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/