Today, as I look back, it appears like a fantasy that India could get the right to host the prestigious Chess Olympiad in a matter of days. It all began in late February when I sent a text message to the FIDE President Arkady Dvorkovich to explore the possibility of India hosting an elite tournament. But how the response from Mr. Dvorkovich led to the Olympiad coming Indias way is not only a pleasant surprise but also a distant dream come true.

I remember, I was returning from Kanpur to Delhi by train after finalising the venue for the National championship. A thought ran through my mind that India had hosted many big events and we were now ready to hold something bigger. So, I texted Mr. Dvorkovich that India was keen on hosting any big event for FIDE. The response I received was, Olympiad?

I was surprised because till that point I was not aware that the Olympiad was taken away from Russia and FIDE was looking for a new host. I checked and came to know that Moscow was no longer going to be the venue due to Russias military offensive against Ukraine. I requested Mr. Dvorkovich for time till the following morning to respond. I was so excited that I didnt want to lose the opportunity.

After all, India was aiming to bid for the 2026 edition but with so many European nations to contend with, it could be very difficult to win the bid. So, I said yes.

I made my first call to the Union Sports Minister Anurag Thakurand he, too, gave his approval to the idea. He was quick to remind me of the regulations, the paucity of time and, of course, the ongoing situation involving Russia and Ukraine. I then texted some of my friends from the industry and business houses. I knew the industry was not doing well but before 10 a.m. the following day, I had confirmation from a few sponsors and two governments Tamil Nadu and Delhi.

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The officials of the Tamil Nadu Government suggested that I reach Chennai the same evening so that I could have a brief meeting with the Chief Minister Mr. M. K. Stalin the following morning. Trust me, the honourable Chief Minister did not take time to put his seal of approval. The letter of undertaking from the TN Government was issued to me by 4 p.m. the same day.

Since I had mentioned that our preferred venue was Mahabalipuram because of its seaside location, a team of TN officials accompanied me to check out the hotel facilities at the proposed site. The Mahabalipuram Collector was quick to block a couple of thousand rooms, across various categories, for the players and guests, estimated from over 180 countries. Once we submitted the details of our preparedness to the FIDE, we officially got the hosting rights.

In effect, within 10 days of sending that first text message to Mr. Dvorkovich, India became the host of the 44th Chess Olympiad.

Many people have asked me why Tamil Nadu was preferred over Delhi to play the host. Well, Tamil Nadu is the motherland of Indian chess.

Countdown begins: The Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M. K. Stalin unveils the hashtag for the Chess Olympiad. From left are V. Meyyanathan, Minister for Youth Welfare and Sports Development, M. Subramanian, Minister for Health and Family Welfare, Bharat Singh Chauhan, secretary, All India Chess Federation and Tournament Director, 44th Chess Olympiad, and Sanjay Kapoor, President, All India Chess Federation.| Photo Credit: S. R. RAGHUNATHAN

Most Indian Grandmasters come from Tamil Nadu. Plus, historically and culturally, the State is rich and we shall take immense pride in showcasing it to our guests from over 180 nations. I chose Mahabalipuram because I wanted the players to enjoy the beachside locales, something not available in Delhi. It is a long event and the chosen location will have something for everyone.

Working with the TN Government and its officials has been a great experience. In my career, I have not seen a more efficient and positive bureaucracy. They are clear in their thoughts and quick to make decisions. So, whatever we discuss, it gets done with full support of the Government. Being from Delhi and deciding to hold it in Mahabalipuram was a challenge but the pros far outweigh the cons.

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Today, I am delighted to have so many reasons to support the decision to have it in this glorious State.

In the past four months, the Organising Committee and its dedicated members have relocated to Mahabalipuram and worked round the clock. The first-ever Chess Olympiad Torch Relay, with stops at 75 cities across the country, has played a significant part in spreading chess and Olympiad to many unexplored areas.

For now, all credit to the Tamil Nadu Government for ensuring that the scale of this edition of Olympiad surpasses anything the chess world has seen in nearly 100 years of this premier team championship.

We, at the AICF headed by Dr. Sanjay Kapoor, are committed to delivering the best Olympiad ever. We wish everyone associated with this Olympiad returns home with memories, and more.

