Prime Minister Narendra Modi will declare the 44th Chess Olympiad open in the grand inauguration programme being organised at JLN Indoor Stadium, Chennai tomorrow.  Minister for Youth Affairs and Sports Anurag Thakur will also grace the event.

Prime Minister had also launched the first-ever Chess Olympiad Torch Relay at the Indira Gandhi National Stadium in New Delhi on 19th of last month. The torch travelled to 75 iconic locations in the country over a period of 40 days, traversing close to 20 thousand kilometres. It culminated in Mahabalipuram, before heading over to the FIDE Headquarters, Switzerland.

The 44th Chess Olympiad is being held in Chennai from 28th July to 9th August. The prestigious competition, which has been organised since 1927, is being hosted in India for the first time and in Asia after 30 years. With 187 countries participating, this will be the largest participation in any Chess Olympiad. India is also fielding its biggest ever contingent in the competition comprising 30 players across 6 teams.