Samarkand to Host the Largest Chess Olympiad in History

On 15 September this year, the 46th World Chess Olympiad will start at the Silk Road international tourism centre in the city of Samarkand. In the history of the prestigious competition, held since 1927, Central Asia will host the chess world’s largest team tournament for the first time. The Olympiad is expected to set a new record for the number of participants and teams. A total of 398 teams will take part: 208 teams in the men’s (Open) section and 190 teams in the women’s section will compete for victory. This will break the record of 380 teams set in Budapest in 2024. The Olympiad will bring together 1,974 players, including 240 grandmasters. Together with coaches and delegation members, Samarkand will welcome more than 4,000 guests during the competition. The tournament will consist of 11 rounds and will run until 27 September. From 10 to 18 September, Samarkand will also host the 3rd Chess Paralympiad. A total of 41 teams will take part — the highest figure in the history of the Chess Paralympiad. By comparison, 26 teams competed in Belgrade in 2023 and 34 in Astana in 2024. This year’s event will bring together 196 players, including 150 men and 46 women. It will be held over seven rounds under the Swiss system. The record scale of the Chess Paralympiad is particularly significant for the development of inclusive sport and for raising the standing of chess as an intellectual sport open to all. Holding the competition in historic Samarkand, a city inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List and one of the key crossroads of the Great Silk Road, combines a sporting contest with a platform for cultural diplomacy and international dialogue. According to the teams’ average rating, the United States is seeded first in the men’s (Open) section. Its line-up features Fabiano Caruana, Wesley So, Levon Aronian and Hans Niemann, who is making his Olympiad debut. Reigning champion India is seeded second and Uzbekistan third. Germany will be represented by Vincent Keymer and France by Maxime Vachier-Lagrave. Credit: Michal Walusza / FIDE According to the teams’ average rating, India starts as the top seed in the women’s section. The Kazakhstan team includes three-time world blitz champion and Norway Chess Women 2026 winner Bibisara Assaubayeva. Ukraine’s first board will be 16-year-old European champion and woman grandmaster Anastasiya Hnatyshyn. The line-ups of the Uzbekistan national teams reflect the emergence of a new generation of Uzbek chess. For the first time, the men’s and women’s squads will each enter three teams made up of young players. In particular, Nilufarkhon Imomkuziyeva and Khumoyun Begmurodov, both aged 16, will make their Olympiad debut. Gulrukhbegim Tokhirjonova, who played for the United States at the 2024 Olympiad in Budapest, will defend the colours of Uzbekistan this time. FIDE World Champion Rustam Kasimdzhanov has been brought into the main men’s line-up, and Uzbekistan’s first woman grandmaster, Nafisa Muminova, has joined the women’s team as captain. In the Uzbekistan men’s team, Javokhir Sindarov (4th), Nodirbek Abdusattorov (7th), Nodirbek Yakubboev (39th) and Shamsiddin Vokhidov (61st) are among the 100 strongest players in the world rankings. The fact that Javokhir Sindarov and Nodirbek Abdusattorov are among the world’s ten strongest players clearly demonstrates the competitiveness of the Uzbek chess school. The women’s team also holds high positions in the world rankings. Afruza Khamdamova is 26th and Gulrukhbegim Tokhirjonova 80th. The rise of Uzbek chess on the international stage is also reflected in the team rankings. Compared with 2025, the Uzbekistan men’s team has climbed 15 places in the FIDE ranking of 204 countries to take sixth place. The women’s team has climbed 17 places to take 21st. Credit: Michal Walusza / FIDE Alongside the Olympiad, the 97th FIDE Congress will be held in Samarkand from 19 to 28 September. Leaders of more than 200 chess federations are expected to attend. The Congress will also include the election of the FIDE President. The 46th World Chess Olympiad will be another important stage for Uzbek player Javokhir Sindarov. Eight weeks after the Olympiad ends, he will take on reigning world champion Gukesh Dommaraju for the world chess crown. Both players will be 20 years old at the start of the match, which is scheduled to be held in Geneva from 22 November to 13 December. It will be the youngest World Championship match in chess history. Notably, before their title clash both players will be defending the colours of their national teams in Samarkand: Sindarov for Uzbekistan and Gukesh for India. Holding the 46th World Chess Olympiad, the 3rd Chess Paralympiad and the FIDE Congress in Samarkand at the same time demonstrates Uzbekistan’s capacity to organise major international sporting and intellectual events at a high level. These competitions will not only showcase the current strength of Uzbek chess, but will also take the country’s efforts to develop youth sport, support inclusive sport and strengthen international sports diplomacy to a new level. Full details are available on the official tournament website: chessolympiad2026.fide.com This is a sponsored article.