The 46th Olympiad has broken records with the highest number of participants ever. Nearly 398 teams are competing – 208 in the open section and 190 in the women’s section – bringing together almost 2,000 chess players from over 200 countries. The event runs over 11 rounds using the Swiss system.

The first round saw a strong start for both the top contenders and the host teams. Uzbekistan, ranked third behind the United States and defending champions from India, began the tournament with six wins. All six Uzbekistan teams – three in the open category and three in women’s – won their matches with a 4-0 score. The main team beat Jamaica, while captain Javokhir Sindarov took a break after a demanding Global Chess League in India and arrived in Samarkand carrying the Olympic flame. Kazakhstan also started confidently, securing 4-0 victories in both the open and women’s sections. Turkmenistan also secured two 4-0 wins, and Ukraine, meanwhile, scored a convincing victory over Zimbabwe.

As anticipated during the initial phase of a tournament with 208 teams of different skill levels, most favorites advanced through the first round without losing points. This pattern is common in the early stages of a Swiss-system tournament, where stronger teams face weaker ones. The real medal battle will intensify near the midpoint, when the top contenders begin facing each other.

In addition to the main tournament, Samarkand is hosting several significant chess events during this period. The third Chess Olympiad for People with Disabilities runs from September 10 to 18 and features a record 41 teams. The FIDE Congress is scheduled for September 20-27, with the federation’s presidential election set for September 26, where three candidate teams will vie for the position.

Uzbekistan’s men’s team captain Rustam Kasimdzhanov describes their prospects as “cautiously optimistic”, mentioning tough competition from the United States, India, and China. Experts highlight the Netherlands, featuring Anish Giri and Jorden van Foreest, and Germany, where all main team members have ratings over 2600, as potential dark horses.