PM inaugurates Chess Olympiad, calls it a memorable feast

Chennai: (G.B. Vanamali) It was a memorable feast for the eyes as curtains went up on one of the biggest sporting extravaganzas being held in this teeming megapolis when the 44th FIDE Chess Olympiad, which has a record participation of 350 teams (188-open and 162-women with over 2,000 players from 187 countries) and highest ever Indian participation, was inaugurated on Thursday evening.
At a grand gala opening ceremony and chess coins, temples and monuments of Mamallapuram dotting the tastefully erected and decorated dais, Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the 11-round Olympiad to be played under Classical Swiss League Format.
After Modi came to the dais, the opening ceremony began with the recital of National Anthem and Tamil Thaai Vaazhthu (invoking the blessings of Mother Tamil Goddess).
Among those present at the inaugural were Tamil Nadu Governor R.N. Ravi,Union Minister for I&B, Sports and Youth Welfare Anurag Singh Thakur and Minister of State for I&B L. Murugan, Chief Minister M.K.S talin–clad in silk dhoti and silk shirt with an angawastaram (shawl)–his Cabinet Colleagues, including Sports Development Minister Siva.V. Meyyanathan, Legislators, MPs, Chief Secretary V.Irai Anbu, FIDE President Arkady Dvorkovich, Chennai’s own Chess icon Viswanathan Anand, top brass from the All-India Chess Federation, players and officials, besides school children.
Among those present were Chief Minister’s wife Durga Stalin, his son and MLA Udhayanidhi Stalin, Rajinikanth, his daughter Soundarya, actors, lyricist Vairamuthu and people from various fields.
The tournament will be held from tomorrow till August 10 at Hotel Four Points by Sheraton at Poonjeri Village in the tourist spot of Mamallapuram, a UNESCO heritage site located about 50 km from the city.
While all the roads, painted like chess board, led to Jawaharlal Nehru Indoor Stadium–the venue of the inaugural ceremony, which was beautifully decorated and illuminated–from tomorrow the roads will lead to the Poonjeri village.
The entire stretch leading to the Chess Olympiad venue and the Indoor Stadium has been tastefully decorated with the mascot named ‘Thambi’, a horse–Chess Knight–clad in the traditional Veshti-Sattai (white dhoti and shirt) omnipresent everywhere in the city.
The entire village and the Mamallapuram got a facelift ahead of the prestigious tournament.
Though this bustling city had played host to several major international tourneys like the Champions Trophy Hockey, SAF Games, Jawaharlal Nehru Gold Cup Football, the ATP Tour Tennis Championship and the World Chess Championship, an event of this magnitude–that too at a short period of time–was being held for the first time, which was aptly called the Cradle of Indian Chess, having produced a number of IMs and GMs.
The showpiece event of the inauguration was the nearly 45-minute live performance by music maestro Alrahman–who also composed the Chess Olympiad anthem with the iconic British era Napier Bridge
painted like a chess board as the background–and his troupe.
A rich display of traditional folk arts, the gala opening ceremony showcased the rich cultural heritage of the State with the theme ‘We all are one’ and traditional dance forms of other states in the country, including Uttar Pradesh, Manipuri and Odisha, after a march past by the players from participating Nations, carrying their flags.
The dance forms included TN’s Bharatanatyam, Kerala’s Mohiniaattam, Kathakali, Andhra Pradesh’s Kuchipudi.
The cultural events ended with National Anthem and administering of Player’s and Officials pledge.
Jai Ho’ was among the Indian instrumental music played while ‘Vande Mataram’ was rendered.
Later, a piano concert by an youngster enthralled the audience. Lydian Nadhaswaram played the Harry Potter theme using his right hand and Mission Impossible theme using his left hand.
Blind-folded Lydian Nadhaswaram plays the grand piano, amid big cheers.
Later sand sculpting in digital form by renowned sculptor Sarvam Patel, who sculpted the images of the Prime Minister and Stalin, besides chess coins, the mascot and various images garnered the attention of the audience at the packed stadium. (UNI)