A two-member team from FIDE inspected to evaluate the possible World Championship match (D. Gukesh vs Ding Liren) and player accommodation venues in the city on Friday.
FIDE Planning and Development Commission (PDC) Secretary, Kermen Goryaeva, and Head of Public Relations (PR), Anna Volkova, inspected the convention centre at the Chennai Trade Centre complex and Jawaharlal Nehru indoor stadium as potential venues for the match, and three private hotels - ITC Grand Chola, Hyatt Regency, and Taj Connemara - for player accommodation. The Leela Palace, where the two members have already stayed and thus have an idea of, is also being considered for accommodation.
FIDE has received bids to host the event in Chennai, New Delhi, and Singapore. Volkova said that separate teams are visiting each location for inspection, and FIDE will announce the venue by the end of June.
“After we collect reports from all three places, FIDE management will discuss all the reports and decide where to hold the match. The reports will be done in two or three days (from inspection). By the end of June, the venue will be announced,” she said.
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On the key considerations for the match venue, Volkova said: “So, the whole infrastructure, how long it takes to get from the hotel to the venue, and back.
“There are specific things. For example, we need dedicated routes for players because we expect a lot of visitors and a lot of audience, and, of course, we don’t want to disturb the players. So, usually, they need some space for their privacy, not to be disturbed by someone.
“From the marketing point of view, it’s very important for the audience also to feel comfortable not just to watch them playing, but maybe also to have some side events, some side activities, have a place to eat, have a place to entertain themselves, to watch the games not just in the hall but maybe even somewhere in another place, to meet guests of the event, all this. So, basically, for this, you need space.
“As for the convention centre, it’s huge. It’s able to fit everyone. Because in every big event, you have a lot of, so to say, client groups. Like, you have the players themselves, you have the media, you have the organisers, you have the visitors, even the volunteers. And so, a place like the convention centre can fit all of them and make all of them comfortable.”
This is Volkova’s third visit to Chennai, having already visited for the 2022 Olympiad and the inspection before it.
“It’s a city like no other that loves chess. Chess here is like the main sport, if I may. And it’s always good to have big chess events in an environment where chess is loved, and chess players are like famous people and celebrities. And, of course, we owe a lot to Viswanathan Anand,” she said.
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