Road to Weissenhaus 2027: Freestyle Friday is back
The World Championship race restarts this Friday, and the door is still wide open. Hamburg / Weissenhaus, October 1, 2026 – The race to the 2027 FIDE Freestyle Chess World Championship is back on. Freestyle Friday, the weekly online tournament on Chess.com, returns this Friday, October 2, streamed live on the Freestyle Chess YouTube channel, Chess.com and DAZN, with a direct ticket to Weissenhaus on the line in both the Open and the Women’s fields. Six seats are still open, three in the Open and three in the Women’s field. Ten Fridays remain, and the standings can change fast. “Formula One has its Grand Prix weekends. Chess now has its Fridays. With Freestyle Friday and our online qualifiers, the road to a World Championship becomes a season-long show. That’s the future of the game,” said Dr. Andreas Walker, CEO of Freestyle Chess. Star power from day one Olympiad champion Nodirbek Yakubboev, Hans Niemann, Denis Lazavik and Ian Nepomniachtchi are expected at the opening event. In the Women’s field, Anna Muzychuk and Alexandra Kosteniuk are among the players expected. More top names will join as the series goes on. How to watch Every Friday brings a live Freestyle Chess show, hosted by a top name who plays in the event while commentating. The line-up includes Maxime Vachier-Lagrave, Hans Niemann, Vidit Gujrathi, Anna Cramling, Dina Belenkaya, Oleksandr Bortnyk, and Sagar Shah and Harshit Raja of ChessBase India. Watch live every Friday at 17:00 Central European Time on channels including the Freestyle Chess YouTube channel, Chess.com, and DAZN. How it works Freestyle Friday runs weekly from October 2 to December 4. The top seven then play a knockout final: quarterfinals on December 11, semifinals and the final on December 18. The winner in each field goes to Weissenhaus. Two more chances Two further online qualification tournaments award the remaining four spots: two in the Open and two in the Women’s field. The first runs from November 29 to December 3, the second from January 3 to 7. The destination The Championships will be held at Weissenhaus Private Nature Luxury Resort on Germany’s Baltic coast. The Women’s Championship runs February 5–7, 2027, and the Open follows February 12–14, 2027. Full regulations are available at https://www.freestyle-chess.com/. About Freestyle Chess Freestyle Chess brings more creativity to top-level chess. The pieces on the back rank are shuffled before each game, so memorized openings don’t help, and players have to think from move one. The FIDE Freestyle Chess World Championship features the world’s best players to crown an official Freestyle world champion.
Main Decisions of the FIDE General Assembly 2026
The FIDE General Assembly was held on 26–27 September 2026 in Samarkand, Uzbekistan, during the 46th FIDE Chess Olympiad and the FIDE Congress 2026. The Congress brought together representatives of FIDE Member Federations, as well as members of the FIDE Council, Zonal Council and FIDE Commissions. The General Assembly agenda included elections, reports and financial matters, membership issues, administrative matters, changes to the FIDE Handbook, the FIDE Chess Olympiad 2030, and other matters. Elections and Appointments The General Assembly took the following decisions concerning the FIDE leadership and commissions: Mr. Timur Turlov was elected FIDE President. Mr. Viswanathan Anand was elected FIDE Deputy President. The following were elected by the General Assembly as FIDE Vice-Presidents: Ms. Yuhua Xu (CHN) • Mr. Michael Khodarkovsky (USA) • Mr. Pavel Kolobkov (RUS) Mr. Yassin Souleiman Hassan (DJI) The following nominees of the FIDE President were elected: Mr. Luigi Maggi (ITA) – Treasurer Ms. Bouchra Kadiri (MAR) – Vice-President/Secretary of the FIDE Council Mr. Mahir Mammedov (AZE) – Vice-President Ms. Carol S. Williams Pesqueira (ARU) – Vice-President Mr. Mykhailo Podolyak (UKR) – Vice-President The following nominees of the FIDE President as Honorary Vice-Presidents of FIDE were proposed for approval by the FIDE Council: Mr. Rustam Kasimdzhanov (UZB) Mr. Javier Ochoa De Echaguen (ESP) Mr. Fouad Fahmi Darwish (UAE) Mr. Michael Stoettinger (AUT) The General Assembly also: Elected Mr. Francois Strydom (RSA) as a Member of the Constitutional Commission. Supported President’s decision to appoint Mr. Jorge Arias (URU) as Secretary of the Constitutional Commission. Changes to the FIDE Charter and Regulations The General Assembly considered a number of proposals concerning the FIDE Charter and regulations. Appointing the Honorary Vice-Presidents of FIDE The General Assembly approved the proposal of the FIDE President, to appoint up to 5 Honorary Vice-Presidents entitled to participate in the work of the Council with all rights, except for voting rights. The list of proposed nominees is mentioned above. Bilingual Institutional Designation The General Assembly approved an amendment to the FIDE Charter concerning the bilingual institutional designation of FIDE, recognising the historical French name of the organisation alongside its English designation. Under the new Article 5.7, whenever FIDE displays its full institutional name together with the FIDE acronym, seal, flag or emblem, the English and French names will be presented jointly as: International Chess Federation / Fédération Internationale des Échecs. The amendment concerns FIDE’s institutional identity and visual representation only. It