On the evening of September 15th, the opening ceremony of the 46th World Chess Olympiad took place in Samarkand. The event was held at the amphitheater of the 'Bokhi Shahar' complex and included various elements: theatrical and musical performances, demonstration of national cultural features, 3D video mapping, drone shows, and fireworks.
The official part of the ceremony was opened by the Prime Minister of Uzbekistan, Abdulla Aripov. He delivered a welcoming speech to the tournament participants on behalf of President Shavkat Mirziyoyev. Additionally, Vishwanathan Anand, acting president of the International Chess Federation (FIDE) and five-time world champion, addressed the attendees.
During the ceremony, the colors draw was conducted, which featured the Uzbek grandmaster and former FIDE world champion Rustam Kasymdzhanov, as well as nine-time women's world champion Zhu Chen.
The competitions began with the first round on September 16th and are scheduled until September 27th. The tournament will consist of 11 rounds in both the open and women's sections. Correspondent Evgeny Sorochin from 'Gazeta' attended the grand opening and prepared a photo report on how Samarkand welcomed the participants of this major team tournament in the world of chess.