Though I am looking forward to a memorable event, I now understand the magnitude of that text to Mr. Dvorkovich. It has proved to be the first step in bringing the Olympiad to India. May I add, thats the reason why I think it was my best train journey till date.

As told to Rakesh Rao

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Bharat Singh Chauhan on how India got the Chess Olympiad - Sportstar

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A few years ago, at the University of Bologna, I accompanied an ageing filmmaker who had been offered a private tour of the vaults. Being the oldest university in Europe, it holds precious manuscripts from past centuries literally, the foundations of our civilisation. Among these is one of the first illustrated atlases in the world, which was laid out for the guest. Handling the book with white gloves, he gently browsed the pages with such absorption; it was as if he had finally found the meaning of this otherwise chaoticworld.

As he turned the pages in wonder, I was reminded of the reason for his visit: a celluloid atlas, mapping the uncharted territories of world cinema, was being drawn by Martin Scorseses World Cinema Foundation and Cineteca di Bologna. The ageing filmmaker was there to supervise the restoration of one of his films, unseen fordecades.

The World Cinema Project, soon to mark its 15th anniversary, painstakingly closes the gulf between past and present. It began as a side project of The Film Foundation (whose sole task was the restoration of American films) and spread its arms in the most universalist manner. The results have been staggering, bringing back to life films from Latin America, Asia and Africa. Some titles are now available to stream in the UK, in a collaboration between The Film Foundation and the streaming platformMubi.

Charting the lost continents of film often involves complex processes, coordinated between various institutions and archives, supported by filmmakers, historians, curators and adventurers. Sometimes the task is complicated further when the only material available is in appalling shape. In some cases, a positive print of the film (worse still, one with burned-in subtitles) is the only surviving element. A positive print of the Turkish film Law of the Border (1966) was the only known copy to survive the countrys 1980 coup, during which all other elements weredestroyed.

Thanks to one important sidebar of WCP, the African Film Heritage Project, we can now see, in impeccable restorations, films from Cameroon (Muna Moto, 1976), Ivory Coast (La Femme au couteau, 1969) and Morocco (Trances), among other countries. These are not just interesting examples of films from underrepresented countries they are glorious works of art. Trances (Ahmed El Maanouni, 1981), a film about music, features an opening sequence so thrillingly cut, the music so passionately performed and deeply felt, that it forces you to watch it standing up, as if at a real concert. Or take Med Hondos 1967 drama Soleil O (from Mauritania), which has all the intensity of looking directly into thesun.

If there is a single film that captures the excitement of this project (which so far has restored 47 titles from 27 countries), it is the Iranian Chess of the Wind (1976), directed by Mohammad Reza Aslani. A film about the transition from feudalism to modernity, a process riddled with corruption and duplicity, Chess of the Wind is a miniature of Iranian society in the 1970s, even if it is set at the beginning of the last century. Showing an acute understanding of the dynamics of that society, it also offers a premonition of the revolution to come. The final shot is a 50-year jump in time, which sees the camera pan above the house that is the storys backdrop to frame the skyline of modern-day Tehran, extending the decadence and intrigue beyond the walls to society as a whole. Like many great artists, Aslani understood the past, felt the present and saw thefuture.

A story of deceit and intrigue set in a feudal mansion following the death of a matriarch, Chess of the Wind focuses on the various plots to gain the deceaseds assets at any price, even murder. The sense of friction that builds through the film also existed in Iran. The same regressive elements forced the film into oblivion following its ill-fated premiere a faulty projector followed by a hostile press conference at the Tehran International Film Festival in 1976. Aslani, a son of the new world, his modernism a source of fear, was held back by the forces of the old world. After the 1979 revolution, most Iranian pre-revolutionary films were deemed pernicious to moral wellbeing and were consequently destroyed or locked away. For decades Chess of the Wind was not only unseen and largely forgotten but lost as a physical object. It became an invisible film, yet one with an underground, even mythicalreputation.

