Chess Olympiad 2026: India’s full squad, schedule, format, venue, time control & top seeds

Check all you need to know about the 46th Chess Olympiad taking place in Samarkand, Uzbekistan.

India enters the 46th Chess Olympiad in Samarkand as defending champions in both the Open and Women’s sections, aiming to repeat their historic double-gold feat from Budapest 2024. The Open team is headlined by R Praggnanandhaa, Arjun Erigaisi, and world champion D Gukesh, while the returning Koneru Humpy leads the women’s side.

The first round starts on September 16 and concludes on September 27. With 208 teams in the Open and 191 in the Women’s section, this is the largest Olympiad in history.

Apart from the twin Olympiads, the 3rd FIDE Chess Olympiad for People with Disabilities is also underway in Samarkand.

Here’s all you need to know about the 46th Chess Olympiad taking place in Samarkand, Uzbekistan:

The Olympiad follows an 11-round Swiss system, where teams with similar scores are paired against each other in each round. No team is eliminated, and every squad plays all 11 rounds. Teams earn two match points for a win, one for a draw, and zero for a loss.

Team Size: 5 players per squad, 4 play each round

The time control for all games will be 90 minutes for the first 40 moves, with an additional 30 minutes for the rest of the game, with an increment of 30 seconds per move starting from the first move. The players are permitted to offer a draw at any time.

The 46th Chess Olympiad will take place at the Silk Road International Exhibition Centre in Samarkand, Uzbekistan.