D Gukesh headlines as India announce team for Chess Olympiad 2026
The FIDE Chess Olympiad 2026 will take place between September 15 and 27
The Indian team was announced on Thursday for the upcoming 46th Chess Olympiad, which will be hosted in Samarkand, Uzbekistan. Two teams have been announced to compete in the open and women’s events, each comprising five players and one captain.
India will look to repeat the success from the last edition in 2024, when both the open and women’s teams clinched gold medals. This marked the country’s maiden golds in the tournament.
This year, 200 teams will take part in the Chess Olympiad as they look to challenge India for the top prize. The opening ceremony will be held on September 15, with the open and women’s events being held simultaneously until September 27.
Also Read: Chess Olympiad : Full list of title winners
See India’s Chess Olympiad team
Open category
Team: Gukesh D, Arjun Erigaisi, Praggnanandhaa R, Nihal Sarin, and Vidit Gujrathi
Captain: Srinath Narayanan
Women’s category:
Team: Humpy Koneru, Vaishali Rameshbabu, Divya Deshmukh, Vantika Agrawal, and Savitha Shri B
Captain: Swayams Mishra
India have retained a mostly unchanged lineup for the open section. Gukesh, Erigaisi, Praggnanandhaa, and Vidit all took part in the previous edition, with only Sarin replacing Pentala Harikrishna.
The women’s team has two changes. Harika Dronavalli and Tania Sachdev have been replaced by Humpy Koneru and Savitha Shri B. Divya Deshmukh, Vantika Agrawal, and Vaishali Rameshbabu have kept their places in the team.
When and where will the FIDE Chess Olympiad 2026 take place?
The 46th FIDE Chess Olympiad will be held in Samarkand, Uzbekistan, from September 15 to September 27, 2026.
How did India perform in the FIDE Chess Olympiad in 2024?
India won the 2024 Chess Olympiad held in Budapest, Hungary, making history by securing gold medals in both the Open and Women’s events.
For more updates, follow Khel Now on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Youtube; download the Khel Now Android App or IOS App and join our community on Whatsapp & Telegram.
Sushruta has spent over two years covering football, with a particular focus on Indian and international competitions. Alongside football, he has reported on a variety of sports, bringing curiosity and perspective to every story. When he’s not following the action, he can usually be found binge-watching movies or getting lost in a good book.