Samarkand Hosts the World: The 46th Chess Olympiad and a Golden Uzbek Autumn

Picture a hall the size of a small airport, ten thousand square metres of silence, two hundred flags along the wall — and, twenty minutes away by car, a square of blue-tiled madrasahs that has been standing since the fifteenth century. For thirteen days this September, Samarkand becomes the quietest and most watched city on earth.

The 46th FIDE Chess Olympiad runs from 15 to 27 September 2026 at the Silk Road EXPO inside the Silk Road Samarkand complex, alongside the 3rd FIDE Chess Olympiad for People with Disabilities and the FIDE Congress. Around 200 national teams are expected — four players and a reserve each — across eleven Swiss-system rounds. It is the largest event of its kind Uzbekistan has ever hosted, and it lands in the single most beautiful fortnight of the Uzbek year.

Why the Chess Olympiad Matters for Travellers, Not Just Players

You do not need to know the Sicilian Defence to feel what is happening here. Uzbekistan is a genuine chess nation — its team took Olympiad gold in 2022 — and for a country rebuilding its place on the world map, hosting the Olympiad is a statement. The practical consequence for visitors is simple: the whole Samarkand region will be running at full capacity, with extra flights, extra trains, extra hospitality, and a city dressed for guests.

The catch is equally simple. Two hundred delegations, their coaches, arbiters, families and press absorb an enormous number of hotel beds. If you want to be in Samarkand in the second half of September 2026, the time to fix your arrangements is now, not in August.

Voyage en Ouzbékistan: Why French Travellers Should Come This Autumn

French visitors have long been among the most attentive travellers on the Silk Road — the ones who linger in front of the Shah-i-Zinda mosaics rather than photographing and moving on. Autumn rewards exactly that temperament. Daytime temperatures across Samarkand, Bukhara and Khiva sit broadly between the low twenties and 30°C, the harsh summer glare softens into a warm amber light, and the bazaars fill with the melon, grape and pomegranate harvest.

Access is straightforward: French citizens, like other EU nationals, travel to Uzbekistan visa-free, normally for stays of up to 30 days. The Afrosiyob high-speed train links Tashkent, Samarkand and Bukhara in a few comfortable hours, so a two-week autumn circuit needs no internal flights at all. Guides in French can be arranged on request.

Beyond the Chessboard: What to See in Samarkand and Around

The Registan is the obvious answer, and it deserves to be — three madrasahs facing one square, best seen twice, once at nine in the morning and once at dusk when the tilework turns violet. But Samarkand rewards the second layer more. Shah-i-Zinda is a narrow avenue of tombs where the blue is so dense it feels like walking through water. The Ulugh Beg Observatory is what remains of a sextant carved into a hillside by a ruler who preferred astronomy to conquest. Bibi-Khanym Mosque is Timur's overreach, magnificent and half-collapsing under its own ambition.

Then go further. Bukhara, three hours west, is the older and gentler city — 140 protected monuments in a walkable centre, and where our own team is based. Shakhrisabz, ninety minutes south over the mountains, is where Timur was born. Khiva is the walled miniature at the end of the road. In a fortnight you can see all of them without ever feeling rushed.

Book Now — Autumn 2026 Is Filling Fast

GoUzbekistan is the brand of Lochin Express Plyus LLC, active in Uzbek tourism since 2007 and holding tour-operator and domestic tourism licence No. 662280 from the Committee for Tourism Development of the Republic of Uzbekistan. We are a Bukhara-based ground operator with our own hotel, event venue and catering teams — which in a high-demand September means we can hold arrangements that latecomers will not find.

Whether you are travelling for the chess, for the architecture, or simply because autumn on the Silk Road is one of the great pleasures of Asian travel: create your own custom tour with our team, or explore our tours to see how a September in Uzbekistan is built.

Plan your Uzbekistan trip — in your language

العربية

في سبتمبر ٢٠٢٦ تستضيف سمرقند أولمبياد الشطرنج العالمي، ويكون الخريف أفضل موسم لـالسياحة في أوزبكستان: طقس معتدل وأسواق عامرة بالفواكه. اكتشف سمرقند وبخارى وخيوة على طريق الحرير مع مشغّل محلي مرخّص. صمّم رحلتك الخاصة.

Deutsch

Im September 2026 richtet Samarkand die Schacholympiade aus — und der Herbst ist die beste Zeit für Ihre Usbekistan Reise: mildes Wetter, goldenes Licht auf dem Registan in Samarkand, volle Basare. Jetzt Ihre Seidenstraße Rundreise mit einem lizenzierten Veranstalter planen. Unsere Reisen entdecken.

Español

En septiembre de 2026 Samarcanda acoge la Olimpiada de Ajedrez, y el otoño es la mejor temporada para viajar a Uzbekistán: clima suave, bazares llenos de melones y granadas. Recorre la Ruta de la Seda con un operador local con licencia. Diseña tu viaje a medida.

Français

Du 15 au 27 septembre 2026, Samarcande accueille l'Olympiade d'échecs — et l'automne est la plus belle saison pour un voyage en Ouzbékistan : douceur du climat, lumière dorée sur le Régistan, bazars débordants. Parcourez la Route de la Soie avec une agence réceptive locale agréée, guides francophones sur demande. Découvrir nos circuits.

中文

2026年9月，撒马尔罕将举办国际象棋奥林匹克团体赛，而秋天正是乌兹别克斯坦旅游的黄金季节：气候宜人，巴扎瓜果飘香。沿丝绸之路游览撒马尔罕、布哈拉与希瓦，由持牌本地旅行社全程安排。立即定制您的行程。

Русский

С 15 по 27 сентября 2026 года Самарканд принимает Всемирную шахматную олимпиаду, а осень — лучшее время для туров в Узбекистан: мягкая погода и базары, полные дынь и гранатов. Пройдите Шёлковый путь с лицензированным местным туроператором. Составить индивидуальный тур.