Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.uz) — President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev congratulated participants of the 46th World Chess Olympiad, which is being held for the first time on Uzbek soil in Samarkand. This was reported by the press service of the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan.
In his address to the athletes, coaches and guests of the tournament, the head of state noted that grandmasters, coaches and chess enthusiasts from more than 200 countries are taking part in the forum.
According to him, chess has longstanding traditions in Uzbekistan. Amir Timur was a skilled player, while Muhammad al-Khwarizmi, Abu Rayhan al-Biruni, Mirzo Ulugbek, Alisher Navoi and Zahiriddin Muhammad Babur wrote about its role in the spiritual development of individuals.
Mirziyoyev said that more than 2 million people in the country play chess, while the number of chess players with ratings exceeds 6,000. Of them, 32 Uzbek chess players hold the title of international grandmaster. Five of the country’s leading chess players are ranked among the world’s top 100. In the FIDE rankings, Uzbekistan’s men’s national team ranks eighth among 204 countries, while the women’s team ranks 20th.
The President recalled the national team’s victory at the 44th World Chess Olympiad in 2022 and its podium finish at the 2024 Olympiad. He also highlighted the achievements of grandmaster Javokhir Sindarov, who won the Candidates Tournament and the World Cup, and Nodirbek Abdusattorov, who won silver at the World Blitz Championship.
The head of state emphasized that granting Uzbekistan the right to host the Olympiad is a sign of trust from the international sports community and expressed confidence that the tournament would be held in an atmosphere of fair competition and mutual respect. He added that Samarkand has also created conditions for hosting the 3rd Chess Olympiad for People with Disabilities and the 97th FIDE Congress.
Mirziyoyev expressed gratitude to the leadership and staff of the International Chess Federation, as well as partner organizations, for their support in preparing the forum. He wished the participants good health and the teams success.
