Narendra Modi: “There are no losers: only winners and future winners”
The wise reflection of India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi garnered the biggest applause of the night from the more than 20,000 players, coaches and local chess enthusiasts at the Nehru Indoor Stadium, venue for the opening ceremony of the 44th Chess Olympiad, here in Chennai. After a marathon afternoon, full of music and colour, Modi declared the event open. The games will begin tomorrow at 3:00 p.m. at the Four Points by Sheraton Mahabalipuram Resort & Convention Center. A total of 184 teams in the open category – 158 in women – will make the Chennai Olympiad the largest in history, breaking all previous records. The ceremony commenced at 4:00 p.m. with a display of musical and dance activity, in which the event’s choreographer deployed the history of India’s Tamil Nadu state throughout the ages. Between acts, we enjoyed the classical flag parade, in which each delegations’ best players took the floor – a basic activity in any Olympic movement. Another highlight of the afternoon was the live performance by piano prodigy Lydian Nadhaswaram, who delighted us with classical and modern tunes, including a brilliant two-handed and blindfold exhibition. In 2019, Nadhaswaram won a million dollars on The World’s Best show on CBS: he’s a true musical phenomenon, a fitting opponent for the world’s best chess players. Together with Modi – “there has never been a better time for sports in India than present time. This event shows that we are stronger together” – the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, M.K.Stalin, also had a very significant presence at the ceremony, reminding all attendees that the event had been completed in less than four months after Moscow’s withdrawal. FIDE’s own Arkady Dvorkovich also took the stage, welcoming all the participants to this exciting event. But perhaps the most memorable moment of the night was five-times world champion Vishy Anand handing over the Olympic relay torch to Prime Minister Modi, who in turn passed it on to Pragnaandhaa and Gukesh, “the future of Indian chess”. The players of the Indian B-team lit up the Olympic flame, and received the deafening applause of the stadium. Without a doubt, in my modest opinion, the best opening ceremony I have ever attended in my life, in relation to the time available to organize it – and I was at the opening of the 1992 Barcelona Olympics! Text: IM Michael Rahal, FIDE Press Officer, Chennai Photo: Lennart Ootes
Valentina Gunina trounces Tan Zhongyi to advance into semis
GM Valentina Gunina swept away GM Tan Zhongyi in a quarterfinal match and reached the semifinals of the FIDE Chess.com 2022 Women’s Speed Chess Championship. After a poor 0-2 start, Gunina found her A-game and won the first 5+1 segment by a resounding score of 7-3. The 3+1 games were all about Gunina, who stretched her lead to 11 points and virtually secured the match victory. Tan stoke back in the 1+1 portion and found some comfort in winning the final segment of the match by a minimal margin. Gunina earned $3,344.83 for her victory, while Tan collected $655.17. Gunina’s next opponent in the semifinals will be decided in a clash between Hou Yifan and Alexandra Kosteniuk. Asked about her preparation for the match, Valentina said: “My coach prepared some variations that my opponent was going to play. Yesterday we had a discussion about that. Today, I just repeated some of these lines, and it saved me energy.” The next quarterfinal match between GM Kateryna Lagno and GM Humpy Koneru, who have previously held Women’s World Rapid titles, will take place on July 19, at 7.30 a.m. Pacific / 16:30 Central. The FIDE Chess.com 2022 Women’s Speed Chess Championship is an online event where titled women players will play a series of blitz and bullet matches for a share of the $70,000 prize fund. To follow the FIDE Chess.com Women’s Speed Chess Championship, watch a live broadcast of the event with expert commentary on Chess.com/TV and Chess.com Twitch Channel. More info and a full schedule of the FIDE Chess.com Women’s Speed Chess Championship can be found here.
“Smartwater”, official beverage partner of 2022 Chess Olympiad
FIDE has signed a partnership with Glaceau Smartwater, a bottled water brand owned by Energy Brands, a subsidiary of the Coca-Cola Company. Smartwater will be the official and exclusive beverage partner for the 2022 Chess Olympiad in Chennai. Now sold as a premium product globally, Smartwater was first introduced in 1996 in the United States, and by 2016 it was one of the top five bottled water brands in the country, with sales worth nearly $830 million in 2017. It also gained popularity very quickly after being introduced in India at the end of 2017, in association with TED Talks India Nayi Soch. Barely two years later, India was already the fourth largest market globally for the brand, with a presence in over 50,000 outlets across the country. The brand is also available in other countries, including the United Kingdom, France, Australia, Argentina, Brazil, Chile, The United Arab Emirates, Croatia, Singapore, Serbia, Romania, Malaysia and Canada. American actress and singer Zendaya is its current global brand ambassador, following other stars like Jennifer Aniston and Gal Gadot. “FIDE is happy to partner with Smartwater”, said Emil Sutovsky, FIDE’s Director-General. “For centuries, chess was seen as an epitome of human intelligence. But nowadays, chess is mostly a sport. Smart sport. And players smartly consume a lot of water throughout long chess games. We made sure it will be Smartwater. The massive cooperation with a premium brand towards the Olympiad underlines again the significance of chess in the modern world and its attractiveness to major partnerships”. Made through vapour distillation, water is evaporated to remove impurities, condensed and then re-mineralized with electrolytes for a crisp, pure taste, all in an iconic package. “Since then, Smartwater has continued to challenge norms and stay ahead of the curve”, reads the company’s Global website. “In 2019, Smartwater alkaline and Smartwater antioxidant were introduced across multiple countries to meet the growing desire for hydration options throughout the day”. The innovations have continued with the launch of Smartwater flavours — inspired by the lightly infused waters found at spas, and Smartwater+, infused with a range of fruit essences and rejuvenating extracts. Rehydration will be an essential need for the participants of the 2022 Chess Olympiad, especially taking into account the high temperatures in Chennai at the time when the competition is played. Studies show that you only need to be 1% dehydrated to experience a 5% decrease in cognitive function. A 2% decrease in brain hydration can result in short-term memory loss and trouble with math computations. Prolonged dehydration causes brain cells to shrink in size and mass, a condition common in many elderly who have been dehydrated for years. “Water gives the brain energy to function, including thought and memory processes. Water is also needed for the production of hormones and neurotransmitters in the body”, explains The Brain & Spine Institute of North Houston. “Since the brain cannot store water and you are constantly losing water through perspiration and other body functions, it’s essential that you continuously hydrate. You’ll be able to think faster, focus more clearly and experience greater clarity when your body and mind are functioning on a full reserve of water”. This institute also offers the following tips to stay hydrated: Drink a glass of water before exercising and sip during to make the most of your workout Drink a glass of water before each meal Avoid alcohol while flying and drink water instead – trade your soda for sparkling water Drink water throughout the day, even if you are indoors and in the air conditioning 70,000 bottles and cans of Smartwater products supplied by Coca-Cola India Private Limited will ensure that the participants in the Olympiad will stay hydrated and able to perform at their highest level.