Chess Olympiad 2026: Schedule, Indian teams, format, live streaming and more

The 2026 Chess Olympiad is underway in Samarkand, Uzbekistan, with India defending its Open and Women’s titles.

The 46th FIDE Chess Olympiad is underway in Samarkand, Uzbekistan, with the world’s leading chess nations competing for team glory. The biennial tournament began with the opening ceremony on September 15, while the first round was played on September 16.

India enter the competition as defending champions in both the Open and Women’s sections after creating history by winning double gold at the 2024 Olympiad in Budapest.

The 2026 edition has also set a new participation record, with 208 teams in the Open section and 192 teams in the Women’s event.

Chess Olympiad 2026 schedule

The tournament features 11 rounds in both sections. The first six rounds are being played from September 16 to 21, followed by a rest day on September 22.

Rounds seven to 10 will be held from September 23 to 26, with the final round scheduled for September 27.

Rounds 1-10 begin at 3:00 PM local time in Samarkand, which is 3:30 PM IST. The final round starts earlier at 11:00 AM local time, or 11:30 AM IST.

India’s teams at Chess Olympiad 2026

India have sent strong squads in both sections as they look to retain their titles.

The Open team consists of world champion D Gukesh, R Praggnanandhaa, Arjun Erigaisi, Nihal Sarin and Vidit Gujrathi, with Srinath Narayanan serving as captain.

The Women’s team features Koneru Humpy, Divya Deshmukh, R Vaishali, Vantika Agrawal and Savitha Shri B, with Swayams Mishra as captain.

India are also the top seeds in the Women’s event, while the United States lead the Open starting list, followed by India and hosts Uzbekistan.

India’s start to the tournament

India opened their title defence with victories in both sections.

The Open team defeated Thailand 3-1 in the opening round despite Arjun Erigaisi suffering a surprise defeat against Thailand’s IM Prin Laohawirapap. Nihal Sarin, Gukesh and Vidit Gujrathi won their respective games.

India then defeated Indonesia 2.5-1.5 in Round 2. Nihal once again secured a win, while Gukesh and Praggnanandhaa were held to draws.

The Women’s team started with a 4-0 win over the Dominican Republic before beating Finland 3.5-0.5 in Round 2.

As of September 18, India’s Open team are facing Italy in Round 3, while the Women’s team take on Greece.

The event is being held at the Silk Road International Exhibition Centre in Samarkand.

With India defending two titles and a record field of 400 teams competing across the Open and Women’s sections, the 2026 Chess Olympiad promises nearly two weeks of top-level international team chess before the champions are crowned on September 27.