The 3rd FIDE Chess Olympiad for People with Disabilities will be held in Samarkand, Uzbekistan, from September 10 to 17, 2026. For followers in Brazil, the key practical point is the time zone: Samarkand is on UTC+5 and Brasília on UTC-3, an eight-hour difference. That means rounds scheduled for 3 p.m. local time start at 7 a.m. in Brasília, while the final round at 11 a.m. local time starts at 3 a.m.
It is also important to separate the two events on the calendar. The Olympiad for People with Disabilities starts before the 46th FIDE Chess Olympiad, which opens on September 15 and plays its first round on September 16. They take place in the same city and overlap for a few days, but FIDE presents them as distinct competitions with their own schedules and formats—not as a qualifying stage from one to the other.
Schedule of the Olympiad for People with Disabilities in Brasília time
The official event website lists the opening ceremony on September 10, six rounds at 3 p.m. local time from September 11 through 16, and the seventh round at 11 a.m. local time on September 17. The closing ceremony is scheduled for 8 p.m. local time that same day. Because Samarkand uses UTC+5 and Brasília uses UTC-3 throughout the period, subtract eight hours.
| Date | Event | Samarkand (UTC+5) | Brasília (UTC-3) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 10 | Opening ceremony | 6 p.m. | 10 a.m. |
| Sep 11 | Round 1 | 3 p.m. | 7 a.m. |
| Sep 12 | Round 2 | 3 p.m. | 7 a.m. |
| Sep 13 | Round 3 | 3 p.m. | 7 a.m. |
| Sep 14 | Round 4 | 3 p.m. | 7 a.m. |
| Sep 15 | Round 5 | 3 p.m. | 7 a.m. |
| Sep 16 | Round 6 | 3 p.m. | 7 a.m. |
| Sep 17 | Round 7 | 11 a.m. | 3 a.m. |
| Sep 17 | Closing ceremony | 8 p.m. | 12 p.m. |
The times above follow the official website of the 3rd FIDE Chess Olympiad for People with Disabilities. The conversion reflects that Samarkand remains on UTC+5 and Brasília on UTC-3, with no clock changes in September 2026. Since sports schedules can be adjusted, it is worth checking the official page on the day of each round.
What happens before the main Olympiad begins
The date difference creates an easy source of confusion. The Olympiad for People with Disabilities will already be underway when the 46th Chess Olympiad begins its official activities.
- September 10: opening of the Olympiad for People with Disabilities.
- September 11–14: rounds 1–4 of the disability event, before the opening of the 46th Olympiad.
- September 15: round 5 of the disability event and the opening ceremony of the 46th Olympiad.
- September 16: round 6 of the disability event and round 1 of the 46th Olympiad.
- September 17: round 7 and closing of the disability event; on the same day, the 46th Olympiad plays round 2.
So saying that the Olympiad for People with Disabilities happens “before” the main Olympiad is correct only in terms of its start: it begins five days before the 46th Olympiad’s opening ceremony and six days before its first round. During the final three days, the calendars overlap.
The two Olympiads are not stages of the same tournament
The close dates and common venue may suggest a competitive sequence, but official documents and websites treat the events separately. The Olympiad for People with Disabilities is a seven-round Swiss team event with 40 confirmed teams and players with visual, hearing, and physical disabilities. FIDE states that teams consist of four players and one reserve, with at least one player of each gender required to play in every round.
The 46th Chess Olympiad, by contrast, has Open and Women’s sections, each played over 11 Swiss-system rounds. Its opening ceremony is scheduled for September 15, the first round for September 16, and round 11 for September 27.
In practice, their connection in 2026 is organizational and geographic: both are part of FIDE’s major calendar in Samarkand and, according to the federation, this is the first time the two events have been staged together. That does not make results from one competition a qualification route into the other.
Format of the competition for players with disabilities
Beyond the schedule, a few details help make the rounds easier to follow. FIDE confirmed 40 teams, a record for the over-the-board event. The tournament uses a seven-round Swiss system. The time control is 90 minutes for the first 40 moves, followed by 30 minutes for the rest of the game, with a 30-second increment from move one.
Team medals go to the top three finishers. There are also individual medals by board, including the reserve board, plus special prizes. These features reinforce that this is a complete competition with its own standings and awards, not an opening activity for the 46th Olympiad.
How to follow both calendars without getting lost in the time zone
For followers in Brazil, the simplest approach is to save two anchor times: 7 a.m. Brasília time for rounds 1–6 and 3 a.m. for round 7. The opening ceremony is at 10 a.m. Brasília time and the closing ceremony at noon.
Once the 46th Olympiad starts, the pattern is similar: its official schedule lists rounds 1–10 for 3 p.m. in Samarkand, equivalent to 7 a.m. in Brasília, and round 11 for 11 a.m. local time, or 3 a.m. in Brasília. The opening ceremony of the 46th Olympiad still appears as time TBC on the official website.
To avoid confusion in broadcasts, results, or news, always check the event name and round number. On September 16, for example, “round 1” may refer to the 46th Olympiad, while the Olympiad for People with Disabilities will already be on round 6.
Quick summary
- The 3rd FIDE Chess Olympiad for People with Disabilities runs from September 10 to 17, 2026, in Samarkand.
- Rounds 1–6: 7 a.m. Brasília time; round 7: 3 a.m. Brasília time.
- The 46th Chess Olympiad opens on September 15 and begins play on September 16.
- The events overlap from September 15 to 17 but are separate competitions.
- The disability event has seven rounds and 40 confirmed teams; the 46th Olympiad has 11 rounds in the Open and Women’s sections.
Main sources: official website of the Olympiad for People with Disabilities, FIDE’s August 6, 2026 announcement, and the official 46th Chess Olympiad website.
