With a good mix of experienced elite players, dashing newbies and promising prodigies, six Indian teams, comprising 30 players, are all set to begin their challenge at the 44th edition of the Chess Olympiad, which kicked off Thursday in Mamallapuram, Chennai.

It is also the largest Indian contingent to ever take part in the Olympiad, which is taking place in India for the very first time.

The star-studded American team led by world championship challenger Fabiano Caruana leads in terms of average rating with Elo 2771 while India is ranked second with Elo 2696.

World champion Magnus Carlsen’s Norwegian side are seeded third in Elo 2692, followed by Spain (Elo 2687), Poland (Elo 2683) and Azerbaijan (Elo 2680).

The India 2 squad boasts of teenage wonderkids Nihal Sarin, D Gukesh, R Praggnanandhaa, Raunak Sadhwani and also has 30-year-old B Adhiban as the oldest player. It has captured the imagination and fancy of most enthusiasts not only in India but also abroad. This team’s average Elo is 2649, but their ability to score on fancy opponents over the past six months makes them strong medal contenders.

India’s top team consisting of Vidit Gujrathi, Pentala Harikrishna, Arjun Erigaisi, SL Narayanan and Krishnan Saiskiran combine experience and strength. Arjun and Narayanan debut. Arjun hovered temptingly close to the Elo 2700 mark and Narayanan exhibits an enviable positional and solid style. Harikrishna and Sasikiran are old war horses with proven credentials while Vidit has also made her mark among the elites.

The women’s team with Koneru Humpy, D Harika, R Vaishali, Tania Sachdev and Bhakti Kulkarni headline with an average Elo of 2487 and are the heavy favorites. Ukraine (2478) and Georgia (2475), on the other hand, are too close to be comfortable and India needs strong performances every day to aim for gold.

The other Indian teams also have the potential to create upsets and without pressure they have the ability to snatch a medal.
The 44th Chess Olympiad is scheduled for July 28 to August 10 and has 187 registered countries, a world record in terms of the number of participating countries.

The event was opened by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday. Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin, Governor RN Ravi also attended the opening ceremony along with Union Sports Minister Anurag Thakur.