See: Chennai sets world record in run-up to 44th Chess Olympiad

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What started as a mock practice for the 44th Chess Olympiad turned into a world record. An open chess tournament was held on Sunday to test the efficiency of the system and infrastructure, four days before the start of the Olympics in Mamalappuram. A record was set for the maximum number of live games in an open rapid chess tournament (more than 700 chessboards were connected to the Internet and fans could watch the game from anywhere in the world).

A total of 1,434 people signed up for the open tournament by paying ₹200, and 1,414 people turned up, setting a world record. Tamil Nadu’s GM Vishnu Prasanna, the highest rated batsman in the competition, bagged ₹5 lakh cash prize with 9/9 in the Swiss League competition.

The mock practice was to make sure everything worked well before the Olympics. Everything has been done except for power changes and sanitation, an organizing committee official said, and these are being looked into. 187 countries will participate in the Chess Olympiad, which will start on July 29 – it is the biggest Olympiad in the 100-year history of the tournament.

_{Four days before the start of the Olympics, the old city of Mamallapuram is gearing up to host the mega event.}_{Watch the video to see the venue and meet the organizers.}

“We are fully prepared to start the game,” said R Anantharam, who has refereed six Olympics and will be part of the Appellate Body this time. According to him, the venue and organization are far ahead of others.

As the International Chess Federation (FIDE) pulled out Russia, the Tamil Nadu government and the All India Chess Federation (AICF) stepped in to host the global event. The country will have four years to prepare for the event. “But we only had four months to prepare,” he said.

The organizers – FIDE, AICF, Government of India and Government of Tamil Nadu – are leaving no stone unturned to ensure the success of the Olympics. The city of Chennai and the road to the venue are painted in black and white, with last-minute arrangements being made. More than 3,000 police officers will be on duty throughout the Olympics.

A dedicated center has been set up at the Chennai airport to receive players arriving without any hassles with immigration formalities. “We have made 8-12 immigration counters for players and delegates. We also got three special belts for the players’ luggage,” said AK Verma, one of the members involved in the organization of the Olympics. The Tamil Nadu government has also provided an express corridor to speedily transport the players from their hotels to the venue.

The state government has allocated ₹92 crore for the event to be inaugurated by Prime Minister Modi at the city’s Nehru Indoor Stadium on Thursday. If current spending is any indication, the cost could be double what was budgeted for, say people in the know.

It is a proud moment for India as the country is hosting the event for the first time. Interestingly, this event returned to Asia for the first time in 30 years. A total of 3,000 foreign guests, including 1,740 players, are expected to attend the Olympics. About 30 hotels on East Coast Road near the event have been booked.