Samarkand set to host record 398-team Chess Olympiad

Samarkand will stage the 46th World Chess Olympiad from Sept. 15-27, with a record 398 teams entering alongside the 3rd Chess Paralympiad and the 97th FIDE Congress. The event puts Uzbekistan at the center of global chess and highlights the country’s growing competitive and organizational profile.

Why it matters: - Samarkand will host the largest Chess Olympiad in history, with 398 teams competing in one place. - The event is the first time Central Asia will stage the world’s top team chess tournament. - Uzbekistan is using the weekslong chess slate to signal its ability to run major international sporting and intellectual events. - The Olympiad, Paralympiad and FIDE Congress together turn Samarkand into a global chess hub for mid-September.

What happened: - The 46th World Chess Olympiad opens Sept. 15 at the Silk Road international tourism centre in Samarkand and runs through Sept. 27. - The field includes 208 teams in the Open section and 190 in the women’s section. - The total breaks the previous record of 380 teams set in Budapest in 2024. - The 3rd Chess Paralympiad will run in Samarkand from Sept. 10-18 with 41 teams, its highest turnout ever. - The 97th FIDE Congress will meet in Samarkand from Sept. 19-28 and will include the FIDE presidential election.

The details: - The Olympiad has been held since 1927. - The Samarkand venue sits in a city on the UNESCO World Heritage List and along the historic Silk Road. - The tournament will feature 11 rounds. - Team ratings seed the United States first in the Open section, with India second and Uzbekistan third. - Uzbekistan’s lineups include a young group of players that reflects the rise of a new generation of Uzbek chess. - Nilufarkhon Imomkuziyeva, 16, and Khumoyun Begmurodov, 16, will make their Olympiad debuts. - In the Uzbekistan men’s team, Javokhir Sindarov is ranked 4th, Nodirbek Abdusattorov 7th, Nodirbek Yakubboev 39th and Shamsiddin Vokhidov 61st among the world’s strongest players. - Sindarov and Abdusattorov are among the world’s 10 strongest players. - Compared with 2025, Uzbekistan’s men’s team has risen 15 places to sixth in the FIDE ranking among 204 countries. - Uzbekistan’s women’s team has risen 17 places to 21st. - Full tournament details are available on the official website: official tournament website - The Chess Federation of Uzbekistan also shared social updates on Instagram and YouTube.

Between the lines: - Hosting three major chess events at once gives Uzbekistan a chance to project soft power and institutional capacity on a global stage. - The strong seeding of the U.S., India and Uzbekistan points to a highly competitive Open section. - Uzbekistan’s rising team rankings and young debutants suggest the host nation is building depth, not just relying on home advantage. - The mention of Sindarov’s future world title match adds momentum to Uzbekistan’s chess profile beyond the Olympiad.

What’s next: - Teams will begin arriving for the Paralympiad and Olympiad in early-to-mid September. - The FIDE Congress will culminate with the federation’s presidential election later in the month. - Eight weeks after the Olympiad ends, Sindarov is scheduled to face reigning world champion Gukesh Dommaraju for the world title in Geneva from Nov. 22 to Dec. 13. - Both players will be 20 at the start of that match.

The bottom line: - Samarkand’s September chess schedule is a record-setting showcase for global competition and for Uzbekistan’s growing role in elite chess.