Uzbekistan shines against Hungary, while Poland stuns defending champions India in the Women’s section
Another fascinating afternoon unfolded in Samarkand, with the battle for the top of the standings becoming increasingly intense in both sections. Several leading teams strengthened their positions, while a couple of unexpected results showed once again that there are no easy matches at an Olympiad. Going into the final round before the much-awaited rest day, anything can happen!
Let’s take a closer look at the action from the playing hall.
The energy in the playing hall this afternoon, just before the round began, was quite different from usual. The organising committee invited all the teams, along with reserve players and heads of delegation, to take part in an official photo shoot, and the excitement was palpable. Three different photo booths had been set up, giving most teams the chance to capture a special souvenir of their time in Samarkand.
For a few minutes, the usual pre-round concentration gave way to smiles, laughter and plenty of team spirit. Players who would soon be battling across the chessboards were busy posing together, creating a colourful snapshot of the Olympiad and the people who make this unique event what it is.
Four ceremonial moves were performed this afternoon, adding a touch of occasion to two of the day’s most anticipated matches.
On board one of the Open match between Hungary and Uzbekistan, Arkady Dvorkovich, 7th FIDE President, opened the game for Richard Rapport with 1.b3, while Odil Abdurakhmonov, Representative of the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan for Sports, replied with 1…Nc6 on behalf of Nodirbek Abdusattorov.
Unfortunately, Rapport had not yet arrived at the board when the ceremonial moves were made, but Dvorkovich waited patiently for the Hungarian Grandmaster, who soon arrived for the customary pre-game handshake.
Immediately afterwards, Zhu Chen, FIDE Treasurer and former Women’s World Champion, opened with 1.e4 for Carissa Yip of the USA. Adiz Boboev, Governor of the Samarkand Region, responded with 1…e5 on behalf of Afruza Khamdamova, setting the stage for another important encounter.
A unique situation occurred for both Israeli teams, in the Open and Women’s sections, who were not in the playing hall when the round began. Due to the observance of Yom Kippur on September 20, the holiest day in Judaism, both teams had to complete their games earlier than the standard playing schedule would normally allow.
In the spirit of sportsmanship and mutual respect, the opponents of both teams – Singapore in the Open section and Colombia in the Women’s section – agreed to start their matches earlier, with the games relocated to the Savitsky Hotel.
The matches were conducted in full accordance with the standard tournament regulations and all applicable fair-play measures, allowing both Israeli teams to observe Yom Kippur while completing their games under the same competitive conditions.
Open section
As soon as the teams sat down, I immediately noticed that both India and the United States had once again opted to bench their reserve player. Vidit has not played since Round 2, meaning three consecutive rounds on the sidelines, while Awonder Liang has also been rested since suffering two consecutive defeats. With many rounds still to come, it would be no surprise to see both players return to the action before long.
Without a doubt, the major upset of the afternoon on the top boards was the United States’ narrow 2.5–1.5 defeat to Germany. The key game was Hans Niemann’s loss to Frederik Svane. It is difficult to pinpoint a single decisive mistake in the game; rather, Svane seemed to have the better-coordinated pieces throughout, gradually gaining the upper hand and converting his advantage.
Wesley So came very close to leveling the match but was unable to break down Mathias Bluebaum’s stubborn queen-and-pawn versus rook-and-two-pawns fortress.
White’s king cannot advance beyond the fourth rank, while any attempt to sacrifice the queen for the rook and a pawn would lead to a straightforward drawn ending.
Uzbekistan took a huge step forward with a clean sweep victory over Hungary. The match started perfectly for the 2022 champions when Rapport unexpectedly blundered a pawn against Abdusattorov on board one. The Uzbek first board seized the opportunity and never looked back, converting his advantage in convincing fashion.
Soon afterwards, Yakubboev out-prepared Gledura with the Black pieces to score Uzbekistan’s second win. To complete a remarkable team performance, both Sindarov and Vokhidov outplayed their opponents in rook endings, sealing an emphatic 4-0 victory on the scoreboard.
India are gradually making their mark in Samarkand. Erigaisi seems to have recovered from his difficult start, while Gukesh, now on 4.5/5, is making a strong push for a medal on board four. He has always been an excellent team player, and his return to top form has added another important weapon to India’s challenge.
Strong performances from Praggnanandhaa and Gukesh on boards one and four, combined with two solid draws in the middle, saw India defeat the Netherlands 3-1 and join Germany and Uzbekistan at the top of the table.
In the final match involving the leading teams, China and Armenia played out four completely even draws: not much to report from that one!
In the chasing pack, England, France, Iran, Spain, Türkiye and Ukraine all moved up the standings with solid performances. Neighbouring Tajikistan, however, produced one of the surprises of the day, defeating Slovenia 2.5-1.5 in a closely fought match.
Women’s Section
The first match to reach a decisive score among the top boards was China against Bulgaria. Zhu Jiner, now on a perfect 3/3 on board one, and Song Xuxin, an impressive 4.5/5 on board two, both won their games convincingly. A quick draw on board three was enough to seal the match, with China taking a 3-1 victory.
I have been following this Chinese team closely, and their performances so far have certainly caught my attention. They are essentially fielding the same line-up that produced a strong showing at the recent World Women’s Team Championship in Linares, Spain, making them a team to watch closely as the Olympiad progresses.
Poland pulled off the surprise of the day by defeating defending champions India 2.5-1.5. Boards one, three and four all ended in solid draws, leaving the match to be decided on board two. Aleksandra Maltsevskaya successfully converted an extra pawn in a double-rook ending against Vaishali Rameshbabu to secure the crucial point for Poland.
The United States and Uzbekistan played an entertaining match that eventually finished 2-2. Alice Lee continued her remarkable run with a fifth consecutive victory on board two, while Afruza Khamdamova defeated Carissa Yip on board one to level the score. The third board ended in a solid draw, while the fourth could easily have gone either way before the players eventually agreed to split the point.
Kazakhstan’s match against Germany was heading towards a draw when a disaster struck on board three:
Meruert Kamalidenova – Hanna Marie Klek
Playing White on board three, Meruert Kamalidenova had a pleasant position, but nothing more. Any reasonable move, such as 22…c6 or 22…Re8, would have kept the balance. However, in an attempt to get rid of White’s annoying bishop on h6, her opponent played 22…Bg5?, immediately allowing the tactical shot 23.Rxa8! After 23…Qxa8 24.Bxg5, White emerged with two bishops against a rook and went on to convert the advantage. Kazakhstan eventually won the match 2.5-1.5.
Azerbaijan also joined the leaders with a 3-1 victory over Serbia, thanks to two wins on the bottom boards. France, Georgia and Ukraine all recovered ground with solid results, while the biggest upset of the afternoon came from Turkmenistan, who defeated an Argentina team that had been on a roll until now.
Full results 46th Chess Olympiad
Written by IM Michael Rahal (FIDE Press Officer)
Photos: Michal Walusza, Rafal Oleksiewicz
Official website: https://chessolympiad2026.fide.com/