Olawale Oyeleye Reports
The 45th Chess Olympiad has officially begun with a grand opening ceremony at Budapest’s Dr. Jeno Koltai Sports Center, welcoming players from a record-breaking 194 countries. The night was filled with excitement, kicked off by stunning performances from Hungarian singer Lilla Vincze and renowned pianist Jason Kouchak, who debuted their chess-inspired song, “Royal Game.”
This year’s Olympiad isn’t just about competition—it’s a celebration of chess as a global unifier, marking FIDE’s 100th anniversary. Dr. Gábor Schmidt highlighted how chess strengthens strategic thinking, not only in the game but in everyday life. FIDE President Arkady Dvorkovich followed by officially declaring the Olympiad open, expressing his hopes that Budapest 2024 will be remembered for generations to come.
A major highlight was the torch relay, which had journeyed across 12 countries, concluding with legendary chess icon Judit Polgar lighting the Olympiad cauldron. In a fun twist, her sisters, Susan and Sofia Polgar, drew lots using Rubik’s cubes, determining that the top teams would start their games with black pieces. As a bonus, each participant took home a colorful Rubik’s cube as a souvenir—an iconic nod to Hungarian creativity.
The event wrapped up with a thoughtful remark from Dr. Zoltan Polyanszky of the Hungarian Chess Federation, who described chess as a “religion,” recognizing the immense dedication and focus of the 1,500 players ready to compete.
(Source FIDE Press)
However, not everything went off without a hitch—several teams, mainly from African countries like Zambia, Uganda, Nigeria, Libya, Senegal, Somalia, Gambia, Mali, Burundi, Democratic Republic of Congo, Niger, and Central African Republic faced visa issues and will unfortunately miss the first round. Other nations like Syria, Yemen, Iraq, Nepal, Palestine, Afghanistan, and FID Refugees also experienced delays. Thankfully, the issues have been resolved, and these teams are expected to join the event soon.
The action is already heating up as Round 1 kicks off on September 11th. The top-seeded United States will face Panama, while the host nation Hungary takes on El Salvador. India is set to meet Morocco, and China will face a strong challenge from the Dominican Republic. Over on Table 5, reigning champions Uzbekistan will battle Trinidad and Tobago in what promises to be a thrilling match.
Check pairings here
In the Women’s section, India will take on Jamaica, Hungary squares off against Puerto Rico, and China will go head-to-head with South Africa.
Check pairings here
These are just a few of the exciting matchups to watch, and you can find the full list of pairings at the links above. We’ll be covering some of the most exciting games, especially those featuring African teams, so stay tuned!
