Baku Chess Olympiad to host participants from 176 countries

As many as 182 teams from 176 countries will participate at the 42nd World Chess Olympiad to be held in Baku September 1-14, Director of the Baku Chess Olympiad Operating Committee Mahir Mammadov said in a message, Trend reports.

This is the highest figure for the number of participating countries in the history of the Olympiad, he said.

Teams will start arriving in Baku since August 25.

Some 3,100 athletes, referees, coaches and sport journalists have been already accredited to participate in the competition.

Some 2,245 participants have already received visas, and the rest will draw up travel documents upon arrival at the airport. The hotels, where delegations will stay, are fully prepared to receive them.

The opening ceremony of the Baku Chess Olympiad will be held September 1 at 19.00 (GMT + 4 hours) at the National Gymnastics Arena.

Azerbaijan in 2012 received the right to host the 42th World Chess Olympiad in 2016.

The decision to hold the competition in Baku was made at the General Assembly of the International Chess Federation in Istanbul, Turkey.

Albena (Bulgaria) and Tallinn (Estonia) also claimed to host the Olympiad, but their applications were not accepted.