among the dark horses.

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44th Chess Olympiad Is A Tournament Of Many Records: PM Modi

Citing Kashmir, Pakistan pulls out on Chess Olympiad eve

Chess Olympiad: Time to play the right moves

Pakistan pulls out of Chess Olympiad; India hits out at Pak for 'politicising' sporting event

Pakistan boycotts Chess Olympiad in Chennai; India says decision 'highly unfortunate'

Chess Olympiad: On every board, India have strong players, says Viswanathan Anand

With some changes, I don't rule out a return to World Championship cycle: Magnus Carlsen

All eyes on India ahead of the 44th Chess Olympiad