Moved out of Russia, Chess Olympiad to be held in Chennai

Chennai: The 44th Chess Olympiad, which was moved out of Russia after it invaded Ukraine, will be organised in Chennai later this year, making it the second major global event of the sport to be held in India after the World Championship match in 2013.

The announcement was made by Tamil Nadu chief minister M K Stalin on his Twitter page on Tuesday night.

"Delighted that the Chess Capital of India is set to host the 44th Chess Olympiad! A proud moment for Tamil Nadu! Chennai warmly welcomes all the Kings and Queens from around the world! #ChessOlympiad2022," he said in the tweet.

"It's official now....India will host the 44th World Chess Olympiad 2022 at Chennai!" the All-India Chess Federation added on its Twitter handle.

The All-India Chess federation (AICF) had submitted a guarantee of $10 million (approx Rs 70 crore) to FIDE to host the tournament.