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All India Chess Federation (AICF) President Sanjay Kapoor and Secretary Bharat Singh Chauhan signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Tamil Nadu Government on Saturday.
The MoU was signed in the presence of Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin for the forthcoming 44th Chess Olympiad, slated to be held in Chennai from July 28 to August 10, 2022.
Naresh Sharma, Treasurer of AICF and members of the Indian team were also present during the meeting. Kapoor expressed his optimism about the upcoming mega event on this occasion.
"This is a big step forward in the smooth and successful conduct of the Olympiad."
AICF Secretary Bharat Chauhan remarked that preparations for the Chess Olympiad are in full swing.
"Preparations are going on as planned and the mood is upbeat for the AICF team which is working round the clock in Mahabalipuram where an office has been set up."
This is the first time in history that India is hosting the world's biggest chess event. More than 100 teams have already registered for the Chess Olympiad.
Viswanathan Anand remembers his mother Susheela while sharing anecdote from his first Chess Olympiad
Five-time World Chess Champion, Viswanathan Anand remembered his late mother Susheela Viswanathan while speaking on the occassion.
She was the one who introduced, initiated, and inculcated the love for this ancient sport in her now-famous son. When Anand started playing in chess events, she accompanied him and ensured that he stayed focused on chess.
Anand had an interesting anecdote to share about when his mother accompanied him to his first Chess Olympiad as a 14-year-old in Thessaloniki, Greece, in 1984.
“I had just earned my international rating almost a year back and was totally overwhelmed by seeing all the top players at the Olympiad. The Soviet Union, then, was still a formidable force with the presence of Anatoly Karpov and Garry Kasparov, who were fighting for the World title bout. In those days, access to chess materials and games was very limited. The only source was the Chess Informant founded by Aleksander Matanovic and Milivoje Molerovic, who published all the top games played in a year in one or two editions."
Anand's mother played a very crucial role in guiding his career. She sacrificed a lot and groomed Anand to become a legendary player.
"At that point, I had hoped that at least one of my games would be published in Informant. Once at the venue, I remember excitedly pointing out the person in charge of the informant to my mother. After I left for my game, my mother went and met the person in charge. She mentioned that she would like one of her son’s games to be published in Informant. The Gentleman remarked that many players requested for their games to be included. But this was the first time that a mother had come and insisted on her son’s game to be included and who was he to deny."
Indian chess legend Anand will be the mentor of the Indian chess squad for the forthcoming Chess Olympiad.
