Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.uz) — The 46th World Chess Olympiad will begin on 15 September at the Silk Road International Tourist Center in Samarkand, Uzbekistan.
For the first time in the history of the tournament, which has been held since 1927, the world's largest team chess competition will take place in Central Asia.
The current Olympiad will feature 396 teams, which is expected to set a new tournament record. The previous record was established in 2024 in Budapest, where 380 teams competed.
As the host country, Uzbekistan will field three teams in each competition. The country's second team in the open tournament has received the 32nd seed, allowing another group of young Uzbek chess players to compete at the home Olympiad.
Uzbekistan's main team is led by Javokhir Sindarov, rated 2777. The lineup also includes Nodirbek Abdusattorov (2762), Nodirbek Yakubboev, Shamsiddin Vokhidov and Mukhiddin Madaminov. The team captain is former FIDE world champion Rustam Kasimdzhanov.
Four members of the team that won gold at the 2022 Olympiad in Chennai have been selected again.
After its victory in India, Uzbekistan finished third at the Olympiad in Budapest. At that tournament, Shamsiddin Vokhidov won individual gold on the fourth board.