does not change the status of English as FIDE’s official and working language and does not introduce a general requirement to translate FIDE documents, regulations, decisions, minutes, contracts, correspondence, news or other communications into French. Chess960 Rating The General Assembly approved the establishment of a FIDE rating system for Fischer Random Chess (Chess960), with the condition that the rating system shall be elaborated and implemented no later than 1 June 2027. This responds to the continued growth of the variant and the need for an official competitive rating framework. The proposal was submitted jointly by the German Chess Federation, Icelandic Chess Federation, Norwegian Chess Federation, Irish Chess Union and Faroe Islands Chess Federation. The initiative noted that Chess960 has been growing internationally, while the absence of an official rating system has limited its integration into the wider competitive chess ecosystem. FIDE Chess Olympiad 2030 The General Assembly noted the readiness of the Qatar Chess Association and the Georgia Chess Federation to host the FIDE Chess Olympiad 2030, together with the FIDE Chess Olympiad for People with Disabilities 2030 and the FIDE Congress 2030. The Assembly instructed the FIDE Management Board to conduct negotiations with the Qatar Chess Association and, subject to the provision of official organisational and financial guarantees, to inform the FIDE Council and sign the respective contract following formal approval. Should the required official guarantees not be provided and the contract not be signed within a reasonable timeframe, the right to sign the contract will pass to the Georgia Chess Federation, subject to the provision of the corresponding organisational and financial guarantees. Extraordinary General Assembly The General Assembly decided that an Extraordinary General Assembly of FIDE will convene online in late 2026. The FIDE Council was instructed to prepare the FIDE budget for 2027 and the provisional FIDE budget for 2028, and submit them for review at the Extraordinary General Assembly. The full list of decisions and the official documentation will be published at a later date.
FIDE October 2026 rating list published
The October 2026 rating list was primarily shaped by the recently concluded 46th Chess Olympiad, with both the top 10 Open and Women’s lists seeing some important shifts. Nodirbek Abdusattorov returned to the top five after a three-month absence following his brilliant performance in Samarkand, which earned him individual gold on Board 1 and 18 rating points. He also matched his career-high rating of 2780. Zhu Jiner collected 9 points at the Chess Olympiad and reclaimed the second position in the Women’s list. Just below the top 10 in the Open and Women’s lists, Yağız Kaan Erdoğmuş and Alice Lee continue their rapid ascent in the rankings. The Turkish youngster gained 15 points at the Olympiad to make his debut in the world’s top 20, while Alice Lee earned 14 points and entered the Women’s top 20 for the first time in her career. Biggest rating gains in top 100 Open and Women Mkrtchyan, Mariam WGM ARM 2421 (+47) Alinasab, Mobina WGM IRI 2364 (+47) Kaliakhmet, Elnaz WIM KAZ 2383 (+36) Mohammadi, Melika WIM IRI 2378 (+36) Cori T., Deysi IM PER 2346 (+30) Lu,Miaoyi IM CHN 2400 (+29) Sivanandan, Bodhana WGM ENG 2382 (+28) Yakubboev, Nodirbek GM UZB 2712 (+27) Savitha Shri B IM IND 2405 (+23) Kiolbasa, Oliwia IM POL 2405 (+19) Mariam Mkrtchyan of Armenia was the biggest rating gainer in the September rating period, earning an impressive 47 points in Samarkand to cross the 2400 mark. Mobina Alinasab added the same number of points to her tally after overperforming at the Festival International de l’Apogée – Nîmes-Caissargues-Pont du Gard. The 2400 club gained two more newcomers in September. Lu Miaoyi and Savitha Shri B both shone in Samarkand, collecting 29 and 23 points, respectively, to clear the 2400 barrier. Bodhana Sivanandan became the youngest Woman Grandmaster in history at the age of 11, thanks to her stellar performance at the 46th Chess Olympiad, which earned her 28 rating points. Nodirbek Yakubboev also delivered on home turf, earning 27 rating points and crossing the 2700 mark for the first time in his career. Elnaz Kaliakhmet, Melika Mohammadi, Deysi Cori, and Oliwia Kiolbasa substantially increased their ratings following their strong showings in Samarkand. Visit: https://ratings.fide.com/ Photos: Michal Walusza and Rafal Oleksiewicz
WSTC Europe Day 2: Bright smiles, brilliant moves, and cultural rhythms in Tsaghkadzor
The second day of the European Continental Stage of the FIDE ISCF World Schools Team Championship 2026 brought an incredible mix of high energy, team spirit, and pure chess magic to Tsaghkadzor, Armenia. With school teams cheering each other on, Rounds 3 and 4 turned into a wonderful celebration of young talent. While the games on the top tables grew increasingly intense, the friendly handshakes at the end of each round remained as warm as ever. Round 3: Team spirit shines bright As the morning games kicked off, the tournament hall was buzzing with excitement. Our young players have quickly adjusted to the rapid tempo, and Round 3 showed just how well these school teams can work together to solve tricky puzzles on the board. Several matchups delivered high-stakes tactical chaos, critical strategic errors, or overwhelming piece pressure. The game of Svanadze vs. Predin