India, Sept. 15 -- India's defending champions faced an unexpected start to the 2026 Chess Olympiad after the men's and women's teams were kept waiting for around five hours for hotel room allotments following their arrival in Samarkand, Uzbekistan, on Tuesday.

The Indian contingents travelled to the Uzbek city for the FIDE tournament, which is scheduled to take place from September 16 to 27. However, the players were unable to settle into their accommodation immediately after reaching the city.

A member of the travelling squad confirmed that the rooms were eventually allotted to the players.

"All the players have settled into their rooms now. But it was an unpleasant experience," said a member of the travelling squad.

Grandmaster Sri...