Chennai: Expect multiple-time world chess champion, Viswanathan Anand, to take up a different role in chess in the coming months. The Indian chess grandmaster revealed today that the current International Chess Federation (FIDE) President Arkady Dvorkovich has requested him to be part of his team when the next FIDE elections take place on August 1st, 2022, alongside the FIDE Chess Olympiad in Chennai.
India secured the bid to host FIDE Chess Olympiad 2022 in Chennai earlier this year. Asked whether he would stand for re-election, the Russian said yes and also added that “Vishwanathan Anand will be a huge part of my team”. Said Anand, “For the moment, we haven’t decided. That stage will come later. I told them I am willing to work alongside them – they are doing good work. For the moment, we are in general agreement that I will be part of his team.
Meanwhile, an ecstatic All India Chess Federation (AICF) has already hit the ground running to organize the best ever FIDE Chess Olympiad. The FIDE Chess Olympiad 2022 will take place from July 28th – to August 14th, 2022 in Chennai. Over 2,000 participants will battle it out for the top prize. India won the bid after its original hosts Russia were stripped of their hosting rights due to its invasion of Ukraine.
Tournament director and AICF secretary-general Bharat Singh Chauhan said, “This is a historic moment for the All India Chess Federation and all of us. This is going to be the biggest sporting event hosted by India. We are expecting participants from 160-190 countries. We are going to host this event with the support of all chess players.” The Tamil Nadu government, too, is going all out to ensure the Chess Olympiad is a “grand success”.