FIDE Chess Olympiad 2026: What is India’s best finish at the tournament?

Arjun Erigaisi climbed to World No.3 after his performances in the 2024 Olympiad in Budapest. | Photo Credit: Michal Walusza

India will look to accentuate its title as the Chess capital of the world when it participates in the 46th edition of the FIDE Chess Olympiad starting on September 15 in Samarkand.

The latest edition, taking place at the Silk Road International Exhibition Centre, will feature 208 teams in the Open section and 191 teams in the Women’s.

The Indian lineup for the Open section of the Chess Olympiad 2026 includes World Champion D. Gukesh, World No. 8 R. Praggnanandhaa, World No. 9 Arjun Erigaisi, World No.24 Nihal Sarin, with World No. 34 Vidit Gujrathi as the reserve.

What is India’s best performance in a Chess Olympiad?

India is the defending champion at the FIDE Chess Olympiad in both the Open and Women’s categories.

The team comprising D. Gukesh, R. Praggnanandhaa, Arjun Erigaisi, Vidit Gujrathi and Pentala Harikrishna won the country’s maiden gold medal in Budapest in 2024.

India’s title win was secured in the final round after second-placed China dropped points on two boards against the USA, while the Indians got the better of Slovenia.

The women’s team featuring Harika Dronavalli, R. Vaishali, Divya Deshmukh, Vantika Agarwal and Tania Sachdev topped the women’s section to make it a double gold for India.

A win against Uzbekistan in the final round, coupled with a 2-2 draw between the USA and Kazakhstan, helped the women triumph.

Earlier, India won the bronze in the Open section in 2014 (Norway) and 2022 (India).