India stays in the hunt, while a surprise victory by Uzbekistan’s second team shakes up the race
With just two rounds remaining, the race at the top has become increasingly unpredictable. Uzbekistan took a major step towards gold by defeating the United States, while India kept its hopes alive with a crucial victory over Germany, led by Gukesh’s win on board four.
France and China shared all four points, while Uzbekistan’s second team produced the biggest surprise of the day with a crushing 3.5–0.5 victory over sixth-seeded Netherlands.
Armenia, Hungary, Spain and Ukraine also picked up important wins to remain in the mix, setting up a fascinating final two rounds in which almost anything can still happen.
In the Women’s section, China strengthened their grip on first place with a 3-1 victory over Armenia, led by key wins from Lu Miaoyi and Zhu Jiner, while India moved into the medal zone by defeating hosts Uzbekistan 3-1, with Divya Deshmukh and Vantika Agrawal both remaining undefeated.
Full results 46th Chess Olympiad
Let’s take a closer look at the action from the playing hall.
Ceremonial moves add a touch of showmanship
One of this afternoon’s ceremonial moves came with a twist. Simon Belanger, the internationally renowned chess content creator known for his outstanding Magnus Carlsen impressions, opened the game for Aksel Bu Kvaløy, board four of the Norway – Philippines match.
His choice of 1.f3, delivered alongside his trademark Carlsen impression, was greeted with laughter and a round of applause from those watching.
The ceremonial moves continued with José Antonio Carrillo, President of the Confederation of Chess for the Americas, making the first move for Cuba’s second board in their match against Poland. Alisher Muminov, founder of the “Sky Chess” Academy, then opened the game for Gulrukhbegim Tokhirjonova in her match against Divya Deshmukh in the Uzbekistan–India encounter.
Finally, the action moved to one of the day’s most important matches, Uzbekistan versus the United States. Saydali Yuldashev, Manager of the Uzbekistan Men’s National Chess Team, made the ceremonial first move for Nodirbek Abdusattorov, choosing the popular 1.b3.
Open section
Uzbekistan takes a giant step towards gold
Each day that goes by makes it more difficult to predict who will ultimately take the gold. Yesterday, Germany defeated Uzbekistan, putting themselves firmly into contention, but today the picture changed dramatically.
India overcame Germany, while Uzbekistan bounced back, defeating the United States and taking a major step towards the top of the standings.
What will happen tomorrow? It is anyone’s guess, but Uzbekistan’s position is looking increasingly strong.
The first game to finish was on board four, where Aronian and Madaminov played out an absolutely level game. Madaminov defended with impressive simplicity against the legendary former Armenian, neutralising any danger and securing the draw.
The other three games went all the way to the limit. Fabiano Caruana appeared to have the draw firmly in hand but decided against exchanging a pair of rooks, allowing the game to enter a double-rook endgame against Nodirbek Abdusattorov.
The Uzbek star, still undefeated with 7/9, eventually converted his chances. At this rate, he is firmly in contention for the individual gold medal on board one. On board two, Wesley So handed Javokhir Sindarov his first defeat of the Olympiad after outplaying him in a fine technical game.
Everything came down to the final game between Nodirbek Yakubboev and Hans Niemann. In a difficult position, the American sacrificed a piece for three pawns, but the compensation proved insufficient. Yakubboev held on to win, completing another victory for the Uzbek team.
Once again, the combined force of the two Nodirbeks had delivered for Uzbekistan.
Gukesh keeps India’s gold hopes alive
The other key match of the day, between Germany and India, turned out very differently. Trailing by one match point, India needed a victory to keep their gold-medal hopes alive. The first three boards all ended in draws after more or less accurate play, but on board four, Gukesh D came under serious pressure against Alexander Donchenko.
However, with time running short, Donchenko lost his way in the tactical complications, allowing the World Champion to turn the tables and score a decisive victory. It was a crucial point for India’s team ambitions and another important result for Gukesh’s individual medal campaign: he remains undefeated on 7.5/9.
After the game, Gukesh kindly accepted our request to analyse the encounter for the fans, taking the time to explain the key moments and ideas from the game.