saw a brilliant display of standard attacking patterns against a loosely castled king. Black compromised their center early with the careless blunder (15… d4??), which White capitalized on perfectly. Black’s position was beyond repair, but after 18… Re8??, White executed a thematic piece sacrifice wrapping it up. Svanadze – Predin After 19.Qh5! g6 20.Bxg6! hxg6 21. Qxg6+ Kh8 22.Bg5 Black was forced to give up his queen (1-0). Round 4: Tension builds up The most memorable moment of the day happened in the following game: Simonovic – Khachatryan White built a rock-solid, visually pleasing positional advantage out of the opening (+1.60) but let it slip away, ending up in an equal position. White’s woes did not stop there as he played a disastrous 31. e4?? Black snatched the initiative after 31…fxe4 32. Bxe4 Qe5?! (better was 32…Qd7) and here White blundered again with 33.f3??, handing Black a superior endgame. Black’s conversion was far from perfect, but in the end he scored a full point. Day 2 completely shook up the standings compared to Day 1. It is so exciting to see how much can change in just a couple of games! Gymnasium N 50 of Minsk showed incredible determination. On Day 2, they kept their undefeated streak rolling! Katrina Yakovleva went on a total winning spree, scoring a perfect 2/2 on the day to help her team fly solo at the top of the leader board with 8 total match points! LEPL Georgia (Kutaisi Andria Razmadze Physico) on the rise! The most joyful leap of the day belongs to this team. They had a brilliant Day 2, leapfrogging the Latvian squad to claim the lone 2nd place spot with 7 points. Gabriel Gabadadze was a superstar on board 1, winning both of his Day 2 games to stay completely perfect at 4/4. The “6-point” parking lot! Talk about a crowded finish! Riga State Gymnasium No. 1, Green Village School, C.N. “Costache Negruzzi”, Yerevan’s School N 77, and Tallinna Tonismae Reaalkool all fought like lions on Day 2. They are now locked in a giant tie for 3rd place with 6 points each! Endgame Super-Spurts!: A huge high-five goes to “Mkhitar Sebastatsi” Educational Complex and Osnovna sola Bojana Ilicha Maribor! Both teams had a tough Day 1, but they bounced right back on Day 2, scoring great wins to vault themselves up into the top 10 with 5 match points! Complete standings after Day 2 A day for joy, learning, and new friends Away from the chess clocks, the championship continued to show that every single day is an adventure and a chance to discover something wonderful together. The afternoon shifted the spotlight to fantastic masterclasses and a fun journey into Armenia’s ancient culture, giving the kids the perfect chance to relax, play, and make friends from different countries. The big highlight of the afternoon was a very special masterclass called “Raising Champions: From Talent To Title,” hosted by GM Zaven Andriasian. This unique session was specially designed for the coaches and parents of our future grandmasters. It put a deeply important focus on the psychological training of young players, exploring how to build mental resilience, maintain emotional balance during tense games, and create a supportive environment that helps children navigate both victories and defeats with confidence. Right after the final round of the day the playing hall was filled with laughter during the thrilling “Simul with a Twist” with GM Manuel Petrosyan. The possibility for all the kids to make a decision about next move on the board added a super fun, chaotic energy to the games, challenging the kids to think on their feet and laugh along as they tried to outsmart one of Armenia’s top grandmasters. The afternoon concluded on a beautiful, high-energy artistic note with a lively Armenian Dance Workshop. Swapping chess pieces for lively musical beats, players, coaches, and parents enthusiastically joined hands to learn traditional steps. The activity area quickly transformed into a sea of smiles, happy rhythms, and friendly chaos, completely washing away the competitive tension of the day’s games. What’s Next? As we cross the halfway mark of this wonderful festival, the team standings are incredibly close! The upcoming rounds will bring even more exciting matchups, but no matter what the scoreboard says, the true victory is the fantastic memories and friendships these young chess ambassadors are building here in Tsaghkadzor. Official website: https://worldschoolteam2026.fide.com/
FIDE Gligorić Trophy 2026 winners announced
Following a review of the nominations for the 2026 Svetozar Gligorić Trophy, the FIDE Gligorić Trophy Award Commission has decided to award the trophy to two recipients: Sebastian Poltorak (Poland) – For his exemplary sportsmanship during the 2025 European Chess Club Cup. In his game against Aleksandar Inđić, when his opponent became unwell and had to leave the playing hall for medical reasons, Poltorak agreed to a draw rather than seeking a competitive advantage from the situation. GM Tin Jingyao (Singapore; pictured above) – For his exemplary fair play during the 2025 Almaty Region Open (Qonayev Cup). In Round 6, his opponent arrived after the default time due to heavy traffic. Although Tin Jingyao was entitled to claim a win by forfeit, he graciously chose to allow the game to be played. The Commission considers both cases to be exceptional examples of fair play and sportsmanship, where respect for the opponent prevailed over the immediate competitive result.
