Indian Chess Team Faces Struggles Ahead of 2026 FIDE Chess Olympiad
Srinath Narayanan, the Grandmaster and non-playing captain of the Indian chess team, has revealed the challenges his squad is facing before the upcoming 2026 FIDE Chess Olympiad, which kicks off on September 16.
The team’s arrival in Samarkand has been anything but smooth. After landing, the players and their support staff found themselves stuck at the airport for around five hours, still waiting for their rooms to be assigned at their accommodation.
Srinath took to social media to express his frustration and share the ordeal with followers. He explained that there was no information provided about when their accommodation situation would improve. “Having a terrible experience at the @FIDE_chess 2026 Olympiad,” he posted. “The team landed 5 hours ago at Samarkand airport, and we still haven’t received our rooms, with absolutely no clarity on when this will be sorted out.”
These sentiments were echoed by fellow player Vidit Gujrathi, who also voiced his disappointment. “Very poor first impressions of the Samarkand, Uzbekistan Olympiad 2026. Still waiting,” he shared on social media.
As the team prepares for this prestigious event, they hope for quick resolutions to their current situation.