Uzbekistan’s second team stuns the Netherlands
France and China drew all four games, although Wei Yi was fortunate to escape with a draw in a difficult position. The result keeps both teams’ medal hopes alive, but the biggest surprise of the afternoon came from Uzbekistan’s second team, which produced a stunning 3.5–0.5 victory over sixth-seeded Netherlands.
The result leaves the strong Dutch team with little room to manoeuvre in the medal race with just two rounds remaining.
Seeded 30th, Uzbekistan’s second team has been one of the revelations of the Olympiad. And with the host nation’s third team also performing exceptionally well, the lower-seeded Uzbek side could yet play a decisive role in shaping the final standings over the last two rounds.
Armenia, Hungary, Spain and Ukraine keep their hopes alive
Other important results saw Armenia prevail over Azerbaijan 2.5–1.5, while Hungary defeated Austria 3–1 to move back into contention after a wobbly middle section of the tournament.
Spain and Ukraine also kept their outside chances of a top-five finish alive, beating the Czech Republic 3–1 and Georgia 2.5–1.5 respectively.
Women’s Section
China extends its lead
China extended its lead in the standings with a convincing 3-1 victory over Armenia. They now sit two full match points clear of India, Kazakhstan and Mongolia, with only India boasting a comparable tiebreak.
After solid draws on boards two and four, Lu Miaoyi once again demonstrated her tactical skills, scoring the key win for China.
Tactic of the day
Lu Miaoyi – Elina Danielian
White had an overwhelming advantage and several ways to finish the game, but the Chinese prodigy opted for the most spectacular and efficient 36.Ra7!, hitting the black queen.
After 36…Qxa7, the e6-pawn was there for the taking, and 37.Qxe6+ sealed the deal. Elina Danielian had no choice but to resign, as 37…Kf8 would be met by 38.Nh7#, while 37…Kh8 allows 38.Qxc8+, also leading to mate in two.
Playing on board one, Zhu Jiner added the second win late in the afternoon, gradually grinding down Lilit Mkrtchian. Zhu remains undefeated and has now scored an impressive 5.5/7, keeping her firmly in contention for a medal.
India moves into medal zone
India moved into the medal zone with a convincing 3-1 victory over hosts Uzbekistan. Divya Deshmukh and Vantika Agrawal scored on the middle boards, with both players remaining undefeated. Vantika, in particular, is enjoying an excellent tournament and is pushing for an individual medal with 5.5/6.
Uzbekistan’s third-board player Umida Omonova, who was not selected to play this round, still came to the playing hall to support her teammates.
Mongolia and Kazakhstan share the spoils
Mongolia and Kazakhstan battled out a hard-fought 2-2 draw, with all four games producing decisive results. The result leaves both teams sharing second place in the standings, with both still well placed in the medal race.
Meanwhile, Indonesia pulled off the biggest surprise of the day. Seeded 35th, they defeated 10th-seeded Germany 2.5-1.5 and now have an outside chance of finishing in the top ten.
Chasing pack keeps the pressure on
Other important results among the teams chasing the top spots included Poland’s 2.5-1.5 victory over Cuba, France edging Serbia 2.5-1.5, and Vietnam producing a surprising 3.5-0.5 win over Bulgaria. Greece also held second-seeded Georgia to a 2-2 draw, a valuable result that keeps them in contention near the top of the standings.
The United States of America now need to win their final three matches to keep their medal hopes alive. They took the first step by defeating Canada 3-1, with Carissa Yip scoring on board one.
After the match, Charlize van Zyl spoke to the USA’s top board about the team’s victory.
Medals and norms
Along with the team medals and achievements, the Olympiad is a very good tournament to obtain individual board medals, title norms and even direct titles. The lists are provisional, subject to the rulings of each title, and will be updated daily
Direct FIDE Master (FM) titles
Direct Women FIDE Master (WFM) titles
Direct Candidate Master (CM) titles
Direct Women Candidate Master (WCM) titles
Individual board medals (open)
Individual board medals (women)
Written by IM Michael Rahal (FIDE Press Officer)
Photos: Michal Walusza, Rafal Oleksiewicz
Official website: https://chessolympiad2026.fide.com/