Tashkent [Uzbekistan], September 15 (ANI): Indian chess grandmasters Srinath Narayanan and Vidit Gujrathi on Tuesday raised concerns over accommodation arrangements at the FIDE Chess Olympiad 2026 in Samarkand, Uzbekistan, alleging that teams were left waiting for room allotments hours after arriving at the venue.
Srinath took to social media platform X and said the team had been waiting for accommodation after landing at Samarkand airport.
"Having a terrible experience at the @FIDE_chess 2026 Olympiad. The team landed 5 hours ago at Samarkand airport. The team still haven’t been allotted rooms, with absolutely no clarity on when it’ll be allotted," Srinath wrote.
Grandmaster Vidit Gujrathi also expressed disappointment over the arrangements and said it was a poor first impression of the event.
"Very poor first impressions of the Samarkand, Uzbekistan Olympiad 2026. Still waiting," Vidit wrote on X.
The Chess Olympiad is the most prestigious team competition, with the world’s best set to compete in Samarkand from September 15-27.
The Chess Olympiad Torch Ceremony was started by FIDE in 2022 on the lines of the Olympic flame to celebrate the global reach of the sport and build excitement for the competition.
“The Chess Olympiad Torch is a powerful symbol of how the game connects nations and generations. Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi began this tradition in India in 2022, and it is special to see the flame now travel from India, the game’s birthplace, to Uzbekistan, two nations with a deep and growing chess culture. We wish Javokhir Sindarov and Uzbekistan the very best as Samarkand prepares to welcome the chess world,” said Nitin Narang, President, All India Chess Federation.India are the defending champion in both the open and women’s categories and are favourites to defend the title. (ANI)
Indian GMs Srinath Narayanan, Vidit Gujrathi raise concerns at Chess Olympiad 2026