WSTC 2026 European Stage begins in Tsaghkadzor
The European Continental Stage of the FIDE ISCF World Schools Team Championship 2026 commenced on 29 September in Tsaghkadzor, Armenia. 27 school teams from 25 nations are competing in the final qualifying stage for places in the Grand Final in December. The stage is organised by the International School Chess Federation (ISCF) together with FIDE, the Chess Federation of Armenia, and Freedom Corp. as sponsor. Tournament format Each team fields four players and one reserve, boys and girls. The tournament is an eight-round Swiss, played under time control of 45 minutes plus a 10-second increment per move from move one. Riga State Gymnasium No.1 (average rating 1989) tops the starting rankings, followed by Gymnasium No.50 of Minsk, Belarus and Tallinna Tonismae Reaalkool, Estonia. Armenia is represented by 3 schools, led by Yerevan’s basic school N 77. Opening ceremony: Peru sends the message The ceremony opened with a film about the championship and its journey so far, through the stages already held in Asia, Africa and the Americas. The first to welcome the players was Grandmaster Smbat Lputian, founder of the Chess Academy of Armenia and Vice President of the Chess Federation of Armenia. Then, as has become a tradition at every stage of the championship, the floor passed to the children from the previous stage. This time the message came from the winners themselves. On screen, the players of Saco Oliveros de Lince, champions of the American Continental Stage in San José, greeted the teams gathered in Tsaghkadzor. They had also sent postal cards, each carrying one message about chess, and the officials came on stage to read them out, letting the Peruvian players’ words stand in for their own. Breaking stereotypes“Don’t be afraid to make an unusual move, even if no one has played it before. Sometimes the most unexpected move changes the whole game!” said Nadzeya Krauchuk, Tournament Director of the FIDE ISCF World Schools Team Championship Love chess, no matter what“Sometimes we lose, sometimes we make mistakes, and sometimes we feel like flipping the board! But every game teaches us something new. A true love of the game does not end with a defeat!” said Ion-Serban Dobronauteanu, Director of Youth Chess of the European Chess Union. Chess opens the door to friendship“We may speak different languages and live on different continents. But once we sit down at the same chessboard, we understand each other,” said Varduhi Sargsyan, Executive Director of the Chess Academy of Armenia. You don’t have to be a champion to enjoy the game“Not all of us have a champion’s trophy at home. But everyone can enjoy a beautiful game, a clever move, or a small personal victory,” said Timur Turlov, President of FIDE and President of ISCF. This continues a tradition that runs through the championship: in San José, the ceremony opened with gifts sent by players from the African stage. This time the message came from the Americas and was addressed to Europe. For Timur Turlov, President of FIDE and President of ISCF, it was the first tournament opening since his election as FIDE President at the 46th Chess Olympiad in Samarkand. He thanked the Armenian hosts and called Armenia “one of the world’s great chess centers and the home of many outstanding players.” He pointed to Armenia’s own example. In 2011 it became the first country to make chess a compulsory subject in primary schools, and fifteen years later many countries are learning from that experience. Demand for school chess is growing worldwide, he said, and delegates from many countries raised it with him in Samarkand. It will be one of FIDE’s main priorities during his presidency. Timur Turlov then announced FIDE’s plans to allocate $1,000,000 a year to chess in education worldwide under the new FIDE Development Fund. The money will help national federations train teachers and give schools teaching materials and equipment. “Our goal is to give many more children the opportunity to discover chess at school,” he said. He ended with a word to the players: “Play boldly, respect your opponents, and support your teammates. I wish you great games, new friendships, and unforgettable days in Armenia.” Then he declared the European stage of the World School Team Championship open and made the first ceremonial move to start the competition. Round 1 Four matches ended with 4-0 clean sweeps: Gymnasium No. 50 of Minsk – British School of Kosova;Green Village School – Naum Naumovski Borche;ZS Wolkerova Bardejov – Privates Gymnasium Sacre Coeur Wien;Tasen skole – Vesturbaejarskoli. The top-seeded Latvian team opened the European Continental Stage with a convincing 3-1 victory over Armenia’s “Mkhitar Sebastatsi” Educational Complex. Round 2 In Round 2, Riga State Gymnasium No. 1 secured a 3½-½ victory, while Gymnasium No. 50 of Minsk won 4-0 again, and Tallinna Tõnismäe Reaalkool claimed a 3-1 win. After two rounds as many as five teams are on 4/4 match points, with Gymnasium No. 50 of Minsk leading with the perfect 8/8 game points. Beyond the board After two rounds of chess, players took part in an Armenian Carpet Weaving Workshop, an introduction to one of the country’s oldest crafts. Armenian carpets have been woven by hand for centuries, knot by knot, with patterns and symbols passed down from one generation to the next. For players who had spent the day thinking in squares and diagonals, the workshoo offered a different kind of grid, one built slowly by hand, one knot at a time. The day ended with the movie “Time from,” a quieter close to a long first day before Round 3. Official website: https://worldschoolteam2026.fide.com/
