Uzbekistan, India, China and the USA continue their strong starts, while Argentina and Iran produce major upsets in a dramatic third round
The third round brought another afternoon of intense action at the Chess Olympiad, with the leading teams beginning to show their strength, mixed in with a few unexpected results, reminding everyone that nothing can be taken for granted over eleven rounds.
But the Olympiad is also about surprises, and the Women’s section delivered two of the biggest upsets of the day. Argentina, seeded 28th, defeated Ukraine in a memorable team performance, while Iran overcame eighth-seeded France 3–1. Tomorrow, the fourth round brings the first major clashes between many of the leading teams.
Let’s take a closer look at the action from the playing hall.
The ceremonial move in chess is akin to the ceremonial kick-off in football: a symbolic first move at the start of a match, often performed by a special guest, celebrity or representative of a supporting organisation.
This afternoon, three distinguished guests had the honour of opening the third round at the incredible EXPO playing venue. Muzaffar Sataev, Advisor to the Chairman of the Supervisory Board of Asia Alliance Bank, and Hulkar Tokhirjonova, Advisor to the President of the Uzbekistan Chess Federation, made the ceremonial moves in the Open section.
In the Women’s section, the first move was played by Dana Reizniece, Acting Chair of the FIDE Management Board and former Minister of Economics and Finance of the Republic of Latvia.
With the arrival of the Central African Republic in the second round and Angola today, the final number of participating teams has reached 205 in the Open section and 189 in the Women’s event: a record number, making the 2026 FIDE Chess Olympiad in Uzbekistan the biggest Chess Olympiad in history.
One of the most impressive team outfits on display today belonged to Team Vanuatu, representing the archipelagic country of Melanesia in the South Pacific. Their striking red, green, black and yellow outfits, echoing the colours of the national flag, made them instantly recognisable in the playing hall.
As official commentator Peter Svidler aptly put it during the live broadcast: “A lot of teams are playing in very colourful and beautiful uniforms. It’s a proper global festival, as you have this constant atmosphere of celebration.”
The Serbian Women’s team also paid a lovely tribute to the host country, Uzbekistan, arriving for their afternoon match dressed in traditional Uzbek clothing, another colourful reminder that the Olympiad is also a celebration of cultures coming together through chess.
Open section
Uzbekistan, the surprise champions in 2022, continued their unbeaten run with a comfortable 3–1 victory over Austria. A fast and confident win by Mukhiddin Madaminov on board four set the tone for the match, with Javokhir Sindarov adding the second point soon afterwards.
Madaminov, who was Sindarov’s second during the Candidates Tournament in Cyprus, has seen his rating skyrocket since then, firmly establishing himself as a contender for a place in the Uzbek first team. He is certainly making a strong case here, scoring 2.5/3 so far.
India also recorded a convincing 3–1 victory, this time against Italy, with two wins and two draws. Nihal Sarin continued his perfect start with his third consecutive victory, while World Champion Gukesh D also moved to 2.5/3.
After his game, FIDE reporter Charlize van Zyl caught up with World Champion Gukesh for a short interview.
For Arjun Erigaisi, however, the start has been less smooth. He has missed a number of relatively simple tactical opportunities in his games and will be looking to rediscover his best form as the Olympiad progresses. India will certainly need all their leading players firing if they are to challenge for another gold medal after their triumph in Budapest two years ago.
China is also showing excellent form in the opening rounds. Former World Champion Ding Liren scored his second win of the Olympiad, helping his team to a convincing 3.5–0.5 victory over a tenacious Bulgarian squad.
Playing on third board, Yu Yangyi produced one of the most spectacular finishes of the day, with a beautiful mating pattern.
Checkmate of the day
Yu Yangyi – Kiril Georgiev
Yu finished the game in elegant fashion with 37.Ng6!, threatening the devastating 38.Rh8#. His opponent, Kiril Georgiev, had little choice but to capture the knight with 37…fxg6, but this only allowed another killer move: 38.Bg8+!
Georgiev resigned, as there is no escape from the forced sequence 38…Kh8 39.Bf7+ Kh7 40.fxg6#.
