46th FIDE Chess Olympiad 2026

46th FIDE Chess Olympiad 2026

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The 46th FIDE Chess Olympiad 2026 will take place in Samarkand, Uzbekistan, from September 15 to 27, 2026, with departure scheduled for September 28. The event is the world’s largest national-team chess competition and one of the most important events in the FIDE calendar.

The Olympiad will feature two main sections: the Open Olympiad and the Women’s Olympiad. Both sections will be played over 11 rounds using the Swiss system. Each team consists of four players plus one reserve.

The 2026 edition will be hosted at Silk Road EXPO, part of the Silk Road Samarkand tourist center. The venue is located in a major modern events complex with hotels, restaurants, parks, public areas, and cultural sites within walking distance.

📌 Event Details

🏆 Tournament 46th FIDE Chess Olympiad 2026
📅 Main Event Dates September 15–27, 2026
📅 Departure Day September 28, 2026
♟️ Playing Rounds September 16–27, 2026
📍 Location Samarkand, Uzbekistan
🏟️ Venue Silk Road EXPO – Rowing canal, Konigil massif, Samarkand, 140319, Uzbekistan
🏛️ Governing Body International Chess Federation
🏛️ Host Organizer Organising Committee of the Uzbekistan Chess Federation
♟️ Event Type National team chess championship
🧩 Sections Open and Women
🔢 Rounds 11
♟️ System Swiss system
👥 Team Format Four players plus one reserve
⏱️ Time Control 90 minutes for 40 moves, then 30 minutes for the rest of the game, with a 30-second increment from move one
Default Time 15 minutes
🏆 Main Trophies Hamilton-Russell Cup, Vera Menchik Cup and Nona Gaprindashvili Trophy
🌐 Official Website https://chessolympiad2026.fide.com/
📄 Official Regulations https://handbook.fide.com/files/handbook/Olympiad2026MainCompetition.pdf
📅 FIDE Calendar https://calendar.fide.com/calendar.php?id=5072

⏱️ Time Control & Pairings

Both the Open and Women’s sections will be played as 11-round Swiss-system team tournaments.

Each team match is played over four boards. Teams may include one reserve player, and captains submit team compositions for each round according to the official procedure.

Rule Details
♟️ System Swiss system
🔢 Rounds 11
👥 Team Size Four players plus one reserve
⏱️ Time Control 90 minutes for 40 moves, then 30 minutes, with a 30-second increment from move one
Default Time 15 minutes
🧮 Pairings FIDE Olympiad Pairing Rules
🧾 Scoring Match points
⚖️ Match Win 2 match points
🤝 Match Draw 1 match point
Match Loss 0 match points
🕹️ Equipment FIDE-approved electronic clocks and boards

A team with the highest number of match points in the final standings of its section becomes the Olympiad Champion of that section.

Players may not agree to a draw before Black’s 30th move. A draw claim before that point is allowed only in cases such as threefold repetition or stalemate.

Team Tie-Break Criteria

Order Criterion
1 Sum of IS(10) for the 10 best team opponents
2 Number of game points scored
3 Sum of the match points of 10 team opponents, excluding the team opponent with the lowest number of match points

If ties remain after these criteria, the teams remain tied and receive the top ranking of that tied group.

Combined Classification Tie-Break Criteria

Order Criterion
1 Sum of match points scored by the Open team and Women’s team
2 Sum of the Open team’s TB1 and Women’s team’s TB1
3 Sum of the Open team’s TB2 and Women’s team’s TB2
4 Sum of the Open team’s TB3 and Women’s team’s TB3

🏆 Awards & Trophies

No public cash prize fund is listed in the official main-competition regulations. The Olympiad awards historic team trophies, team medals, rating-category medals, and individual board medals.

Main Olympiad Trophies

Trophy Awarded To
🏆 Hamilton-Russell Cup Winner of the Open section
🏆 Vera Menchik Cup Winner of the Women’s section
🏆 Nona Gaprindashvili Trophy Best combined federation performance across the Open and Women’s sections

Team Medals

Result Award
🥇 1st Place in Each Section Gold medals for players, reserve players and captain
🥈 2nd Place in Each Section Silver medals for players, reserve players and captain
🥉 3rd Place in Each Section Bronze medals for players, reserve players and captain

Before Round 3, teams in each section are divided into five rating categories based on their initial ranking. The best teams in those categories may also receive category medals, provided they have not already won overall team medals.

