44th Chess Olympiad

 
Teams from around the world compete in the Chess Olympiad, a biennial chess competition. The initial Olympiad wasn't recognized. Chess was attempted to be included in the Olympic Games for the 1924 Games, but this failed due to difficulties separating amateur and professional players. The first informal Chess Olympiad was held in Paris in 1924, concurrently with the Olympic Games. On July 20, 1924, the final day of the first unofficial Chess Olympiad, FIDE was established. The first Official Olympiad was held in London in 1927 and was organized by FIDE. Before World War II, the Olympiads were occasionally held annually and at sporadic intervals; starting in 1950, they have been held consistently every two years.

The 44th Chess Olympiad, also known as the Chennai Chess Olympiad, is being held in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India from July 28 to August 10, 2022. It is being organized by the Fédération Internationale des Échecs (FIDE) and includes open and women's tournaments as well as several events meant to promote the game of chess. India is hosting its first Chess Olympiad at this time. There are 1,736 participants in all, with 937 in the Open competition and 800 in the Women's competition. The convention center at the Four Points by Sheraton will serve as the primary location for the Chess Olympiad, while the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium will host the opening and closing ceremonies.

A significant portion of the event's logistics involves transportation. The movement of the players and dignitaries throughout the tournament is made possible by approximately 125 Mercedes-Benz buses, 100 SUVs, and six high-end luxury cars. Widening and reconstruction were done on the route leading from the Chennai International Airport to Mahabalipuram. In addition, a special section of the highway was opened to ensure smooth transportation of the coaches and SUVs transporting the officials and players to and from the venue. Additionally, the parking lot has designated air-conditioned waiting rooms, as well as welcoming gates and hoardings.

The Chess Olympiads featured a torch relay ceremony for the first time. The Indira Gandhi Stadium in New Delhi served as the relay's initial location. On July 19, the torch was passed from FIDE President Arkady Dvorkovich to Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who then passed it on to former World Chess Champion Viswanathan Anand. Before reaching Chennai, the torch travelled to 75 cities over the course of 40 days. Along the way, side competitions incorporating other traditional Indian sports, like mallakhamba, were staged. Chess players Srihari L R and Harshavardhan G B took over the relay at the Shore Temple after travelling the entire nation in tandem with other local officials.

For Hall 1, which hosts the top-ranked teams, a full-day ticket costs 3,000 (€37) for domestic visitors and 8,000 (€98) at foreigners. Students under the age of 19 and members of the Tamil Nadu government can purchase a two-hour ticket for a reduced price of 300 (€3.70). According to the rules, visitors are only permitted to enter the venue after a rigorous security check, and all electronic devices, including mobile phones, have to be left at the counter outside the halls. A full-day ticket for Hall 2 costs 2,000 (€25) for domestic visitors and 6,000 (€74) for foreign visitors, while students under 19 years of age, women, and Tamil Nadu government staff can get a two-hour ticket at a discounted price of 200 (€2.50).

A record-breaking 188 teams representing 186 national federations are competing in the tournament. The women's tournament boasts a record 162 teams, representing 160 federations. The Netherlands Antilles, despite being defunct since 2010, are permitted to field teams under this name because the Curaçao Chess Federation is still formally listed as representing the nation in the FIDE Directory. India, the tournament's host, fields three teams.