FIDE Council composition for 2026–2030 announced
Following the FIDE elections and the General Assembly held in Samarkand, FIDE is pleased to announce the composition of the FIDE Council for the 2026–2030 term. President and Deputy President 1. Timur Turlov (KAZ) – President2. Viswanathan Anand (IND) – Deputy President Elected Vice Presidents The General Assembly elected four FIDE Vice Presidents: 1. Yuhua Xu (CHN) – Vice President2. Michael Khodarkovsky (USA) – Vice President3. Pavel Kolobkov (RUS) – Vice President4. Yassin Souleiman Hassan (DJI) – Vice President Members nominated by the FIDE President The newly elected President nominated five additional members of the Council: 1. Luigi Maggi (ITA) – FIDE Treasurer2. Bouchra Kadiri (MAR) – Secretary of the Council / Vice President3. Mahir Mammedov (AZE) – Vice President4. Carol S. Williams Pesqueira (ARU) – Vice President5. Mykhailo Podolyak (UKR) – Vice President Honorary Vice-Presidents The General Assembly also supported amendments introducing the position of Honorary Vice-President. The following candidates were proposed by the President for approval by the FIDE Council: 1. Rustam Kasimdzhanov (UZB)2. Javier Ochoa De Echaguen (ESP)3. Fouad Fahmi Darwish (UAE)4. Michael Stoettinger (AUT) Continental Presidents Under the FIDE Charter, the Presidents of the four Continental Associations are also members of the FIDE Council. The current Continental Presidents are: 1. Zurab Azmaiparashvili (GEO) – Continental President for Europe2. Benard Wanjala (KEN) – Continental President for Africa3. Sheikh Sultan Bin Khalifa Al Nehyan (UAE) – Continental President for Asia4. José Antonio Carrillo (PAN) – Continental President for the Americas
Fireworks, drones and champions: Samarkand’s grand Olympiad finale
What an amazing way to finish the Olympiad! The Uzbekistan Local Organising Committee put on a show for the ages – one of the best closing ceremonies I have attended, and I have been to many! Category prizes At around 7PM, the celebrations kicked off with the category prizes, with medals awarded to the best teams in five different rating categories, A to E, in both the Open and Women’s sections. Chief Arbiters Ivan Syrovy and Laurent Freyd announced the awardees, who were then presented with their medals by official representatives. The United States of America (A), Vietnam (B), Ecuador (C), Pakistan (D) and Qatar (E) were the five winning teams in the Open section. In the Women’s section, the gold medallists were the United States of America (A), Croatia (B), Sri Lanka (C), Ghana (D) and Maldives (E). But this was only the beginning. The prize-giving quickly gave way to an evening of music, colour, dance and spectacle, as the organisers transformed the closing ceremony into a celebration worthy of two weeks of extraordinary chess in Samarkand. Best uniforms Then it was time for another much-anticipated part of the evening: the prizes for the best uniforms. With teams having brought an impressive array of colours, styles and national flair to Samarkand, the awards recognised the most striking outfits in three categories – classic, sports and original – across the Open and Women’s sections. Hong Kong, Jamaica, South Africa, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Mali and, once again, South Africa took home the honours across the different categories and sections. From elegant and traditional to sporty and downright eye-catching, the teams certainly proved that there is more than one way to make an impression at a Chess Olympiad. Individual board medals Immediately afterwards, the spotlight turned to the individual board medals, recognising the players who had produced the strongest performances on each of the five boards over the course of the Olympiad. In the Open section, gold went to GM Nodirbek Abdusattorov on board one, GM Wei Yi on board two, GM Frederik Svane on board three, GM Ihor Samunenkov on board four and GM Gleb Dudin on the reserve board. The Women’s section had its own stellar line-up of board winners: GM Zhu Jiner took gold on board one, IM Alice Lee on board two, IM Lu Miaoyi on board three, WIM Elnaz Kaliakhmet on board four and IM Savitha Shri B on the reserve board. The full list of individual and team medals and awards can be consulted here Music, dance and opera In between the awards, the 2,000-plus guests were treated to a succession of live music, traditional dance and opera performances, adding a distinctly Uzbek flavour to the celebrations. The magnificent Amphitheatre of the Eternal City, set along Samarkand’s Silk Road, provided a spectacular backdrop. The main awards Around 8:30PM, the moment everyone had been waiting for finally arrived: the main awards. With the closing ceremony now in full swing, the stage welcomed a host of distinguished dignitaries, including