The first-ever Chess Olympiad Torch Relay entered Western India today as it reached Jaipur today morning. After passing through Ajmer, torch relay will enter Ahmedabad and then travel to Kevadia, Vadodra, Surat, Dandi, Daman, Nagpur, Pune, Mumbai and Panjim. Thereafter the torch relay will enter the Eastern part of India, North-east India culminating at South India.
In the first leg of North India the torch travelled to 20 cities of Delhi, Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal, Punjab, Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan in the last 10 days.
The relay will cover a total of 75 cities, commemorating Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav – 75 years of India’s independence. The first ever torch relay for Chess Olympiad was launched by the Prime Minister of India Shri Narendra Modi at the IG Stadium in New Delhi on June 19.
FIDE President Arkady Dvorkovich handed over the torch to the Prime Minister, who handed it over to Indian Chess legend Viswanathan Anand. Following the historic launch, the torch travelled to iconic locations including Red Fort in the national capital, the HPCA in Dharamshala, the Attari Border in Amritsar, the Taj Mahal in Agra and the Vidhan Sabha in Lucknow, among others.
The torch relay events start with simul chess, where Grandmasters and dignitaries play the game with local athletes. Following the events, the torch travels to the various locations via a jeep. Besides, various cultural events take place including an interactive bus tour travelling from one city to another, a cultural parade varying from region to region which features young chess players’ community.