FIDE to reimburse teams after accommodation problems at Chess Olympiad

FIDE apologised after accommodation problems at the 2026 Chess Olympiad in Samarkand forced some teams to arrange rooms at their own expense. | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement

FIDE has apologised after accommodation problems at the 2026 Chess Olympiad in Samarkand left some teams without proper rooms on the opening day, forcing them to find and pay for alternative accommodation in the city.

The world chess governing body said in a statement that teams which had to arrange their own rooms would be reimbursed for accommodation of an appropriate standard for a period of up to three days.

FIDE also announced that teams required to stay in official hotels that do not meet its approved standards during the Olympiad would receive additional compensation.

“FIDE deeply regrets that these organisational problems occurred and apologises to the affected federations and teams,” it said in a statement.

While accommodation arrangements are handled by the local Organising Committee, FIDE said it had found additional financial resources to support the teams affected by the problems.

READ WHAT HAPPENED: Indian team left stranded without accommodation at Chess Olympiad 2026

The federation added that its priority was to ensure no participating national federation suffered a financial loss because of the accommodation issues.

The problems came despite the official invitation for the Olympiad stating that participants would be accommodated in four- and five-star hotels in Samarkand. The arrangements included rooms and full board for players, captains and delegation officials.

Having a terrible experience at the @FIDE_chess 2026 Olympiad.

The team landed 5 hours ago at Samarkand airport. The team still haven't been allotted rooms, with absolutely no clarity on when it'll be allotted.

— Srinath Narayanan (@srinathchess) September 15, 2026

Accommodation was among several organisational concerns raised around the start of the event. FIDE deputy president Viswanathan Anand, speaking at the opening press conference, acknowledged problems related to accommodation, accreditation and visas, and said FIDE was working with the local organising committee to resolve the remaining issues.

The 46th Chess Olympiad is being held in Samarkand from September 15 to 27, with the first round beginning on September 16. The tournament has attracted a record 400 teams, with 208 in the Open section and 192 in the Women’s competition, surpassing the previous record set in Budapest in 2024.