Timur Turlov, Viswanathan Anand and Mahir Mamedov, who joined the medal presentations. First up were the champions of the Women’s Section. China received the gold medals and the Vera Menchik Cup, with Kazakhstan taking silver and India bronze. As the Chinese team proudly stood on stage with the trophy, the national anthem of China rang out across the amphitheater. Then came the grand finale of the Open section. Uzbekistan, the hosts, were crowned Olympiad champions, receiving the gold medals and the Hamilton Russell Cup. India took silver, while Germany claimed bronze. The celebrations reached another emotional high as the national anthem of Uzbekistan was played to a huge reception from the home crowd. And there was still one final trophy to be presented. The Gaprindashvili Cup, awarded to the federation with the best combined result in the Open and Women’s sections, went to India – adding another major prize to an already highly successful Olympiad for the Indian team. Passing the Olympiad flag As tradition dictates, the closing ceremony then turned its attention to the future. The Olympiad flag was formally handed over to the hosts of the next edition to be held in the UAE in 2028. Hussein Abdullah Al-Khoury, the Chairman of the Abu Dhabi Chess Club and the Tournament Director of the 47th Chess Olympiad and Abdulraheem Al Zarooni, Corporate Communications Office Director – Abu Dhabi Sports Council, Chairman of the Accomodation and Travel Committee for 47th FIDE Chess Olympiad in UAE, received the flag from Alisher Sadullayev, First Vice President of the Uzbekistan Chess Federation. As the handover took place on stage, the giant screens came alive with images of Abu Dhabi, offering the thousands of guests a first glimpse of the city that will welcome the chess world for the next Olympiad in 2028. A spectacular farewell To bring the ceremony to its conclusion, FIDE President Timur Turlov took to the stage to thank President Shavkat Mirziyoyev for his tremendous support for chess and for the Olympiad. He also expressed his gratitude to Prime Minister Abdulla Aripov, as well as to the governments, chess federations and organising committees whose work had made the event possible. After a few more words of encouragement, translated into Uzbek for the local audience, Turlov received a warm round of applause before officially declaring the 46th Chess Olympiad closed. And then, fittingly, the sky became the final stage of the evening. Magnificent fireworks burst over Samarkand, accompanied by a spectacular drone light show that illuminated the night sky above the Eternal City. It was a memorable farewell to the thousands of players, captains, officials and delegations who will soon return home, carrying with them not only the memories of two weeks of extraordinary chess, but also a taste of Uzbekistan, Samarkand and the legendary Silk Road. Full results 46th Chess Olympiad Written by IM Michael Rahal (FIDE Press Officer) Photos: Michal Walusza and Rafał Oleksiewicz Official website: https://chessolympiad2026.fide.com/
Uzbekistan’s dream finish: Olympiad gold in Samarkand
China’s new generation shines and Kazakhstan and India complete the Women’s medal podium. Uzbekistan won the Open section of the 2026 Chess Olympiad on home soil in Samarkand, defeating Ukraine 2.5–1.5 in the final round to claim their second Olympiad title after Chennai 2022. India took silver following a 2–2 draw with Hungary, while Germany secured bronze with a 2.5–1.5 victory over the Netherlands. China claimed the Women’s gold medal with a convincing 3–1 victory over Vietnam in the final round, while Kazakhstan secured silver after a 2–2 draw with Poland. India took bronze on tiebreak after also drawing 2–2 with Georgia. Full results 46th Chess Olympiad Timur Turlov, elected as the eighth FIDE President yesterday, made the ceremonial first move for Nodirbek Abdusattorov, playing 1.e4, after congratulating all the players on their performances throughout the Olympiad. Turlov also shared a heartfelt handshake with Ukrainian chess legend Vasyl Ivanchuk, who was playing on board two. Rashid Talipov, Responsible Official of the Cabinet of Ministers of the Republic of Uzbekistan, made the ceremonial first move for Nodirbek Yakubboev, playing on board three for the Uzbekistan team. The venue also burst into applause when the Chief Arbiter presented GM Tin Jingyao of Singapore with the Svetozar Gligoric Fair Play Prize. During Round 6 of the Almaty Qonayev Cup in 2025, Tin’s opponent arrived after the default time because of heavy traffic. Although Tin was entitled to claim a win by forfeit, he chose instead to allow his opponent to play. Open section Uzbekistan wins the Olympiad on home soil With a decisive 2.5–1.5 victory over Ukraine, Uzbekistan won the 2026 Olympiad in Samarkand, claiming the title on home soil. Although a 2–2 draw would probably have been enough to secure gold, reserve board Mukhiddin Madaminov delivered the decisive point on board four, finishing the event with an outstanding unbeaten score of 5.5/7. His performance fully justified his selection for the team. The other three games ended in draws; Nodirbek Abdusattorov pressed hard in a bishop ending with an extra pawn, but