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FIDE has barred Russian chess players from the Olympiad in Samarkand.

FIDE has banned Russian chess players from participating in the Olympiad in Samarkand.

The Presidential Council of the International Chess Federation (FIDE) has decided to ban Russian chess players from the World Chess Olympiad, which will be held in Samarkand from September 16 to 27.

Alexander Tkachev, Executive Director of the Russian Chess Federation, announced this decision. He expressed disappointment and noted that FIDE's motto "We are all one family" currently "exists only on paper."

This means that Russian chess players will miss their third consecutive Olympiad, as they did not participate in similar competitions in 2022 and 2024.

Honored USSR figure skating coach Tatyana Tarasova also commented on FIDE's decision. She admitted that she had expected the Russian players to be banned, but did not expect them to be banned from participating in such a major tournament.

The World Chess Olympiad will be held in Samarkand from September 16 to 27. The FIDE presidential elections will also be held in Uzbekistan on September 26 and 27.

Earlier, the International Chess Federation (FIDE) announced the launch of a new awards program, the FIDE Excellence Awards, which will be held biennially and recognize key achievements of the global chess community. The first ceremony will be held in September 2026 in Samarkand.

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