Mess Olympics! Indian chess players get rooms after AICF intervention in Samarkand

The Indian team arrived in Uzbekistan on Tuesday (Photo Credit: ChessBase India) NEW DELHI: The Indian chess contingent has finally secured accommodation at a hotel in Samarkand after an unexpected crisis delayed the allocation of rooms on the eve of the 46th Chess Olympiad.The Indian team arrived in Uzbekistan on Tuesday, but several players were left waiting in their hotel for several hours after learning that their bookings had not been properly notified by the local organizing committee (LOC).The team was to stay at the Silk Road by Minyoun Hotel. Men’s team captain Srinath Narayanan took to social media to express his frustration, saying the contingent had landed nearly five hours ago but was still unclear as to when the rooms would be allocated.All India Chess Federation (AICF) president Nitin Narang intervened in the situation and asked FIDE to arrange accommodation for the players.Throughout the day, Narang continued discussions with FIDE and the organizing committee to resolve the issue.“We have taken up this matter very strongly with both the LOC and FIDE. Simply put, we have been told that this is not acceptable and that this situation should not have happened in the first place.” Narang told TimesofIndia.com. “But I am relieved that the players are now settled and are finally in their rooms.The Indian contingent had 16 rooms reserved for them, of which 14 have been confirmed so far. AICF has arranged separate rooms for all the players, which means each player has his own room while the coaches have shared rooms.Narang coordinated with FIDE and LOC, while the delegation’s lead Grandmaster Abhijit Kunte was sent to assist the team on the ground.The problem with accommodation caused strong reactions from the players.Vidit Gujrathi also described the experience as a “very bad first impression” of the Samarkand Olympics.India enters the Olympics as the defending champions in both the open and women’s sections, having won a historic double gold at the 2024 Budapest Olympics.The Open team features world champion D Gukesh, Arjun Erigaisi, R Praggnanandhaa, Nihal Sarin and Vidit Gujrathi. The women’s team consists of R Vaishali, Koneru Humpy, Divya Deshmukh, Vantika Agrawal and Savitha Shri B.READ ALSO: Konera Humpy’s 9-year-old daughter will remember the silver medal as a gold medalThe 46th Chess Olympiad began on Tuesday, with the first round scheduled for Wednesday at the Silk Road International Exhibition Center. The tournament will last until September 27.