let the win slip away at the very end. This is Uzbekistan’s second Olympiad victory, following their triumph in Chennai in 2022, with four of the five players from that team repeating their success in Samarkand. Abdusattorov also takes home the individual gold medal for board one, recording an outstanding 2869 performance rating. India takes silver, Germany claims bronze India secured the silver medal after a 2–2 draw with Hungary. Arjun Erigaisi overcame Peter Leko with Black on board two, while Gleb Dudin produced the result of his tournament by defeating World Champion Gukesh D on board four. Dudin’s victory secured him the individual gold medal on first reserve board, while Gukesh finished with the silver medal on board four. Germany claimed bronze after defeating the Netherlands 2.5–1.5, with Matthias Bluebaum scoring the decisive win against Jorden van Foreest on board two. Frederik Svane took the individual gold medal on board three with an impressive 2796 performance rating. All three medal-winning teams had occupied the top boards throughout much of the tournament, making their final positions a reflection of their consistent performances across the eleven rounds. The United States, Azerbaijan, Armenia and Hungary shared fourth to seventh place, while China dropped to eighth after spending much of the tournament among the leaders. Wei Yi nevertheless secured the individual gold medal on board two. Women’s Section China claims Women’s gold in style China dominated Vietnam 3–1 in the final match to clinch the gold medal in convincing fashion. On board one, Zhu Jiner led the team’s triumph with a win against Le Thao Nguyen Pham, finishing the Olympiad with an outstanding unbeaten score of 7/9. She also secured the individual gold medal on board one, capping an excellent tournament. Charlize van Zyl interviewed Zhu in the media area immediately after the game. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=chknoIwZLGM Although China’s women’s team also boasts such world-class players as Hou Yifan, World Champion Ju Wenjun, Lei Tingjie and Tan Zhongyi, their performance in Uzbekistan has shown that the country’s next generation of elite players is more than capable of delivering at the highest level, even in the absence of its highest-rated stars. China’s other win came on board three, where Lu Miaoyi (pictured below, center) continued her remarkable tournament with a decisive victory over Phuong Hanh Luong. The 16-year-old remained unbeaten throughout the Olympiad, scoring an impressive 9.5/11. Her performance underlines the strength and depth of Chinese women’s chess, and suggests that many more medals could be on the horizon for the young star. Lu also took home the individual gold medal on board three. Kazakhstan takes silver as India secures bronze Kazakhstan, who spent much of the Olympiad fighting on the top boards, secured the silver medal after drawing 2–2 with Poland in the final round. Aleksandra Maltsevskaya defeated Alua Nurman on board two, but Elnaz Kaliakhmet levelled the match for Kazakhstan with a win over Alicja Sliwicka on board four. The victory also secured Kaliakhmet the individual gold medal on board four. India, the United States, Poland, Armenia and Mongolia all finished on the same match-point total, but India claimed the bronze medal on tiebreak after drawing 2–2 with Georgia in the final round. Alice Lee of the United States took the individual gold medal on board two with a performance rating of 2572, while India’s Shri B Savitha secured the board-five gold medal. Humpy finds a stunning tactical finish against Dzagnidze Position of the day Humpy Koneru – Nana Dzagnidze Nana Dzagnidze, Georgia’s first board, had just played 18…Rfd8, opening the f8-square as an escape route for her king while putting additional pressure on the d4-pawn. Humpy Koneru was tactically alert, however, and responded with a wonderful combination beginning with 19.Nf6+!, sacrificing the knight. After 19…gxf6, which was forced, Humpy continued with 20.Qxh6, creating multiple threats against the black king, including Rg3 or Bh7+ followed by mate in three. Dzagnidze tried 20…Qa5+ 21.Rd2 Nxe5, aiming for a back-rank mating idea with …Rc1 while also
Olympiad Day 10: Uzbekistan in command as medal race goes to the wire
India, Ukraine, Germany and Hungary remain in contention after a dramatic penultimate round The medal race has been dramatically reshaped going into the final round. Uzbekistan strengthened its position with a commanding 3.5–0.5 victory over Armenia, while India matched that score against Uzbekistan 2 but remains a full match point behind the hosts. In the Women’s section, Mongolia’s medal hopes suffered a major blow after a 3–1 defeat to Poland, while Vietnam continued their impressive late surge with a fourth consecutive match win, edging Indonesia 2.5–1.5 to keep an outside medal chance alive. Full results 46th Chess Olympiad Let’s take a closer look at the action from the playing hall. Ceremonial moves mark a historic day in Samarkand At the start of the round, Principal Arbiter Ivan Syrovy announced that Timur Turlov had just won the FIDE presidential elections, celebrated at the nearby Congress Center, becoming the eighth FIDE President. In