<p>The ancient coastal town of Mamallapuram will come alive on Thursday as the 44th Chess Olympiad gets off to a grand start at a glittering function at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Chennai.</p>.<p>The chess events will begin from July 29 at a specially erected temporary structure on the lawns of a resort in Poonjeri village near Mamallapuram, the ancient port town of the famed Pallava Kingdom, on the scenic East Coast Road (ECR). </p>.<p>Elaborate arrangements have been made to house over 2,000 players from more than 180 countries in luxurious resorts on the ECR and in Mamallapuram. Modi will inaugurate the Chess Olympiad on Thursday evening in the presence of Chief Minister M K Stalin. The inaugural ceremony will showcase the rich cultural heritage of Tamil Nadu and India. </p>.<p><strong>Watch video: <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/video/national/chennai-airport-decked-up-ahead-of-44th-chess-olympiad-1130559.html" target="_blank">Chennai airport decked up ahead of 44th Chess Olympiad</a></strong></p>.<p>Stalin inspected the venue on Wednesday evening and took some time to play a game. He also hosted dinner for the players. The government has decorated Chennai and Mamallapuram with lights even as it arranged buses and transport arrangements for the general public to visit the venue. The iconic Napier Bridge overlooking the Marina Beach was decked up. </p>.<p>This is only the third time that the Chess Olympiad is being held in Asia after Dubai (1986), and Manila (1992). The Olympiad was shifted from Russia to Chennai due to the ongoing war with Ukraine. </p>.<p>Several players took to Twitter to laud the elaborate arrangements for the conduct of the chess event. </p>.<p>Mamallapuram is one of the top tourist destinations in Tamil Nadu attracting lakhs of foreign tourists every year. The magnificent Shore Temple, Arjuna’s Penance, one of the Group of Monuments declared as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO, Krishna’s Butterball, and Five Rathas are major tourist attractions in the coastal town.</p>
<p>The ancient coastal town of Mamallapuram will come alive on Thursday as the 44th Chess Olympiad gets off to a grand start at a glittering function at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Chennai.</p>.<p>The chess events will begin from July 29 at a specially erected temporary structure on the lawns of a resort in Poonjeri village near Mamallapuram, the ancient port town of the famed Pallava Kingdom, on the scenic East Coast Road (ECR). </p>.<p>Elaborate arrangements have been made to house over 2,000 players from more than 180 countries in luxurious resorts on the ECR and in Mamallapuram. Modi will inaugurate the Chess Olympiad on Thursday evening in the presence of Chief Minister M K Stalin. The inaugural ceremony will showcase the rich cultural heritage of Tamil Nadu and India. </p>.<p><strong>Watch video: <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/video/national/chennai-airport-decked-up-ahead-of-44th-chess-olympiad-1130559.html" target="_blank">Chennai airport decked up ahead of 44th Chess Olympiad</a></strong></p>.<p>Stalin inspected the venue on Wednesday evening and took some time to play a game. He also hosted dinner for the players. The government has decorated Chennai and Mamallapuram with lights even as it arranged buses and transport arrangements for the general public to visit the venue. The iconic Napier Bridge overlooking the Marina Beach was decked up. </p>.<p>This is only the third time that the Chess Olympiad is being held in Asia after Dubai (1986), and Manila (1992). The Olympiad was shifted from Russia to Chennai due to the ongoing war with Ukraine. </p>.<p>Several players took to Twitter to laud the elaborate arrangements for the conduct of the chess event. </p>.<p>Mamallapuram is one of the top tourist destinations in Tamil Nadu attracting lakhs of foreign tourists every year. The magnificent Shore Temple, Arjuna’s Penance, one of the Group of Monuments declared as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO, Krishna’s Butterball, and Five Rathas are major tourist attractions in the coastal town.</p>