Friday, October 2, 2026 - Uzbekistan has captured gold at the 2026 Chess Olympiad in Samarkand, securing the Open title on home soil after defeating Ukraine 2.5–1.5 in the final round.
The hosts finished with 20 points from a possible 22 after 11 rounds, sealing their second Olympiad championship. India took silver, while Germany claimed bronze.
The tournament set a new participation record, with almost 400 teams representing more than 190 countries competing across the Open and Women’s sections.
Uzbekistan’s Nodirbek Abdusattorov was unbeaten throughout the Open competition and earned individual gold on the first board, while Mukhiddin Madaminov delivered the decisive point against Ukraine in the final round.
The victory gives Uzbekistan another major boost on the international chess stage, with the country now turning its attention to developing a deeper generation of players. The Samarkand event also saw China win the Women’s gold, while India secured bronze in that section.
With the record-breaking Olympiad now concluded, attention shifts to the next major global chess battles, including Javokhir Sindarov’s upcoming world championship match against reigning champion Gukesh Dommaraju.
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