the second round of voting, Turlov received 110 votes against 85 for his opponent, Wadim Rosenstein. Following the announcement, Syrovy gave way to the ceremonial moves. Shaikh Khaled Al Qasimi, President of the Arab Chess Federation and Chairman of the Sharjah Sports Council, opened the game with 1.e4 for Armenia’s first board, Haik Martirosyan. Hussein Abdullah Al-Khoury, Chairman of the Abu Dhabi Chess Club and Tournament Director of the 47th FIDE Chess Olympiad in the UAE, replied with the solid 1…c6 for Uzbekistan’s Nodirbek Abdusattorov, who subsequently changed his move and opted for the surprising Scandinavian Defence instead. The action then moved a few boards towards the women’s section, where Khakimov Akbar, Director of the “Afruza” Chess Club, played 1.e4 for Afruza Khamdamova in the Uzbekistan–Peru match. Open section Uzbekistan takes control in key Armenia match Javokhir Sindarov won the first game of the key match between Uzbekistan and Armenia, defeating Robert Hovhannisyan with a very nice piece of home preparation that featured an exchange sacrifice. Immediately afterwards, his second during the Candidates, Mukhiddin Madaminov, brought home Uzbekistan’s second win against Gabriel Sargissian on board four, again displaying some astonishing tactical play. After the game, Sindarov gave an interview sharing his thoughts on the match and was joined towards the end by Madaminov. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eIaHaHLknfk A final victory by Nodirbek Abdusattorov in a long ending on board one completed an outstanding 3.5–0.5 victory for Uzbekistan, putting the hosts in prime position to fight for gold tomorrow. Abdusattorov is playing the best chess of his life so far: undefeated and on an impressive 8/10. India keeps the pressure on Uzbekistan The second important match of the round brought India up against Uzbekistan 2, the revelation team of the event. A big favourite on paper, India showed that they remain serious contenders right up until the final game of the tournament. Nihal Sarin opened the scoring for India on board three, defeating Mukhammadzokhid Suyarov with the black pieces. Sarin accepted two sacrificed pawns from his opponent before doubling down on the defense and eventually reeling in the full point. After a solid draw on board two, World Champion Gukesh D prevailed in a tactical ending against Ortik Nigmatov on board four, securing the match victory for India. Praggnanandhaa then added another win on board one to complete the 3.5–0.5 scoreline. The result leaves Uzbekistan one full match point ahead of India going into the final round, with a substantial 30-point advantage on the tiebreak. Ukraine shock China to keep medal hope alive China came into the round in a unique position in the medal race. All they needed was to avoid defeat against 12th seeds Ukraine, a team that had fought its way back into contention by winning its last three matches. But it was not to be. Igor Kovalenko scored an important point on board one by defeating former World Champion Ding Liren, who unexpectedly dropped an exchange after a long period of manoeuvring. Position of the day Igor Kovalenko – Ding Liren The two players had been shuffling their pieces for around 20 moves, each waiting for a positional improvement or a mistake from the opponent. White emerged slightly better: Black has more weaknesses, while his bishop pair is hardly active. Instead of natural 44…Rd8 or 44…Qd7, keeping the ball rolling, Ding Liren blundered with 44…Re6? which failed to 45.Ne3! The queen is attacked, and Black cannot avoid losing the exchange. Following 45…Qf7 46.Ng5 White forked the queen and rook. It was the kind of mistake one simply does not expect from a player of Ding Liren’s strength, but it also demonstrated once again that even the very best players can go wrong at any moment. With boards two and three ending in draws, Ukraine sealed the match with a second victory on board four, where current European Champion and teenage star Roman Dehtiarov defeated Xiangrui Kong. Ukraine now has a real opportunity to fight for a medal if they can produce another victory in the final round. Germany and Hungary stay in medal race Germany will also have a chance to fight for a medal in the final round after a convincing 3–1 victory over France. Hungary matched that score against Spain, keeping both teams firmly in contention heading into the decisive final round. Round 11 pairings: Open Women’s Section China keeps the lead with a tie against India In the match of the day, China and India traded wins on the two lower boards, with Vantika Agrawal suffering her first loss against Lu Miaoyi, undefeated on an impressive 8.5/10. Meanwhile, Savitha Shri raised her remarkable score to 8.5/9 by defeating Zhai Mo. Kazakhstan just one point behind The result allowed China to retain the lead, but their advantage over Kazakhstan was reduced to just one match point. Kazakhstan defeated France 2.5–1.5 in an unbelievable finish. Position of the day Pauline Guichard – Elnaz Kaliakhmet Pauline Guichard had enjoyed a decisive advantage from the opening and was finally very close to converting it. Elnaz Kaliakhmet had just blocked a check and would have been happy to see the