With just one round remaining at the 3rd FIDE Chess Olympiad for People with Disabilities, the competition entered its decisive stage in Samarkand. Poland produced a commanding 4-0 victory over the Czech Republic to emerge as the sole leader heading into the final round, while Day 6 also put the spotlight on clean sport, fair play and the measures that help ensure equal conditions for everyone at the chessboard.
The day carried additional significance as competition at the 46th FIDE Chess Olympiad also got underway in Samarkand. For the first time, the Olympiad for People with Disabilities is being held alongside the Open and Women’s Olympiads, bringing players from across the chess world together in the same host city.
Before the clocks were started for Round 6, the ceremonial first move was made by Nigel Short, FIDE Director for Chess Development, marking the beginning of the penultimate round.
For participants in the 3rd FIDE Chess Olympiad for People with Disabilities, the proximity of the events has created opportunities to meet some of the world’s leading players, visit the main Olympiad, and experience the atmosphere of one of chess’s biggest events – while competing under comparable professional playing conditions themselves.
Day 6 also welcomed a delegation from Abu Dhabi, UAE, as preparations are already looking ahead to the next editions of the events in 2028. Mohsin Al Hashmi, Shaikha Alzaabi and Qasaed Altamimi visited the venue to observe the organization and gain first-hand experience ahead of the 2028 Chess Olympiad and the 4th FIDE Chess Olympiad for People with Disabilities, which will take place in Abu Dhabi.
Their visit offered an opportunity to see the event operations in practice, from the playing conditions and accessibility arrangements to the overall organization of the competition, as preparations for the next Olympiad cycle continue.
Clean sport: Fairness beyond the chessboard
Alongside the battles over the board, Day 6 focused on another fundamental part of competition: clean sport.
Anti-cheating measures are already an established part of top-level chess, but the Olympiad has also featured anti-doping controls, adding another dimension to the principle that sporting success should be based on a player’s own skill, preparation and hard work.
Dorian David, a representative of the Classification Commission at the event, explained that conducting anti-doping controls for players with disabilities required particular preparation and attention.
“It was a challenge because testing people with disabilities is not easy at all. But I can tell you that there weren’t any problems.”
David also highlighted the importance of Therapeutic Use Exemptions (TUEs) for players who require medication containing substances included on the prohibited list. He stressed that players are responsible for the substances present in their bodies and should ensure that the appropriate procedures are followed when medication requires an exemption.
For David, however, clean sport ultimately comes down to something much broader than testing.
“Clean sport is about fair play. And fair play… is winning through hard work. It’s also about respect – valuing your opponent, valuing the rules, respecting the rules.”
A different kind of Fair Play challenge
Fair Play Officer Jürgen Klüners described working at the Olympiad as a particularly distinctive experience.
Klüners, who was previously in Samarkand as an arbiter at the Grand Swiss, explained that fair play procedures at an event for players with disabilities sometimes require officials to adapt their usual approach to individual circumstances.
“Being a Fair Play Officer in this championship is very, very special, because we are checking people and all these people have several problems, and so it’s completely different to, let’s say, a normal Chess Olympiad or other championships.”
For him, patience and understanding are essential when carrying out the necessary checks while respecting the individual needs of every participant.
Klüners also emphasized the significance of staging the Olympiads alongside one another. Players at the event have access to professional conditions familiar from other major FIDE competitions: electronic boards, clocks, live results, media coverage and a full tournament infrastructure.
“We have more or less the same playing conditions. You see these screens with the results; they play with DGT boards with normal clocks. You have press officers giving interviews. So I think these people really appreciate this.”
Chess has been a lifelong part of Klüners’ own story. A player who once reached a rating above 2200, he began working as an arbiter at youth tournaments at an early age. Today, alongside his work as an arbiter and Fair Play Officer, he serves as Vice President of the German Chess Federation and continues to play team chess.
“You have to use your own prowess, talent or hard work”
The meaning of clean sport was equally clear to Kenya’s Ronny Otieno.
