2 min readAug 25, 2026 02:16 PM IST
Russia’s last-ditch attempt to compete at the upcoming 2026 Samarkand Chess Olympiad has been rejected, with the FIDE Council voting against allowing the nation’s return to the competition. This will mark the third consecutive Olympiad that Russia’s men’s and women’s national teams will miss, following the country’s suspension from international sports after its full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
The decision was confirmed on Monday by Russian Chess Federation Executive Director Alexander Tkachev, who stated that the FIDE Council had rejected the participation of both Russian teams, even under a neutral flag.
“Our teams will not participate in the World Chess Olympiad. At the initiative of the acting FIDE President Mr. Viswanathan Anand, this decision was made by the council,” Tkachev told Russian media outlet TASS.
Tkachev also criticised the decision, adding: “Fortunately, there are people who put the game above political matters and do not worry about their own careers. But there are also people who put personal interests above, and there are still more of them on the council. This time they won.”
The 2026 Chess Olympiad, one of the sport’s premier team events, is scheduled to be held in Samarkand, Uzbekistan, from September 15 to 28.
FIDE is yet to issue an official statement confirming its position.
Russia remain a powerhouse in chess with a rich legacy in the sport, but recent years have also marked a steep decline on both the individual and team fronts, as they are unable to compete under their own flag.
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‘Victory without Russia not as sweet’
Sergey Smagin, vice president of the Russian Chess Federation, said that any tournament where Russians are not participating cannot be considered complete. He said, “Of course, the non-admission to the Chess Olympiad 2026 affects both us and the tournament itself. Everyone understands that without the greatest chess power in the world, the tournament cannot be considered complete.
“Already in many sports, they understand that victory without the participation of Russians is not as sweet,” said Smagin to TASS. “I’m confident our return is inevitable; the only question is when it will happen.”
