♟️ SAMARKAND OLYMPIAD DIARY — DAY 1 15 September 2026 | A Dream Fulfilled

For any chess player, the journey feels complete when one gets an opportunity to be part of the FIDE World Chess Olympiad. Today, I too feel that my lifelong journey in chess has reached a deeply fulfilling milestone, as I have been honoured to serve as the Coach-cum-Captain of St. Kitts and Nevis at the 46th FIDE World Chess Olympiad in Samarkand.

After landing in Tashkent, I travelled to Samarkand by high-speed train. The atmosphere at Tashkent Railway Station was nothing short of a chess club in action! Players were enjoying blitz games, while others were playing online on Lichess and Chess.com.

I was also delighted to meet Indian Grandmaster K. Priyadharshan and FIDE Master Sohan Phadke, who have been entrusted with captaincy roles for Namibia and Dominica, respectively.

Upon reaching Samarkand, Nilufar, the volunteer assigned to our delegation, promptly arranged my transportation to the team hotel. It was a delight to finally meet the St. Kitts and Nevis team in person. Our Head of Delegation, Ms. Della Stanley, welcomed me warmly and presented me with the official team T-shirt—a moment that filled me with immense pride and gratitude.

The opening ceremony was simply brilliant, offering magnificent glimpses of Uzbekistan’s rich history, culture and chess heritage. It was an especially proud moment when our hero, five-time World Champion Viswanathan Anand, formally declared the Olympiad open.

The evening concluded with team photographs, memorable interactions and interviews with several media organisations, including ChessBase India.

We returned to our hotel with countless memories to cherish. Day 1 in Samarkand was not merely an arrival—it was the fulfilment of a cherished dream and the beginning of an unforgettable new chapter in my chess journey!!