The 46th Chess Olympiad, held in Samarkand from September 16–27, 2026, became one of the biggest sporting events in the history of Uzbek chess.
 

For the first time, the Olympiad brought together 205 countries, 397 teams and 1,970 chess players on one stage. Uzbekistan competed in the prestigious tournament with six teams — three men’s and three women’s teams.
 

The biggest achievement of the Olympiad was undoubtedly the championship victory of Uzbekistan’s men’s national team. The main squad won 10 out of 11 rounds and finished the tournament in first place with 20 points. In doing so, Uzbekistan repeated its historic success from 2022 in Samarkand and became Chess Olympiad champions for the second time.
 

Strong Battles Against Strong Opponents
 

Uzbekistan’s road to the title included matches against some of the strongest teams in the tournament. Throughout the Olympiad, our national team defeated India, China, the United States and Ukraine, all teams ranked among FIDE’s TOP 10. These results demonstrated that Uzbekistan’s first-place finish was the result of consistent performance throughout the tournament.
 

The individual performances of our players also played an important role in the team’s success. In particular, Nodirbek Yakubboev secured crucial victories in decisive matches against India, Türkiye, China and the United States.
 

At the end of the Olympiad, Uzbek players also finished among the medalists on individual boards. Nodirbek Abdusattorov went undefeated throughout the tournament and won the gold medal on Board 1. Javokhir Sindarov earned bronze on Board 2, while Nodirbek Yakubboev took silver on Board 3. The team championship was therefore accompanied by three individual medals.
 

Uzbekistan’s other teams also gained valuable experience against strong opponents. The men’s Uzbekistan-2 team defeated Spain, England and the Netherlands and finished 18th overall. Uzbekistan-3 finished the tournament in 60th place.
 

A Strong Performance from the Women’s Teams
 

Uzbekistan was also represented by three teams in the women’s competition. The main national team won 7 of 11 rounds, collected 15 points and finished in 13th place.
 

During the tournament, Uzbekistan’s women’s team defeated the Netherlands, Slovenia, Argentina and Peru. Uzbekistan-2 finished 35th, while Uzbekistan-3 placed 47th. Having three women’s teams compete at a single Olympiad also gave more of our players the opportunity to gain international experience at the world’s largest team chess event.
 

Paralympic Chess Players Also Make History
 

The major chess events in Samarkand extended beyond the 46th Chess Olympiad. Ahead of the Olympiad, Uzbekistan’s para-chess national team achieved a historic result at the 3rd Chess Para Olympiad.
 

The team won the bronze medal, marking Uzbekistan’s first third-place finish in the history of the Para Olympiad. Samarkand therefore became a place where Uzbek chess celebrated both an Olympic championship and a historic medal in para-chess at the same time.
 

Hundreds of Thousands Followed the Olympiad
 

The scale of the 46th Chess Olympiad cannot be measured only by the number of participating countries and players. During the competition, chess moved beyond the playing halls of Samarkand and reached a broad audience across Uzbekistan.
 

Nearly 500,000 spectators visited fan zones organized across the regions. More than 60,000 local and international guests traveled to Samarkand to experience the Olympiad in person. These figures show that the tournament became not only a sporting competition, but also a major international event that brought together a broad public audience.
 

The Uzchess platform also played an important role in bringing the Olympiad’s games to a wider audience. Through live coverage and professional commentary, viewers could follow not only the results but also analyze complex positions in the games. Commentators including Bakhtiyor Jumayev and Safarmurod Ollaberganov actively contributed to this coverage.
 

The Olympiad also became an important international experience platform for local professionals. For the first time, 55 Uzbek chess arbiters officiated at the 46th Chess Olympiad. The participation of such a large group of Uzbek arbiters at an event of this scale demonstrates that the country is developing not only a strong pool of chess players, but also a professional community capable of organizing and officiating international tournaments.
 

International Recognition
 

The Samarkand Olympiad brought Uzbek chess not only sporting success, but also a number of international recognitions. During the tournament, the Uzbekistan Chess Federation won the “Best Federation” category at the FIDE Excellence Awards 2026.
 

The recognition reflects the growth of Uzbek chess over recent years. Over the past 10 years, 17 chess players from Uzbekistan have earned the title of international grandmaster, including 5 women. Winning the country’s second Olympic title on home soil in Samarkand became one of the most significant sporting achievements of this development.
 

Another important event during the Olympiad was the strengthening of Uzbekistan’s representation within the international chess system. Rustam Kasimdzhanov was elected Honorary Vice President of FIDE, while Khulkar Tohirjonova was elected FIDE Regional President for Central Asian countries.
 

In this sense, the 46th Chess Olympiad in Samarkand brought together several major achievements for Uzbekistan. A second Olympic championship, three individual medals, a historic bronze for the para-chess team, nearly half a million fan-zone spectators, more than 60,000 visitors, 55 local arbiters and international recognition all contributed to the tournament’s place in the history of Uzbek chess.
 

And most importantly, Uzbekistan did more than host the Olympiad in Samarkand. On home soil, Uzbekistan became the world’s strongest chess team for the second time.