The opening ceremony starts in Tromso!
The flags have been presented, the anthems of FIDE and Norway played, the speeches from the officials delivered, and the world is ready to see the FIDE World Chess Olympiad! Minute by minute updates and much more in the live coverage below. Let the show begin!
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Update 19:35 CET
The opening ceremony of the Chess Olympiad 2014 has started in Tromso. In a packed hall of chess players, coaches, journalists, and chess fans
The host of the opening ceremony is the Mayor of Tromso Mr. Jens Johan Hjort. He welcomed the guests, “We are proud and happy to host this games in the city of Tromso, in the land of the Midnight Sun in the middle of the Arctic. We look forward to the excitement, to the victories and defeats. We look forward to bringing the games to a constantly growing chess audience all over the world”
Update 19:50 CET
After the Mayor’s message the ceremony continued with an interesting violin-guitar performance. Right after, the FIDE President Kirsan Ilyumzhinov took the stage and greeted the organizers, the participants, and the chess fans. “I express my gratitude to the Government of Norway, to the sponsors, to the Norwegian Chess Federation, and the Mayor of Tromso Mr. Jens Johan Hjort”. Ilyumzhinov concluded,
“I strongly believe this Olympiad will become a festival of chess! Gens una sumus!”
Update 19:51 CET
The rising of the flag accompanied by the FIDE anthem was performed by local children.
Update 19:52 CET
The Norwegian flag was risen with the Norwegian anthem.
Update 20:00 CET
The Norwegian minister of finance took the stage. “Measured by the number of participating countries, it is one of the largest events in the world, with estimated audience of over 100 million people in the world” The minister of finance thanked Magnus Carlsen for the local and international chess boom.
Update 20:05 CET
Chess, the musical, with Lisa Stokke hit the stage under the applause of the audience. It served as introduction for the presentation of the countries flags of the participating countries. While the presentation is going on, check out the ELO rating preview of the Olympiad.
Update 20:15 CET
Magnus Carlsen, World Champion and Tromso Olympiad ambassador, takes the stage! He is accompanied by his teammates. “The greatest challenge in playing in a team is focusing on your own games.” Carlsen also admitted he likes to play individual and not team chess, however, he noted that “Tromso is a special event and my teammates are fine people”
Magnus Carlsen draws the black color for the open section
Update 20:20 CET
The drawing of colors was performed by Carlsen. The odd numbers starting teams in both sections begin with the black pieces.
Updates will continue all night long thanks to the moderators and editors of Chessdom ChessArena online chess playing platform, with many more pictures and interviews from Tromso. Stay tuned with Chessdom.com!
Note: all images from Goran Urosevic, WGM Videnova, NKR live
