397 Teams and 11 Rounds: Key Details Ahead of the Chess Olympiad in Samarkand
2026-09-16 08:00:00 / Press conferences
Ahead of the 46th Chess Olympiad, a high-profile press conference was held in Samarkand. This year’s event has set a historic participation record, bringing together 397 teams. From September 16 to 27, players will compete for the title across 11 rounds of classical chess.
The press conference was attended by Acting FIDE President Viswanathan Anand, First Deputy Chairman of the Uzbekistan Chess Federation Alisher Sa’dullayev, as well as national team leaders Nodirbek Abdusattorov and Gulrukhbegim Tokhirjonova. They discussed preparations for the Olympiad and the major goals ahead.
Chess legend Viswanathan Anand praised Samarkand’s high level of preparation for the event and highlighted the symbolic handover of the Olympiad torch to Uzbekistan’s young chess star Javokhir Sindarov.