Chess Olympiad 2026 in Samarkand: India defends double gold, Sindarov under home pressure

FIDE has announced the official schedule for the 46th Chess Olympiad in Samarkand, Uzbekistan, to take place in September 2026. India will defend its titles in both the Open and Women's sections, while host Uzbekistan hopes to use home advantage and the form of young star Javokhir Sindarov to challenge the favorites. The event will be played over 11 rounds in each section under the Swiss system. The first six rounds are scheduled on consecutive days, followed by a rest day. The final five rounds then decide the champions. The last round starts at 11:00 instead of 15:00, allowing the closing ceremony to be held on the same day. India's Open team features world champion Gukesh Dommaraju, along with Arjun Erigaisi, R Praggnanandhaa, Nihal Sarin and Vidit Gujrathi. Praggnanandhaa recently overtook Erigaisi to become India's number one and returned to the world top 10. India's Women's team is also strong, with Humpy Koneru, Divya Deshmukh, Vaishali Rameshbabu, Vantika Agrawal and Savitha Shri. Uzbekistan will rely on Sindarov, who earned the right to challenge Gukesh for the World Championship. Playing at home gives Sindarov great support but also adds pressure. The Olympiad serves as a prelude to their individual title match later in 2026. The dense schedule and Swiss format make every game valuable. Teams with deep rosters, like India, have an advantage, while smaller teams could struggle over six consecutive days of play. The Olympiad in Samarkand also highlights FIDE's ambition to grow chess in Central Asia, with live broadcasts reaching a global audience.