Individual Board Medals

Award Details
🥇 Gold Board Medal Best performance rating on the board
🥈 Silver Board Medal Second-best performance rating on the board
🥉 Bronze Board Medal Third-best performance rating on the board
Minimum Requirement At least eight games played

If players have the same performance rating for an individual board medal, the tie is broken first by greater number of games played, then by drawing of lots.

♟️ Sections / Groups

The 46th FIDE Chess Olympiad 2026 has two main sections.

Section Details
🏆 Open Olympiad National teams in the Open section
👩 Women’s Olympiad National teams in the Women’s section
🌍 Combined Classification Federation ranking based on combined Open and Women’s performance

National teams from FIDE member federations have the right to participate through the official federation registration process.

Each team consists of four players plus one reserve. Each team also has a captain, and each federation has a Chief of Delegation responsible for administrative matters and relations with the organizer.

📅 Schedule

Date Time Activity
Tuesday, September 15 TBC Opening ceremony
Wednesday, September 16 15:00 GMT+5 Round 1
Thursday, September 17 15:00 GMT+5 Round 2
Friday, September 18 15:00 GMT+5 Round 3
Saturday, September 19 15:00 GMT+5 Round 4
Sunday, September 20 15:00 GMT+5 Round 5
Monday, September 21 15:00 GMT+5 Round 6
Tuesday, September 22 Rest day
Wednesday, September 23 15:00 GMT+5 Round 7
Thursday, September 24 15:00 GMT+5 Round 8
Friday, September 25 15:00 GMT+5 Round 9
Saturday, September 26 15:00 GMT+5 Round 10
Sunday, September 27 11:00 GMT+5 Round 11
Sunday, September 27 TBC Closing ceremony
Monday, September 28 Departure day

The first round is scheduled for September 16, and the final round is scheduled for September 27.

The organizer may also arrange cultural activities after Round 6 and on the rest day.

📝 Registration

The Chess Olympiad is a national-federation team event. Individual public registration is not available.

Participating teams register through their national federations using the official credentials sent to federation email addresses.

Registration Detail Information
📝 Registration Opened April 20, 2026
🏛️ Eligible Entrants FIDE member federations
👥 Team Sections Open and Women
🧾 Registration Method Through official federation credentials
👤 Required Team Information Chief of Delegation, captain, players, FIDE IDs, accompanying persons and visa information
⚠️ Late Delegation Changes €100 per person after the official team-registration deadline
🌐 Official Website https://chessolympiad2026.fide.com/
📄 Official Regulations https://handbook.fide.com/files/handbook/Olympiad2026MainCompetition.pdf

Federations are responsible for confirming and registering their teams through the official process. Any federation that registers teams but fails to attend may be subject to FIDE Council sanctions.

🏛️ Organizer

The International Chess Federation is the governing body of the 46th FIDE Chess Olympiad 2026.

The local organization is handled by the Organising Committee of the Uzbekistan Chess Federation. The event will be held in Samarkand together with the FIDE Congress 2026 and the 3rd FIDE Chess Olympiad for People with Disabilities.

Contact Detail Information
🏛️ Governing Body International Chess Federation
🏛️ Host Organizer Organising Committee of the Uzbekistan Chess Federation
🇺🇿 Host Federation Uzbekistan Chess Federation
🌐 Official Olympiad Website https://chessolympiad2026.fide.com/
🌐 FIDE Website https://www.fide.com/
🌐 Uzbekistan Chess Federation https://uzchess.uz/en/
📄 Official Regulations https://handbook.fide.com/files/handbook/Olympiad2026MainCompetition.pdf

📍 Venue

Silk Road EXPO – Rowing canal, Konigil massif, Samarkand, 140319, Uzbekistan.

The playing venue is Silk Road EXPO, part of the Silk Road Samarkand tourist center. The complex is designed for large international conferences, seminars, exhibitions and major public events.

The venue offers more than 10,000 square meters of event space. The surrounding complex includes hotels, an artificial lake, public spaces, parks, recreational and sports areas, restaurants, cafés, bars and cultural sites within walking distance.