After defeating Uzbekistan 3 yesterday, Germany faced Uzbekistan 2 today and came through with another narrow victory, 2.5–1.5. The match featured three solid draws, with Vincent Keymer providing the decisive blow on board one.
And here’s a fun question: could we see Uzbekistan 1 versus Germany tomorrow?
The USA also squeezed out a close 2.5–1.5 victory over Denmark. Awonder Liang suffered his second consecutive defeat on board four, which could see him rested in the coming rounds. Fortunately for the team, Hans Niemann and Wesley So are playing excellent chess, while Fabiano Caruana continues to provide the kind of solidity expected from a top board.
Other teams also produced strong performances this afternoon. Azerbaijan defeated Switzerland 3–1, while France overpowered Kazakhstan 3.5–0.5. Ukraine, Spain, Türkiye and Poland also recorded 3–1 victories, all without conceding a single individual loss.
With three rounds now completed, the first signs of the battle for the top places are beginning to emerge. Tomorrow’s fourth-round pairings will provide an important test of both strength and stamina, as the leading teams begin to meet stronger opposition and the long eleven-round journey starts to take shape.
Results of the five top matches in the Open section:
Denmark vs. United States of America: 1.5-2.5
India vs. Italy: 3-1
Austria vs. Uzbekistan: 1-3
China vs. Bulgaria: 3.5-0.5
Uzbekistan 2 vs. Germany: 1.5-2.5
Women’s section
It is still very early to identify the teams that will ultimately challenge for the podium in the Women’s section. There are plenty of strong line-ups in the field, and the first major clashes between the leading teams will likely begin tomorrow. For now, three teams have particularly caught my eye: China, India and the United States.
The USA produced an impressive 3.5–0.5 victory over Cuba, with first board Carissa Yip setting the tone. Yip picked up a pawn in the opening and then converted her advantage with a confident and highly controlled performance.
The other three American boards also produced strong games, completing a very convincing team performance and another clean round without a single individual defeat.
India overpowered Greece 3.5–0.5. On board one, Humpy Koneru produced a fine performance against the always-dangerous Stavroula Tsolakidou. China also continued their strong start, defeating Türkiye 3–1 thanks to victories on the top two boards by Zhu Jiner and Song Xuxin.
Even without their biggest names – Hou Yifan, Ju Wenjun, Lei Tingjie and Tan Zhongyi – the Chinese squad looks young, dynamic and tactically dangerous, and will certainly be one to watch as the rounds become tougher.
The home Uzbekistan team, seeded 13th, has also made a perfect start with three consecutive victories. They have the added motivation of playing every round on the first table, alongside their Open teammates, beneath huge screens continuously showing images of the team.
A 3–1 victory over Indonesia kept Uzbekistan firmly in the mix, with wins on boards three and four securing another valuable team victory.
Team Kazakhstan, seeded third, is also making its ambitions clear. A 3.5–0.5 victory over Slovenia is an impressive result, especially against a team capable of causing problems on every board. First board Bibisara Assaubayeva was held to a draw, but her three teammates were unstoppable, delivering a dominant team performance.
The biggest surprise of the day, however, came with Ukraine’s defeat to Argentina. The 28th seeds, the “Albicelestes”, produced an outstanding team performance under the guidance of coach IM Sebastian Iermito, fully deserving their 3.5–0.5 victory.
Another unexpected result saw Iran defeat eighth-seeded France 3–1, further underlining just how difficult it is to predict results at an Olympiad where every team is capable of putting up a fight.
The action continues tomorrow with Round 4, starting at 15:00 at the Silk Road EXPO. Spectators are welcome throughout the afternoon, while those unable to attend in person can follow the games with live commentary on the FIDE YouTube channel.
Results of the five top matches in the Women’s section:
India vs. Greece: 3.5-0.5
Kazakhstan vs. Slovenia: 3.5-0.5
Türkiye vs. China: 1-3
United States of America vs. Cuba: 3.5-0.5
Argentina vs. Ukraine: 3.5-0.5
Full results 46th Chess Olympiad
Written by IM Michael Rahal (FIDE Press Officer)
Photos: Michal Walusza, Rafal Oleksiewicz, and Mark Livshitz
Official website: https://chessolympiad2026.fide.com/