“It’s very important because it levels the field. You have to use your own prowess, talent or hard work to succeed. So clean sport is good for the sport.”
For Otieno, returning to the Olympiad has also been about friendships and shared experiences. Having participated in the previous edition in Kazakhstan, he spoke warmly about meeting players from other countries and praised the hospitality and organization in Samarkand.
The presence of the main Olympiad has added another memorable dimension. Otieno said he had already encountered several stars of world chess, including Vasyl Ivanchuk, Praggnanandhaa Rameshbabu and Gukesh D.
His own journey in chess began at the age of nine, when a childhood friend taught him the game. Initially chess was simply for fun, but years later, while at college, friends encouraged him to test himself in tournaments.
“I used to claim I’m the best. I never knew there were better people than me. So I started coming to tournaments, and since then it’s been fun. I mean, this is the best space anyone can ever be.”
Vietnam makes its Olympiad debut
For Thuy Thi Bich Tran, Samarkand represents a milestone: Vietnam is participating in the FIDE Chess Olympiad for People with Disabilities for the first time.
“It’s the first time Vietnam can get on the list for the Olympiad, so it’s very honorable for our team. When we came here, everything was very surprising. Uzbekistan prepared everything very amazingly and took care of a lot of people with disabilities. I feel very happy and grateful for this chance.”
The arrival of players from the Open and Women’s Olympiads has made the experience even more special.
“We can breathe the same air with a lot of grandmasters and WGMs. It was very, very exciting for me.”
Chess has accompanied Tran for much of her life. She remembers carrying a chessboard around when she was young and inviting people to play, before beginning more formal chess study around 15 years ago and later representing her national team.
Her passion is visible even away from the board: she has decorated her wheelchair with a chess theme.
“I love chess very much, and I want to decorate everything around me with chess. I think I will make my wheelchair unique with chess.”
Asked about the introduction of anti-doping controls, she connected them directly with the principle of fairness.
“I think that is bringing more clean sport for everyone, and we have the chance to play clean chess on the board.”
Poland takes control before the final round
While clean sport provided the theme away from the boards, the sporting battle delivered a major development.
Poland defeated the Czech Republic 4–0 in Round 6, moving into the sole lead with only one round remaining.
For Julia Salamon, the result marked another chapter in a tournament that has required resilience both individually and as a team.
“For sure, it was hard for me because I lost my first three games. Then I started winning, I had a draw, and I think the most important match, when we had the most nerves, was with Cuba.”
Now, with Poland at the top of the standings, the situation has changed – but the ambition has not.
“Now when we are leading, it’s much easier to play… but we still want to win.”
Salamon began playing chess at around six or seven years old after learning the moves from her father. From a local chess club she progressed to larger tournaments and Polish championships, before entering competitions for visually impaired and blind players and making her World Championship debut in 2024.
For her, clean sport in chess also means ensuring that what happens on the board comes entirely from the players themselves.
“It’s important to play clean, without any Stockfish around, because we can show our possibilities – how we are playing in real life, how we are thinking, and every combination we are doing.”
One round remains
Six rounds have now been completed, and the 3rd FIDE Chess Olympiad for People with Disabilities has reached its final turn.
Poland enters the seventh and final round as the sole leader, following its 4-0 victory over the Czech Republic.
At the same time, the wider chess world has arrived in Samarkand. With the Open and Women’s Olympiads now underway alongside the competition, players from all three events are sharing the same city, the same atmosphere and the same passion for the game.
And as Day 6 demonstrated, the principle connecting every level of competition remains simple: respect the opponent, respect the rules, and let the chess decide.
You can find results of the Round 6 and pairings of the Round 7 on Chess-results.
Follow the games live.
FIDE Chess Olympiad for People with Disabilities official website: https://dis-olympiad2026.fide.com/
Written by Angelika Valkova
Photos: Mark Livshitz and Rafal Oleksiewicz