The opening ceremony of the World Chess Olympiad took place on the evening of September 15 in Samarkand. The event was held at the amphitheater of the “Eternal City” complex and featured theatrical and musical performances, displays of national culture, 3D video mapping, a drone show, and fireworks.

The official part was opened by Uzbekistan’s Prime Minister Abdulla Aripov. He read out a greeting from President Shavkat Mirziyoyev to the competition participants. FIDE Acting President and five-time world champion Viswanathan Anand also addressed the guests.

During the ceremony, a drawing of lots was held to determine the color of the chess pieces. Former FIDE world champion and Uzbek grandmaster Rustam Kasimdzhanov, along with the ninth women’s world champion Zhu Chen, took part in the procedure.

The first round of the Olympiad began on September 16. The competitions will continue until September 27 and will consist of 11 rounds in the open and women’s sections.

A correspondent for the newspaper, Yevgeny Sorochin, attended the grand opening ceremony and prepared a photo report on how Samarkand welcomed the participants of the largest team tournament in world chess.

Source: www.gazeta.uz