The hosts defeat India 2.5-1.5 to emerge as the Open section’s sole leaders Uzbekistan have emerged as the sole leaders of the Open section after six rounds, producing another impressive result on home soil. Their first team defeated India 2.5-1.5 in a thrilling encounter, with Nodirbek Yakubboev scoring the decisive victory on board three against Nihal Sarin. The result propelled Uzbekistan to the top of the standings heading into the rest day, with the home team having shown both consistency and the ability to win the close matches that can ultimately decide the Olympiad. China also made a major statement by defeating Germany 3-1, while Armenia, France, and England remain among the teams in contention near the top. In the Women’s section, China continued their impressive run by crushing Poland 3.5-0.5, while Kazakhstan edged out Azerbaijan 2.5-1.5 in a match decided by Alua Nurman’s victory over Gunay Mammadzada. Let’s take a closer look at the action from the playing hall. Once again, four ceremonial opening moves were performed this afternoon on the top boards. In the Open section, for the highly anticipated Uzbekistan – India match, Husen Tuxtayev, Deputy Governor of the Samarkand Region for Youth Policy, Social Development, and Spiritual and Educational Affairs, made the opening move for Nodirbek Abdusattorov, while Nitin Narang, President of the All India Chess Federation, replied for R Praggnanandhaa. Immediately afterwards, everyone moved two rows down to the Women’s section for the Azerbaijan – Kazakhstan encounter. Mahir Mammedov, President of the Azerbaijan Chess Federation, made the ceremonial first move for Govhar Beydullayeva, while Yeraly Tugzhanov, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Kazakhstan to the Republic of Uzbekistan, responded for Bibisara Assaubayeva. Most teams arrive at the venue with more than enough time to find their boards and prepare for the match. So it was particularly unusual not to see any members of the Israeli teams when the games began. After a few minutes, the situation became clear. In observance of Yom Kippur, which falls on September 20 and 21 this year, the Israeli Open and Women’s teams had requested adjustments to their playing schedule. Yesterday, both of their opponents agreed to start the matches slightly earlier, with the games relocated to one of the official hotels. For today’s round, however, the Israeli teams requested either a later start in the evening or the possibility of playing the match tomorrow, the scheduled rest day. FIDE contacted the opponents of both Israeli teams to discuss the possibility of adjusting the playing schedule. However, neither opponent agreed to play at a different time from the official schedule, which they were fully entitled to do. As a result, and in accordance with the competition regulations, both Israeli teams forfeited their matches. Evgeni Romanov later explained the situation to Nurgyul Salimova, board one of the Bulgarian women’s team. Open section The match of the day between India and Uzbekistan brought together two of the three leaders and, unsurprisingly, both teams fielded exactly the same line-ups as in the previous round. On a personal note, after five rounds of watching these teams closely, I had the feeling that whoever came out on top today would have an excellent chance of winning the whole event. All of these top players have a long history of playing each other, meeting multiple times each year at tournaments around the world. Here is a fun fact: three of the four players on each team had also faced each other in the previous Olympiad in Budapest. That match ended 2-2, with all four games drawn. The Chennai 2022 match was also a 2-2 draw! All four games were intensely fought, and three eventually ended in draws, with Black gradually neutralising White’s initiative. But something seemed to be happening on board three, where Nodirbek Yakubboev and Nihal Sarin were heading towards severe time trouble in an extremely tricky position. Nodirbek Yakubboev – Nihal Sarin Yakubboev’s last move, 37.g3, concealed a very nice tactical idea that Nihal missed, when playing 36…Kxg5 on the previous move instead of the very strong 36…Kg7! with a huge advantage for Black. His best move here would have been to get his king to safety as quickly as possible with 37…Kh6 followed by 38…Kg7, after which Black should be able to hold the position. But Nihal had probably already decided on his next move and confidently played 37…Nf5, protecting the pawn. Yakubboev immediately grabbed the knight and followed up with 38.Ne6+!, forking Black’s king and queen. Nihal returned to the board in shock and quickly realised that he had blundered his queen. After 38…Rxe6 39.gxh4+ opens the h2–c7 diagonal, revealing the hidden attack on the queen. A very tricky tactical sequence indeed. With a full queen against a rook and bishop, Yakubboev smoothly converted his advantage, securing a 2.5-1.5 victory for his team and improving his personal score to an impressive 4.5/5. It could prove to be one of the most important victories of his career. Charlize van Zyl caught up with Yakubboev shortly after he left the tournament hall. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=if2b2-jYRcA In the second key match of the day in the Open section, China overpowered the third-placed leader, Germany, 3-1, with crucial victories by Ding Liren on board one against Vincent Keymer and Xu Xiangyu against Alexander Donchenko on board four. The latter was a particularly instructive endgame, with Xu demonstrating the strength of two bishops against two knights. France and England drew their match 2-2, with one win apiece, while Armenia moved into a tie for third place after defeating Iran 2.5-1.5. Iran is, of course, missing several of its strongest players: Alireza Firouzja, who now represents France but is not playing in Samarkand, as well as Parham Maghsoodloo and Sina Movahed. Further down the standings, Azerbaijan, Bulgaria, Turkey and, above all, the United States recovered some ground with solid performances as the tournament heads into the rest day. The Netherlands will also climb the standings following their 4-0 forfeit victory over Israel. On the less fortunate side,

