Indian chess squads endure five-hour hotel room delay in Samarkand

Upon arrival in Samarkand for the 2026 Chess Olympiad, India’s defending men’s and women’s squads were left without rooms for roughly five hours, disrupting their preparation. Captain Srinath Narayanan and GM Vidit Gujrathi voiced disappointment on X, noting the lack of clarity about when rooms would be allocated. A member of the travelling party later confirmed that all players had finally been settled, though the experience was described as unpleasant.

The accommodation delay was not unique to India; Austrian GM Felix Blohberger and Welsh player Jonathan Blackburn also recounted extended waits. Alisher Sadullaev, vice-president of the Uzbekistan Chess Federation, indicated that discussions with the Indian team have taken place and that the coordination team is now handling the situation, expecting smooth check-ins from the following day. The Indian line-up includes world champion D Gukesh, Praggnanandhaa, Arjun Erigaisi, Nihal Sarin, and others, while the women’s team features Koneru Humpy, R Vaishali, Divya Deshmukh, Vantika Agrawal, Savitha Shri and captain Swayams Mishra.