Now the myth is gone and we face the concrete beauty of the film. At the same time we are reminded of the surprises and revelations that await those yet to discover the ground-breaking movement in Iranian pre-revolutionary cinema known as cinema-ye motafavet (alternative cinema), sometimes referred to as the Iranian New Wave. Some of its key talents were uprooted, exiled, banned or retired by force in great numbers after 1979. (Aslani didnt make another feature-length fiction film until 32 yearslater.)

Such restoration undertakings reveal the talent not only of greats like Aslani but of a whole team whose contributions could otherwise not be fully understood. How else could one appreciate the work of cinematographer Houshang Baharloo, who lit several scenes with candlelight? The restoration has also renewed interest in the films composer, Sheyda Gharachedaghi, one of the most prolific female composers of the 60s and 70s. Her bold, extraordinary work with horn and percussion is a fresh reminder of how imaginative she was in blending her Viennese conservatoire education with Iranian instruments andsensibility.

Reactions to screenings of the restoration in 2020 were universally ecstatic. I have never seen so much artistic brilliance and inventiveness recognised so suddenly as in the case of Chess of the Wind a work of art dusted off after 50 years of neglect, now officially added to the atlas of worldcinema.

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Rediscovery: Chess of the Wind | Sight and Sound - British Film Institute

Players can collect Chess Piece Decor Pikmin.

International Chess Day is July 20, and Pikmin Bloomis celebrating with an International Chess Day event that will give players the chance to collect Chess Piece Decor Pikmin.

The International Chess Day event will run from July 18, 2022 at midnight local time until July 31, 2022 at 11:59 p.m. local time.

During this event, players will receive a Golden Seedling at the end of each Weekly Challenge they participate in. Once players plant this Golden Seedling in their planter pack, it will grow into a Chess Piece Decor Pikmin after walking 100 steps.

On the Pikmin Bloom website,Niantic, the developer of Pikmin Bloom, said players wont receive one of these Golden Seedlings if they leave a Weekly Challenge before time runs out.

Players will also have the chance to find Huge Seedlings that have a Special Event icon during this event. These Huge Seedlings will also grow into Chess Piece Decor Pikmin.

There will be four kinds of Chess Piece Decor Pikmin available to collect: Blue, Yellow, White, and Purple. Players will only be able to collect Chess Piece Decor Pikmin from the Special Event Huge Seedlings and the Golden Seedlings. They wont be able to collect Chess Piece Decor Pikmin by increasing their friendship level with any of the Pikmin that are already in their collection.

Finally, Niantic said players can have one Special Event and one Golden Seedling in their inventory at the same time. However, players cant have more than one Special Event seedling in their inventory at once. Niantic also said, "Golden Seedlings and Huge seedlings marked with a Special event icon will grow into Chess Piece Decor Pikmin even after the event ends."

What do you think about this International Chess Day event in Pikmin Bloom? Let us know on Twitter at @superparenthq.

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Pikmin Bloom International Chess Day Event: Everything You Need to Know - SuperParent

After a successful career in business and consulting, Brian Hartman has one major piece of unfinished business: becoming a chess grandmaster.

Once a top-ranked Canadian player, Hartman ran a successful consulting company for 15 years before selling it a few months ago. Though hes still busy working with the new owners, he also wants to satisfy his long-time chess ambition.

Its the ultimate prize, really, says the 65-year-old Parry Sound resident. But its an achievement thats very difficult to get.

His plan is to compete in this months Canadian Seniors Championship in Halifax, and then play in the World Seniors where the winner automatically earns the grandmaster title.

Growing up in Hamilton, Hartman was inspired by Paul Vaitonis, who was a champion of both Lithuania and Canada. That inspiration led him to a spot on Canadas Olympiad team and eventually an international master title.

But when offered the chance to take a run at becoming a grandmaster in the 1980s, he chose education over full-time competition, and doesnt regret the decision.

Hartman knows that most players are at their peak in their twenties, but he is assessing his chances strategically. He is going to rely on his judgment and maturity to take the next step on his life-long journey of chess achievement.

After 35. Nxf7 Nxf7 36. Rxf7 Kxf7 37. Qh8. Black resigned shortly afterwards.

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The ultimate prize: 65-year-old chess player takes aim at becoming a grandmaster - The Globe and Mail