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,

Several of the top teams remain unbeaten after another action-packed day in both sections at the Samarkand Expo venue Four rounds are now in the books, and the Chess Olympiad is beginning to reveal its first clear patterns. The leading teams are starting to separate themselves from the pack, but the margins remain narrow at the top, with several heavyweight encounters producing hard-fought battles. In the Open section, China, the host nation Uzbekistan, Germany, Armenia, the USA, India, the Netherlands, and Hungary remain perfect, winning all four starting matches. The Women’s section is equally competitive, with a large group still boasting perfect records after another day of convincing victories. India, Kazakhstan, China and the USA all maintained their winning runs, while a number of individual players have also emerged with flawless scores. Let’s take a closer look at the action from the playing hall. The fourth round began with a minute of silence in memory of Georgios Makropoulos, a longstanding figure in FIDE leadership and a devoted servant of chess. As President of the Greek Chess Federation, Makropoulos played a key role in bringing two Chess Olympiads to his native Thessaloniki, in 1984 and 1988. He was part of FIDE’s leadership from 1986, serving in several senior positions, including Deputy President and Vice President. He dedicated his life to the game and made a lasting contribution to chess both in Greece and internationally. With the last-minute arrival of the Marshall Islands, the total number of teams in the Open section has risen to a record-breaking 206, while the Women’s section remains at 189 teams. A fitting milestone to coincide with the visit of Uzbekistan’s Prime Minister, Abdulla Aripov, who was present at the Olympiad on this historic day. The Olympiad brings together, every two years, many of the best players in the world, as no one wants to miss this great chess festival. Yet not all of them are taking their seats at the board. As their playing careers enter a different phase, many Grandmasters transition into coaching and leadership roles, accompanying their teams as captains during the rounds. A quiet walk around the venue allowed me to spot quite a few familiar faces, most of them formidable players in their own right. Perhaps the strongest of them is Teimour Radjabov, who has been among the world’s elite for the past 25 years. Still ranked number two in Azerbaijan, Radjabov has gradually stepped away from competitive classical chess and embraced a leadership role with the national team. Former World Champion Rustam Kasimdzhanov is another prominent example, now helping guide a new generation of exceptionally strong Uzbek players. Other elite captains include Ivan Cheparinov (Türkiye; pictured above), Evgeny Bareev (Canada), Alexander Beliavsky (Ukraine), Jan Gustafsson (Germany) and Ivan Sokolov (Romania), alongside a large number of other seasoned Grandmasters who are now making their contribution from the sidelines. Open section Big clashes were taking place on the top boards this afternoon, with barely 100 rating points separating many of the opponents. The strength of the Indian team is particularly striking when you consider that World Champion Gukesh D is playing on India’s fourth board! The first match to finish among the top teams was Uzbekistan’s 2.5-1.5 victory over Türkiye. Three solid draws on boards one, two, and four left Nodirbek Yakubboev to get the job done on board three. His teammates quickly realised that he had emerged from the opening with a significant advantage, and Yakubboev duly converted it into the decisive point. India’s match against Spain was decided by a 3-1 score, although the encounter was far from lacking in excitement. Praggnanandhaa and his opponent agreed to a draw on board one, while on board three India also held firm with Black. Arjun Erigaisi and Gukesh then delivered the decisive blows, both producing powerful attacking games to secure the match for India. Erigaisi’s opponent, Maksim Chigaev, was visibly upset after the game and complained to both captains, but the final 3-1 scoreline was never in doubt. The United States had a tough outing against Ukraine, especially after Levon Aronian ran into serious trouble in the opening against Roman Dehtiarov, the reigning European champion. An early draw by Hans Niemann was followed by Wesley So’s third consecutive win, underlining his excellent form so far. Aronian then found a remarkable way back into the game with a positional queen sacrifice, eventually turning the tables and securing the win. Fabiano Caruana added another point with a superb positional grind against veteran Ukrainian star Vasyl Ivanchuk. China notched up another comfortable 3-1 victory, this time against the strong Serbian team. Wei Yi continued his perfect run, improving to 3/3 after defeating Aleksandar Indjic with a fascinating tactical idea that I had never seen before. Tactic of the day  Wei Yi – Aleksandar Indjic Black is clearly under pressure, but how do you make progress? Wei Yi always seems to find a way. He played 32.Nxf7! Rxf7 and now came the brilliant 33.Ne6!, hitting the queen. Interestingly, the queen has very few safe squares, and after 33…Qb8, Wei Yi continued with 34.Bg3! Qa8 35.Nc7!, employing what can only be described as a “windmill tactic” – but this time against the queen rather than the king. The game continued 35…Qb8 36.Nxd5 (after a repetition of moves) Qa8 37.Nc7 Qb8, and after 38.Bc4 the game was essentially over – Indjic capitulated six moves down the road. The Netherlands are often flying under the radar during the first few rounds, but their victory over Greece today has put them firmly among the leaders. Anish Giri continued his perfect start with a fourth consecutive win, and Charlize took the opportunity to catch up with him for a short interview, in which he spoke about the team dynamics and the importance of working together. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L9wgkhKn0p8&t=26s Armenia, Germany and Hungary are the other three teams to have won all their matches so far. Together with the Netherlands, they will occupy the top spots in tomorrow’s pairings. Results of the five top