At the ceremony, the Prime Minister of the Republic of Uzbekistan, Abdulla Aripov, read out the greeting from the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan, Shavkat Mirziyoyev, addressed to the participants of the 46th World Chess Olympiad.

The acting President of FIDE, Viswanathan Anand, also spoke, greeting the Olympiad participants and noting that Uzbekistan is hosting the largest team tournament in the world of chess for the first time in history.

The current Olympiad sets a record for the number of participants and teams. 397 teams are participating in the competition, including 207 teams in the Open section and 190 women's teams. There are a total of 1970 chess players participating in the tournament, including 238 grandmasters.

The opening ceremony was attended by representatives of international chess organizations, foreign delegations, national teams and the sports community.

The national team of Uzbekistan is the strongest team at the Olympics. The men's team includes Javokhir Sindarov and Nodirbek Abdusattorov, who are among the top ten in the world rankings, as well as Nodirbek Yakubboev, Shamsiddin Vohidov, and FIDE world champion Rustam Kasymjanov.

The women's team, which defends the honor of Uzbekistan, includes Afruza Khamdamova, Gulrukhbegim Tokhirjonova, and other talented representatives of the national chess school.

The 3rd Chess Paralympiad is also taking place in Samarkand. It involves 41 teams and 198 chess players. This is the highest figure in the history of the Paralympic Chess Games. Holding the competitions is of great importance for the development of inclusive sports and for strengthening the status of chess as a sport open to everyone.

Simultaneously with the Olympics, the 97th FIDE Congress will be held in Samarkand from September 19 to 28. The participation of the leaders of more than 200 chess federations is expected.

Holding these prestigious events in historical Samarkand once again demonstrates Uzbekistan's potential in organizing major international sports and intellectual competitions at a high level.

The 46th World Chess Olympiad will last until September 27.