Abdulla Aripov who is the Prime Minister of the Republic of Uzbekistan and a chairman of the Uzbekistan Chess Federation; the governor of the region,

Adiz Boboev; officials from the International Chess Federation (FIDE); international guests; and participants of the Olympiad participated in the ceremony. During the event, Abdulla Aripov, Prime Minister of the Republic of Uzbekistan and Chairman of the Uzbekistan Chess Federation, read out a congratulatory message rom President Shavkat Mirziyoev addressed to the Olympiad participants and wished the chess players success. At the opening ceremony, the 9th Women’s World Chess Champion, Zhu Chen, and the 17th World Chess Champion, Rustam Kasimdzhanov, took part in the symbolic drawing of colors. The ceremony then continued with an extensive concert program. Notably, this marks the first time in the history of the World Chess Olympiad—which dates back to 1927—that Central Asia has hosted this prestigious competition. A total of 1,970 chess players, including 238 grandmasters, are participating in the event. The competition, which consists of 11 rounds, will continue until September 27.