The first-ever Chess Olympiad Torch Relay arrived in the city of Namsai in Arunachal Pradesh on Thursday.

Deputy Chief Minister of Arunachal Pradesh Chowna Mein received the torch from Grandmaster Mitrabha Guha at Town club in presence of eminent dignitaries. “1st Ever #ChessOlympiadTorchRelay Update City- NAMSAI: 14th July Hon. Deputy Chief Minister of Arunachal Pradesh Sh. @ChownaMeinBJP received the torch from Grandmaster Mitrabha Guha at Town club in presence of eminent dignitaries,” tweeted SAI Media.

Earlier on Wednesday, the first-ever Chess Olympiad Torch Relay arrived in the city of Dibrugarh in Assam on Wednesday.

In Dibrugarh. Assam’s Minister of Sports and Youth Welfare Bimal Borah received the torch from Grandmaster Mitrabha Guha in presence of eminent dignitaries.

“1st Ever #ChessOlympiadTorchRelay Update City- DIBRUGARH: 13th July Minister of Sports & Youth Welfare, Govt of Assam @BimalBorah119 received the torch from GM Mitrabha Guha at Multipurpose Indoor Sports Complex in presence of eminent dignitaries #India4ChessOlympiad,” tweeted SAI Media.

Earlier on Wednesday, it had travelled to Itanagar in Arunachal Pradesh.
In Itanagar, Chief Minister Pema Khandu received the torch from Grandmaster Mitrabha Guha at DK Convention Hall in the presence of eminent dignitaries.

“1st Ever #ChessOlympiadTorchRelay Update City- ITANAGAR: 13th July Hon. CM of Arunachal Pradesh Sh. @PemaKhanduBJP received the torch from Grandmaster Mitrabha Guha at DK Convention Hall in presence of eminent dignitaries Take a look #India4ChessOlympiad #AmritMahotsav,” tweeted SAI Media.

Earlier on Tuesday, the torch had travelled to Aizawl in Mizoram.
Other cities that have been covered so far include Leh, Jammu, Srinagar, Dharamshala, Shimla, Chandigarh, Patiala, Amritsar, Panipat, Gurugram, Kurukshetra, Dehradun, Haridwar, Meerut, Kanpur, Kevadia, Ahmedabad, Dandi, Surat, Jaipur, Daman, Mumbai, Pune, Nagpur, Panaji, Bhopal, Indore, Gwalior, Jhansi, Gangtok, Siliguri, Kohima, Gangtok, Shillong, Guwahati and Siliguri.

The torch relay was launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The torch began its relay from Leh.

The torch will travel to 75 cities for 40 days before it culminates at Mahabalipuram in Tamil Nadu. Over 200 countries are participating in the Chess Olympiad. Chess grandmasters will receive the torch at various identified venues.

This year, for the very first time, the International Chess Body,
FIDE, instituted the Chess Olympiad Torch which is part of the Olympic tradition but was never done in the Chess Olympiad. India is the first-ever country to have the Chess Olympiad Torch Relay.

The 44th edition of the world’s biggest chess event will be held in Mahabalipuram near Chennai from July 28 to August 10.

(Inputs from ANI)