U.S. Chess Federation announced the launch of a fundraising campaign for players at the 46th Chess Olympiad. The federation states that the American government does not provide financial support, and cites donations as the primary funding source.

U.S. Chess Federation

U.S. Chess Federation

Non-profit organization

“Like many U.S. teams competing internationally we are not supported by our government but through private donations, fundraising, and sponsorships, and we need your help to get our players to Samarkand.

Every dollar raised helps pay for airfare, hotels, coaching, and meals, and in the 250th anniversary year of our nation sends a signal about the importance of chess in the U.S.”

The U.S. Open team features Fabiano Caruana, Wesley So, Hans Moke Niemann, Levon Aronian, and Awonder Liang. The Women’s roster consists of Carissa Yip, Alice Lee, Rose Atwell, Irina Krush, and Tatev Abrahamyan. Donations to the teams are available on the federation’s official website.

The Chess Olympiad is a prestigious national team competition. The event is held every two years and organized by FIDE. The United States team has won the Olympiad six times, in 2016 and 1976, and four times in a row from 1931 to 1937. The 2026 event will take place in Samarkand, Uzbekistan, from September 15 to 28.

Credit: Lennart Ootes