Venue Detail Information
🏟️ Playing Venue Silk Road EXPO
🏛️ Complex Silk Road Samarkand tourist center
📍 Address Rowing canal, Konigil massif, Samarkand, 140319, Uzbekistan
🏙️ City Samarkand
🇺🇿 Country Uzbekistan
🌐 Venue Website https://www.silkroad-samarkand.com/

Accommodation

Official team accommodation is provided under the FIDE Olympiad regulations.

Accommodation Detail Information
🏨 Covered Delegation Five players plus one captain
🛏️ Room Allocation Two standard double rooms and two standard single rooms
🍽️ Board Basis Full board
📅 Covered Period 14 days, from dinner before the Opening Ceremony to breakfast on departure day
👤 Chief of Delegation Free standard single room if not already included in the covered team delegation
Hotel Standard Minimum 4-star hotel
🚗 Distance Requirement Official hotels must be within a 30-minute drive of the playing venue

Additional delegation members, guests and accompanying persons must follow the accommodation and payment process provided by the organizer.

✈️ How to Get There

Samarkand is one of Uzbekistan’s main historical and cultural cities. The tournament venue is located at the Silk Road Samarkand complex, close to Samarkand International Airport and within driving distance of the city center and railway station.

Travel Option Recommended Route
✈️ By Air Arrive at Samarkand International Airport, then continue to Silk Road Samarkand by official transport, taxi or private transfer.
🚆 By Train Travel to Samarkand railway station, then continue to the Silk Road EXPO complex by taxi, official transport or local transfer.
🚗 From Samarkand Airport The Silk Road Samarkand complex is about 15–20 minutes by car from the airport.
🚆 From Samarkand Railway Station The venue is about 20–25 minutes by car from the railway station.
🏙️ From Historical Samarkand The Silk Road Samarkand complex is about 20 minutes by car from the historical city center.
🚕 By Taxi or Transfer Use Silk Road EXPO, Rowing canal, Konigil massif, Samarkand as the destination.

Arrival Advice

Federations should follow the official delegation instructions for arrivals, accreditation, transport and hotel check-in.

Players and captains should be ready for the Opening Ceremony and Technical Meeting on September 15, before Round 1 on September 16.

ℹ️ Other Information

Fair Play and Electronic Devices

Level 1 anti-cheating protection measures apply.

During a playing session, players and captains may not have unauthorized electronic devices in the playing venue. A player who violates this rule loses the current game. A non-playing captain who violates the rule is not allowed back into the playing venue until the end of the main competition.

Playing Area Access

Only players, captains, FIDE principals, accredited media, stewards and authorized officials may enter the playing area, unless the Chief Arbiter gives permission.

Spectators may follow the matches from the designated spectator area, but they must not disturb players.

Player Movement During Play

A player whose game is in progress may leave the playing venue only with the permission of the Chief Arbiter and only when accompanied by an arbiter.

Players and captains may not return to the playing venue during a session after leaving it, unless the Chief Arbiter gives permission.

Appeals

Appeals and protests must be submitted in writing by the team captain or Chief of Delegation.

The appeal must be filed no more than two hours after the relevant playing session or the incident being appealed.

Each appeal requires a deposit of €100 or the equivalent amount in local currency. The fee is returned if the appeal is accepted. If the appeal is rejected, the fee may be forfeited to FIDE.

The written decision of the Appeals Committee is final.

Media and Photography

Only photographers and camera crews authorized by the FIDE Press Officer or the FIDE Chief Marketing and Communications Officer may work in the playing venue.

Flash photography is not allowed, except in rare cases approved by the Chief Arbiter.

Medical and Anti-Doping

Tournament physicians will be available during the Olympiad.

Anti-doping procedures are regulated by the FIDE Medical Commission according to WADA requirements.

Related Event: 3rd FIDE Chess Olympiad for People with Disabilities

The 3rd FIDE Chess Olympiad for People with Disabilities will also take place in Samarkand.

Date Activity
September 10, 2026 Opening ceremony
September 11–16, 2026 Rounds 1–6
September 17, 2026 Round 7 and closing ceremony

Official website: https://dis-olympiad2026.fide.com/

Related Event: FIDE Congress 2026

The FIDE Congress 2026 will take place in Samarkand from September 19 to 28, 2026.

The Congress includes FIDE Council meetings, Zonal Council, commission meetings, continental meetings, the Education Summit, the FIDE General Assembly and FIDE elections.

Official website: https://congress.fide.com/

Hotels Near the Venue

Find nearby accommodation for this tournament location.

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