In early March, a FIDE delegation led by President Arkady Dvorkovich visited Uzbekistan as part of preparations for the 46th Chess Olympiad, which the country will host in 2026 in Silk Road International Exhibition Center, Samarkand.
Upon arriving in Uzbekistan’s capital, Tashkent, on March 6, the FIDE delegation participated in a session of the organizational committee for the Olympiad, held at the Ministry of Sports of the Republic of Uzbekistan.
In his opening speech, Minister of Sports Adkham Ikramov expressed gratitude for the trust FIDE had placed in Uzbekistan and assured that the 46th Chess Olympiad would be organized at the highest level.
Alisher Sadullayev, 1st Vice-President of the Uzbekistan Chess Federation, echoed this sentiment, stating that the country is well-prepared to host such a prestigious competition.
FIDE President Arkady Dvorkovich commended the organizers’ efforts and thanked Uzbekistan for its unwavering support of chess.
“We are grateful to the Minister of Sports and all our colleagues for their contributions and input to the organizational process. We discussed all aspects of the preparations for the 46th Chess Olympiad and the FIDE Congress. Everyone is involved, everyone knows their responsibilities, and we are confident that, as a united team—FIDE and Uzbekistan’s authorities—we will achieve the best possible result. This is especially true with the support of top-level officials, including the President of Uzbekistan, the government, the President of the Uzbekistan Chess Federation, and the Minister of Sports,” said Arkady Dvorkovich.
The session continued with local authorities reporting on progress in logistics, accommodation, software development based on FIDE’s recommendations, and the implementation of a simplified visa process for participants and guests.
Uzbekistan has rapidly risen in the chess world, with five players currently ranked among the world’s top 100, underscoring the country’s growing prominence in the sport. The nation won the 2022 Chess Olympiad and recently secured bronze at the 2024 Chess Olympiad in Budapest. In recent years, Uzbekistan has hosted several major chess events, including Pool B of the 2022 Women’s Candidates Tournament in Khiva and the 2023 World Rapid and Blitz Championship.
In 2025, Uzbekistan will host the FIDE Grand Swiss, the largest Swiss-system tournament of the year, serving as a test event for the 2026 Olympiad.