SAMARKAND, September 15. /Dunyo IA/.   Today, The 46^th World Chess Olympiad of the International Chess Federation (FIDE) commenced in ancient Samarkand, bringing together leading chess players from around the globe, reports Dunyo IA correspondent.

According to the tournament schedule, Samarkand is hosting the III World Chess Paralympics from September 10^th to 17^th, followed by the 46^th World Chess Olympiad from September 15^th to 27^th.

A total of 400 teams have registered to participate in the current Olympiad. In comparison, the previous 45th Olympiad, held two years ago in Hungary, featured 380 competing teams.

In Samarkand, 208 men's and 192 women's teams will compete for victory. The competitions are held biennially and stand as one of the premier events on the global chess calendar.

On September 15^th, a press conference featuring the interim head of FIDE, Viswanathan Anand and the First Deputy Chairman of the Chess Federation of Uzbekistan Alisher Sadullaev, is scheduled to take place in Samarkand.

In the evening, the grand opening ceremony of the 46^th World Chess Olympiad will be held at the amphitheatre of the “Eternal City” complex.

Event will also encompass the FIDE Congress and elections. Another significant milestone will be the “Chess in Education” Summit, which on September 24^th will bring together educators, policymakers, and researchers under the FIDE initiative “2026 – Year of Chess in Education”.