The historic city of Samarkand welcomed the chess world with a spectacular ceremony blending history, art and chess, setting the stage for one of the strongest tournaments ever.
The ceremony started with a short video that took the audience on a journey in time, from the archaeological discoveries of 7th-century Afrasiab to the present day. The carefully crafted narrative began in darkness, with a golden beam of light revealing ancient chess pieces discovered on the historic hill of Afrasiab – evidence that chess had flourished in these lands for over thirteen centuries.
The video was followed by choreographic elements that reflected the tournament’s theme, featuring contemporary dance with mirrored figures and geometric formations, reminiscent of chess squares.
Then came the formal part of the ceremony, with officials taking centre stage.
The first to speak was the Director of the Youth Affairs Agency and First Deputy Chairman of the Chess Federation of Uzbekistan, Alisher Sadullaev, who emphasised the tournament’s importance for chess development in the region.
“In the past year Uzbekistan has been engaged in organising a large number of chess competitions thanks to the support of the President of Uzbekistan, Shavkat Mirziyoyev. Samarkand has been made into a global chess arena. We hosted the 2023 World Rapid and Blitz. Next year we are hosting the Chess Olympiad, and it will be a huge event for the world,” Sadullaev said.
FIDE President Arkady Dvorkovich thanked the Uzbekistan government and the country’s chess federation for their support in organising this event and for investment in chess in general.
“The steps taken over the past 15 years have led to the creation of a great generation which is representing Uzbekistan today. This is a clear signal to all other countries in terms of what needs to be done if you want to be in the top of the chess world,” Dvorkovich said.
“This is an exciting journey which is starting in Uzbekistan, bringing excitement to fans all over the world. I wish you all the best of luck,” the FIDE President concluded.
Hokim of Samarkand region, Adiz Boboev pointed out how Samarkand and, indeed, Uzbekistan, has become one of the most prominent organisers of international sports events. “Samarkand has become one of the centres of international sports. Just in the past year we have had the World Triathlon Cup and Para Triathlon Cup, the Asian Judo Championship and other international forums”.
Boboev noted that “the sports sector has been identified as a priority area of the state policy in our country” and that further investments are coming, including the 2026 chess Olympiad which will take place in Uzbekistan.
The drawing of lots
The ceremony’s key moment came with the drawing of lots for round one colours. Chief Arbiter Laurent Freyd took centre stage, calling forward the top-rated players from both sections: Praggnanandhaa R (Open section) and Anna Muzychuk (Women’s section).
Standing next to the arbiter and the players were two models, dressed in traditional national costumes, holding miniature artworks with Uzbek motifs. The reverse side of each miniature featured white and black colours.
Praggnanandhaa ended up selecting the art piece with the black colour on the back, meaning he will start round one with the black pieces. In the women’s section, Anna Muzychuk chose the art piece with the white colour, meaning she starts the tournament as White.
The ceremony closed with a vibrant performance of modern Uzbek dance and a video featuring Uzbekistan’s rise to become one of the most prominent chess nations in the world.
World Champion Guklesh D: “This tournament is so strong that anybody can win”
Earlier in the day, a press conference was held featuring World Champion Gukesh D.
The Indian was asked about the decision to play in Samarkand, in an event where his potential challenger will be chosen.
“I’m happy to be back here in Samarkand. I was here in 2023 for the World Rapid and Blitz. It’s nice to be back here. Although there’s no need for me to qualify, I think this is still a great tournament. There are not many super strong open Swiss tournaments. It’s an opportunity for me to play in a different format and prove myself”.
Gukesh also spoke about how his preparation for the event differed from other – closed – tournaments, where preselected top players take part.
“In Swiss tournaments, you need to win more games and take a bit more chances. I’m glad there will be a lot of hungry players and exciting games. Even though I’ve been playing a lot of closed tournaments, I’ll try to adjust my preparation for the open event here”.
When asked about who he sees as the favourites to win the event, Gukesh was diplomatic: “This tournament is so strong that pretty much anybody on a great day can win. I don’t really believe in favourites.”
The full report from the press conference can be found HERE.
Round one starts on Thursday, September 4, at 3 PM local time.
The Round 1 pairings can be found here:
Open: grandswiss2025.fide.com/open/
Women: grandswiss2025.fide.com/grand-swiss-women/
Written by Milan Dinic
Photos: Michal Walusza
Official website: grandswiss2025.fide.com
About the event
The FIDE Grand Swiss is one of the most significant tournaments in the World Chess Championship cycle, featuring many of the world’s strongest chess players. Launched in 2019 (with the women’s event starting in 2021), the 11-round Swiss system tournament is held every two years. Considered as one of the most difficult and unpredictable chess events given its open nature, the top two finishers in both categories qualify directly for the World Candidates tournament, where a challenger for the title of world champion is chosen.
The 2025 edition runs from 4th to 15th September at the EXPO Centre in Samarkand, Uzbekistan. There are 116 players taking part in the Open and 56 players in the Women’s competition. The total prize fund for the event it $855,000 – $625,000 for the Open and $230,000 for the Women’s event.
All the rounds will be broadcast live on FIDE’s official YouTube channel.