From idly to jalebi: A look at delicacies enjoyed by players

CHENNAI: International Chess players have been enjoying different cuisines of eateries in Mahabalipuram, where various stalls have been set up by the Tamil Nadu government, as the 44th Chess Olympiad is underway.

Idly, masala dosa, chappati, dal with rice, pongal, chicken and fish curry with rice, gobi manchurian, fried rice varieties, chicken shashlik, and vada were served. For deserts, fresh fruit with fan, coffee cheese kahluka cake, linzer torte, tender coconut, and some cakes in chess design were served.

From soups, juices, starters, main dishes, side dishes to deserts, the olympiad is a food festival in itself. It was reported that for the event, 77 menus were created and 53 were selected. 3,500 food items (including snacks and sauces) will be served with more than 700 dishes.

Even, Geert van der Velde, a Dutchman based in Spain, the CEO of Chessable, an e-learning platform for mastering the board game, tweeted about his love for Indian food after enjoying a feast at a renowned vegetarian restaurant in Mahabalipuram.

Here are some tweets from Chess players about the food: