Chess Olympiad

The Chess Olympiad is the largest and most prestigious team chess competition in the world. Organized by FIDE (the International Chess Federation), it brings together national teams from over 170 countries every two years for a multi-round Swiss-system tournament. Each team fields four players plus one reserve, and matches are scored by team points rather than individual results. ## History The first unofficial Chess Olympiad was held in Paris in 1924, coinciding with the Summer Olympics. The first official FIDE Olympiad took place in London in 1927 with 16 nations. Since 1950, the event has been held on a regular biennial schedule. A separate Women's Olympiad has existed since 1957, and the two events have been held simultaneously since 1976. The Soviet Union dominated the Olympiad for decades, winning the open section repeatedly from the 1950s through the 1990s. In recent years, powerhouses like the United States, China, India, and Uzbekistan have risen to challenge for gold. ## Format The modern Olympiad uses a Swiss-system format, typically across 11 rounds. Teams score 2 match points for a win, 1 for a draw, and 0 for a loss. Individual board results are used for tiebreaking. Each nation can register a team of five players (four boards plus one reserve), and captains decide the lineup for each round. ## 2024 Budapest Olympiad The 45th Chess Olympiad was held in Budapest, Hungary, from September 10 to 23, 2024. India made history by winning gold in both the open and women's sections simultaneously, a first in Olympiad history. India's open team scored an extraordinary 21 out of 22 match points, going unbeaten throughout the tournament. The United States took silver in the open section, while Uzbekistan claimed bronze. In the women's event, Kazakhstan earned silver and the United States took bronze. Notably, no European team won a medal in either section for the first time ever. ## 2026 Samarkand Olympiad The 46th Chess Olympiad is scheduled for September 15 to 27, 2026, in Samarkand, Uzbekistan. The event is expected to feature approximately 200 participating nations, with 10 rounds of competition and a rest day. Samarkand, a UNESCO World Heritage city along the ancient Silk Road, will host the largest gathering of chess nations ever assembled. ## Notable Moments Bobby Fischer competed for the United States in the 1960 and 1970 Olympiads. Judit Polgar remains the only player to have won medals in both the open and women's events. The Hamilton-Russell Cup is awarded to the winning open team, while the Vera Menchik Cup goes to the women's champions.