India chess team gets rooms in Samarkand after AICF intervention

The brief

Context

India's chess contingent reached Samarkand, Uzbekistan on Tuesday for the 46th Chess Olympiad, but found that the local organising committee (LOC) had not properly communicated their room reservations to the designated hotel, Silk Road by Minyoun. Players waited for hours before the All India Chess Federation (AICF) escalated the matter with FIDE and the LOC and accommodation was secured. India enters the event as defending champion in both the Open and Women's sections after its historic double gold at the 2024 Budapest Olympiad. The tournament's first round was scheduled for Wednesday at the Silk Road International Exhibition Centre, with play running until September 27.

Key facts

• The Indian chess contingent arrived in Uzbekistan on Tuesday, on the eve of the 46th Chess Olympiad in Samarkand.
• Reservations at the Silk Road by Minyoun hotel had not been properly communicated to the property by the local organising committee (LOC).
• Men's team captain Srinath Narayanan said on social media the contingent had landed nearly five hours earlier with no clarity on room allotment.
• AICF president Nitin Narang intervened, asking FIDE to arrange accommodation, and stayed in discussions with FIDE and the LOC through the day.
• Of 16 rooms reserved for the Indian contingent, 14 had been confirmed; each player got a separate room while coaches were given shared rooms.
• Head of Delegation Grandmaster Abhijit Kunte was sent to assist the team on the ground.
• Vidit Gujrathi called the episode a "very poor first impression" of the Samarkand Olympiad.
• India's Open team: world champion D Gukesh, Arjun Erigaisi, R Praggnanandhaa, Nihal Sarin, Vidit Gujrathi; Women's team: R Vaishali, Koneru Humpy, Divya Deshmukh, Vantika Agrawal, Savitha Shri B.

Timeline

1. 2024India wins historic double gold in the Open and Women's sections at the Budapest Chess Olympiad.
2. TuesdayIndian contingent arrives in Uzbekistan; players wait for hours as hotel reservations are not confirmed. The 46th Chess Olympiad begins.
3. Through TuesdayAICF president Nitin Narang takes up the matter with the LOC and FIDE; GM Abhijit Kunte assists on the ground; 14 of 16 rooms confirmed and players accommodated.
4. WednesdayFirst round scheduled at the Silk Road International Exhibition Centre, Samarkand.
5. Until September 27The 46th Chess Olympiad continues.

Who has a stake

• Indian chess contingent (players and coaches) — Rest and preparation before round one; players waited hours before rooms were allotted.
• All India Chess Federation (AICF) and president Nitin Narang — Protecting team welfare; escalated the issue with FIDE and the LOC and arranged separate rooms for players.
• FIDE — As the world chess body, asked by AICF to arrange accommodation for the players.
• Local Organising Committee (LOC), Samarkand — Responsible for communicating reservations to the hotel; blamed for the lapse.
• Silk Road by Minyoun hotel — Designated accommodation for the Indian team, unaware of the reservations.
• Team officials Srinath Narayanan and GM Abhijit Kunte — Captain publicly flagged the delay; Head of Delegation Kunte was deployed to assist the team on site.

Why it matters

India arrives in Samarkand as defending double champion, and off-board logistics such as rest and accommodation directly affect performance in a gruelling multi-round team event. The episode shows how federation-level intervention with FIDE and the host organisers can quickly protect athlete welfare, and why host-city preparedness is central to the credibility of a global sporting event.