A timely message, $10m guarantee, sea-facing rooms in Mahabalipuram: How India won bid to host Chess Olympiad

In the last week of February, news broke about the International Chess Federation (FIDE) removing Russia as the host for the prestigious Chess Olympiad. FIDE’s president Arkady Dvorkovich, a Russian, who was looking for a new host for the mega event would soon receive a message from India.
‘India is open to organising any chess event’ was the g of the message from the All India Chess Federation (AICF) secretary Bharat Singh Chauhan, who was on a train from Kanpur to Delhi.
“I just thought let me text the FIDE president because there was the Russia-Ukraine issue. He replied with one word and a question mark: ‘Olympiad?’ I told him, ‘give me time till tomorrow,” Chauhan said recalling the first few messages in which India as hosts was proposed.
The next day, the AICF secretary informed the FIDE president that India was ready to bid in principle. Less than a week after the message to Dvorkovich, the country’s bid for its first-ever Olympiad was good to go. Former world champion Viswanathan Anand too wrote to FIDE backing the bid.

⚡ Chennai to host the 2022 Chess Olympiad
The FIDE Council has approved the bid presented the All India Chess Federation @aicfchess to host the 2022 #ChessOlympiad in Chennai, the capital of the Tamil Nadu state.
➡️ https://t.co/Y39HC9vXq2 pic.twitter.com/fLmD2WwRB4
— International Chess Federation (@FIDE_chess) March 15, 2022
But to bag the hosting rights of the chess spectacle, a number of things had to fall into place, including a guarantee of $10 million (Rs 76 crore approximately). In a couple of days, Chauhan was off to meet Tamil Nadu Chief Miner MK Stalin in Chennai.
As soon as Dvorkovich enquired about the AICF’s willingness to bid for the Olympiad, Chauhan got to work. He was in touch with people from the chess community with contacts in three state governments. Gujarat, Delhi and Tamil Nadu were the options Chauhan had short-led.
Ultimately a chief miner who readily came on board and furnished the financial guarantee in five minutes, the sea-facing rooms for players on the picturesque East Coast Road tipped the scales in favour of Mahabalipuram, an hour’s drive from Chennai, the state capital with a strong chess culture.

#ChessOlympiad2022 pic.twitter.com/U2bjZR0U1v
— M.K.Stalin (@mkstalin) March 16, 2022
Chauhan reached out to Grandmaster and coach Srinath Narayanan on a Friday. Narayanan made some calls and got an appointment with Stalin almost immediately. “The Indian team had received awards last year from the chief miner directly (after the online Olympiad). I knew some people who were connected with the CM’s office. I got in touch with them and they said it was possible. On Monday we met the Tamil Nadu Chief Miner. We were met with a positive response considering the cultural links with chess,” Narayanan said.

Delighted that the Chess Capital of India is set to host the 44th Chess Olympiad! A proud moment for Tamil Nadu! Chennai warmly welcomes all the Kings and Queens from around the world!#ChessOlympiad2022
— M.K.Stalin (@mkstalin) March 15, 2022
The AICF was initially leaning towards Delhi but a few factors went against the national capital. “It would be very hot in Delhi. In Mahabalipuram the rooms are sea-facing. And if players stayed in the hotels in Aerocity there would not have much to do in that area. Also, there is no big chess culture in Delhi,” Chauhan said.

As soon as the Tamil Nadu government was on board, Chauhan went scouting for rooms and venues on the East Coast Road. “About five to six IAS officers travelled with us. I told them we should book all 4-star and 5-star and within one day some 2,000 rooms in 23 hotels were booked of which about 1200 are sea-facing. The hall for the Olympiad was booked. Within three to four days nobody else could get a guarantee of Rs 76 crore, book all the rooms and the venue. That is how it worked out,” Chauhan said.FIDE was constantly asking questions. “They wanted to know why Mahabalipuram instead of Delhi. We sent them videos of all hotels and location maps, including of Four Points Sheraton where the Olympiad will be held. FIDE will be sending their inspection team the end of this month,” Chauhan added. A temporary secretariat has been set up in Mahabalipuram and communication lines have been opened with players around the world via translators in four languages.
The AICF’s willingness to leave no stone unturned went in India’s favour, according to FIDE’s director-general Grandmaster Emil Sutovsky.
“We obviously welcomed India’s bid. There were few more contenders, but we set a clear deadline – and only India was in time to submit a proper bid. That underlines a major work of AICF as one has to be well-prepared in order to come up ready for such a huge event on such short notice,” Sutovsky said.The India chess story brimming with potential next-generation stars is primed for a boost with the successful bid, Sutovsky — also the chairman of FIDE’s Global Strategy Commission — believes.
“The growth of India is noticeable. It has great players and team, but most significantly almost 50% of the world’s best Under-18 players are Indian. That will obviously give India a status of chess superpower for years to come. Millions are following chess. Of course, it all started with (Viswanathan) Anand, but now it becomes a sort of national heritage. We feel that Olympiad in Chennai will further elevate chess as a significant part of Indian culture.”

Narayanan, a vice-captain of Indian teams for the Olympiad, shares a similar sentiment. “I don’t think we have come close to hosting such an event. We had a World Championship match (Anand vs Magnus Carlsen, 2013) and it was a grand event but it involved just two players. An event of this magnitude adds value to India as a chess country and it can cause an explosion in terms of interest in chess in India. Even outside chess, I don’t think we have had an event with so many nations participating (around 190 countries expected).”
The mood in the AICF was upbeat on Wednesday. Its president Sanjay Kapoor was at the Balaji Temple in Chennai. Chauhan was living a dream. “I cannot complain about anything in life.”